The Reveille 1-23-19

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We d ne s d ay, Ja nu a r y 23, 2 019

ALL WORK, NO PAY Local families struggle to make ends meet as government shutdown continues, page 2

CARTOON BY ETHAN GILBERTI

NEWS

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LSU Professor studies cultural roots of Mardi Gras.

SPORTS

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Marlon Taylor’s high-flying ability is key to LSU basketball’s win streak.

ENTERTAINMENT

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Vegan Friendly Foods is bringing healthy, accessible food options to Baton Rouge.

OPINION

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“Radical social justice warriors preach equality, but in reality, they crave revenge.”

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

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L SU Re ve i l le.co m

COVER STORY

Government shutdown longest in history, leaving 800,000 workers without pay

BY RAYMOND CONSTANTINO @r_dog_3 Alan Gunnels was treated for cancer over two years ago and now worries about missing a doctor’s appointment because the U.S. government is not paying him.

“I got to go to regular check-ups every six months now,” Gunnels said. “There’s situations like that.

Health-wise, I have to do it.”

Gunnels is an air traffic controller at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and is one of the nearly 420,000 government employees forced to work and wait for the ongoing government shutdown to be over to receive their pay. Another 380,000 employees were sent home when it began with no guarantee of back-pay.

The government shutdown began on Dec. 22 after President Donald Trump refused to sign a spending bill that did not include $5.7 billion in funding for a border wall. The shutdown became the longest in U.S. history when it reached its 22nd day on Jan. 13 with no end in sight yet.

A potential compromise Trump offered on Jan. 19 would grant $5.7 billion for border security in exchange for a three-year extension of the DACA program, which protects illegal immigrants brought to the U.S. as children from deportation.

Historically, the government has usually shut down when the president vetoes a spending bill that involves funding for a controversial issue, or the House and Senate disagree so strongly about an issue on the budget they refuse to compromise.

Belinda Davis, associate professor of political science at the University, said government shutdowns vary in what services they disrupt, but usually, workers are categorized as either non-essential or essential employees.

Non-essential workers, like Department of Commerce employees, are furloughed, meaning they are sent home and are not paid for those days once the shutdown is over, Davis said. Essential employees, such as border patrol agents, are still required to work, but they are not paid until the shutdown ends.

Gunnels has been an air traffic controller for 28 years. He said he and his colleagues were paid during previous shutdowns, but now he is feeling nervous.

“I’m just stuck kind of in this limbo until someone else decides for me what happens,” Gunnels said. “It’s an unsettling feeling.”

Gunnels said he cut back on some of his spending. He has not gone out to eat and has only bought groceries that his family truly needs, but he has no choice about other expenses like his children’s college tuition.

Federal employees forced to work have few options available to supplement their lost income.

Davis said workers could quit and find another job, but their contracts stipulate they must be at work when scheduled, even in a shutdown.

The government provided a letter explaining the situation that employees can show to creditors, but the decision to help still lies with those lenders, Davis said.

Mass communication sophomore Lauren Watson*’s father works for the Department of Justice and is an essential employee. She said her family is more frustrated than anything, but they are lucky to be financially secure.

Watson said her father relates the shutdown to a business — if the company executives strongly disagreed over an issue, the business could not cease operations.

Gunnels said his friends have supported him, and a group of air traffic controllers from Canada sent pizza to him and his colleagues.

Some have offered help to federal workers, such as local restaurant The Ruby Slipper Cafe. The Ruby Slipper Cafe said in a Facebook post that it served over 3,000 meals to affected workers.

“The touching stories and powerful sense of community has affirmed our belief in helping our neighbor,” the post said.

I’m just stuck kind of in this limbo until someone else decides for me what happens.

It’s an unsettling feeling.

ALAN GUNNELS

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Editor in Chief NATALIE ANDERSON Managing Editor EVAN SAACKS Digital Editor HA-VY NGUYEN

Air traffic controller

The shutdown also affects another area of government that all Americans are familiar with — the Internal Revenue Service.

The IRS Lapse of Appropriations Contingency Plan states the IRS must process returns “to the extent necessary to protect Government property, which includes tax revenue, and maintain the integrity of the federal tax collection process ...”

However, it remains unclear if the IRS will be able to carry out these services as quickly as it normally would because it may not retain enough employees to work. The employees also

@l s u r e ve i l le

may not tolerate working for long periods without pay.

Gunnels said if the shutdown continues, he will start looking into loan options. With Trump’s offer reportedly unlikely to pass in the Senate, he may have to.

And that means 800,000 workers continue on, sent home with no guarantee of back-pay or forced to work without pay until the shutdown is over. All they can do is wait. *Editor’s Note: Lauren Watson is a former staff photographer for The Reveille.

News Editor HAILEY AUGLAIR Deputy News Editor LUKE JEANFREAU Sports Editor KENNEDI LANDRY Entertainment Editor WHITNEY HICKS Opinion Editor HANNAH KLEINPETER Production Editor LYNNE BUNCH Co-Photo Editor ALYSSA BERRY Co-Photo Editor CHRISTA MORAN

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

ABOUT THE REVEILLE

courtesy of WIKIMEDIA

The government shutdown entered into its 22nd day on Jan. 13, making it the longest shutdown in American history. Nearly 800,000 American federal workers are being forced to work without pay.

The Reveille (USPS 145-800) is written, edited and produced solely by students of Louisiana State University. The Reveille is an independent entity of the Office of Student Media within the Manship School of Mass Communication. A single issue of The Reveille is free. To purchase additional copies, please visit the Office of Student Media in B-39 Hodges Hall. The Reveille is published weekly during the fall, spring, and summer semesters, except during holidays and final exams. Second-class copies postage paid at Baton Rouge, LA, 70803.

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NEWS

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STUDENT LIFE

Esports at LSU donates tournament proceeds to local charity

BY KARLI CARPENTER @karlicarpenter

The trend quickly became an accepted and unquestioned aspect of New Orleans parades. Shrum published a research paper, “Ritual Disrobement at Mardi Gras: Ceremonial Exchange and Moral Order,” focusing on the topic, which has since been cited in numerous academic journals in addition to Playboy Magazine.

“I didn’t know they published research,” Shrum said. “I wasn’t even sure they existed anymore. But they published it in their magazine, and literally cited our professional paper. It was pretty amazing.”

Esports at LSU held a Super Smash Bros. tournament Jan 19. in the LSU Student Union and will donate the proceeds to an organization that helps homeless and at-risk youth.

The tournament included the games Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and was free to enter. Prizes including t-shirts, Wii U games, Nintendo Wii consoles, a Playstation 2 with assorted games and a Nintendo Switch were donated by the club’s sponsors and given to some participants.

There was a $1 raffle, and the club was able to raise $669.

The money will go to the Baton Rouge Youth Oasis charity. It includes a youth center that provides emergency shelter, food, clothing, counseling and healthcare for children ages 10 to 17, according to its website. It also has a Transition Living Program that aims help to transition young adults ages 17 to 21 into adult life, as well as a Diversity House that provides help for people ages 18 to 24 who are on the LGBTQ+ spectrum.

“This organization’s mission is kind of to break the cycle of homelessness and create a nurturing place,” said Howard Tsai,

see MARDI GRAS, page 6

see ESPORTS, page 6

CARNIVAL CRAZE

BY ANNA JONES @annajoneses Out-of-state University students can expect to have many new, unfamiliar experiences during their first year. Beyond the typical challenges of classes, making social connections and navigating campus, Louisiana has a unique tradition that will bewilder anyone who has not experienced it firsthand.

International studies junior Allison Gay is one of many out-of-state students who had a vague understanding of Mardi Gras before moving to Louisiana from Virginia.

“I thought Mardi Gras was just about going to Bourbon Street and getting drunk, collecting beads and just partying,” Gay said. “Now that I live here, I understand the religious aspects and the feeling of community that Mardi Gras inspires. Plus, I love a good parade.”

University Sociology Professor Wesley Shrum and Folklore Associate Professor and English Carolyn Ware are two University faculty members seeking to enlighten students on Mardi Gras, or the carnival celebration leading up to the season of Lent.

“Mardi Gras is not real life,” Shrum said. “It’s a special time

period.”

Shrum, an Arkansas native, was inspired to study the cultural roots behind the peculiar phenomenon of ritual disrobement when he experienced his first Mardi Gras in the ‘70’s.

“I would ask people, ‘this is wild, there’s all this nudity and everything, when did it start?” Shrum said. “People told me they had always done this at Mardi Gras. That’s completely false.”

Upon further research, Shrum discovered the customary exchanging of beads for nudity was actually originated by nudists in the mid to late ‘70’s.

STUDENT LIFE

LSU bass fishing team fishing for more members to join its club

BY BRITTNEY FORBES @itsbritforbes The LSU Bass Fishing team is fishing for students.

There are currently 12 active members on the bass fishing team who participate in weekend tournaments, and the club is looking to gain more. They mostly fish on lakes in Texas, Alabama and Arkansas, recording what fish were caught and the experience as an entirety.

Petroleum engineering junior and president of the Bass Fishing Club Connor Turner initially became a part of the team

because he wanted to continue his passion of fishing after his senior year of high school.

“My biggest goal for [the organization] is to have some consistency,” Turner said. “I want people to realize we have a team and try to make [the organization] a household name.”

The Bass Fishing team will host their second annual benefit tournament Feb. 17 to help the team pay for travel expenses.

At their first tournament last year, there were 50 boats in attendance with 100 people who came to support the organization. Due to the success of the

tournament, the members were able to travel to various parts of the country that they wouldn’t otherwise have to been able to.

Turner said the organization has considered pitching a tent, bringing out some food and interacting with people on their agenda this year besides the benefit tournament.

The Bass Fishing team attends sportsmen shows and addresses their team sponsors in order to help make their name known throughout Louisiana, creating more of a presence for themselves.

“We are definitely trying to

make more of a public interaction,” Turner said, stating that there has been more planning for events than there has been for the past few years.

The team’s competitions are not limited to Louisiana. Since tournaments are divided into regions, they fish in the South Region for Fishing League Worldwide (FLW). FLW’s goal is to create the best lifestyle in fishing, on and off the water.

Turner has fished against teams from Texas to Iowa, saying the competition is “an open book.”

“It really comes down to

whether or not you can come down and compete against [the competitors] who fish on the lakes regularly,” Turner said.

Turner said there are great teams from University of Louisiana Monroe, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and Nicholls State University. He said the teams are all comfortable with one another, despite competing against one another, because they’re all from Louisiana. “[Bass Fishing] is just a big nationwide family,” Turner said.

Turner said one of the

see BASS FISHING, page 6

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

page 4 ACADEMICS

LSU professor selected for 2019 Light Up for Literacy Award

BY BAILEY CHAUVIN @BaileyChauvin LSU professor of literacy and urban education MargaretMary Sulentic Dowell was selected for the 2019 Light Up for Literacy Award for her years of dedication to providing Louisiana students access to literature and the humanities and preparing future teachers to promote literacy skills, especially in urban environments.

The award is presented by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities in partnership with the State Library of Louisiana’s Center for the Book. It recognizes an individual who has made significant and lasting contributions to the study and understanding of the humanities in Louisiana.

“My chosen profession and my lifelong profession has been as a literacy teacher,” Sulentic Dowell said.

Sulentic Dowell refers to herself as a “career educator.” She spent 15 years as a public school

teacher before moving to Mississippi and working at the University of Southern Mississippi for three years.

In 2002, Sulentic Dowell moved to Louisiana and became the Assistant Superintendent for 64 elementary schools in East Baton Rouge Parish. She began working at LSU as a professor of literacy and urban education in the School of Education in 2006.

Sulentic Dowell has taught at every grade level, except kindergarten and eighth grade, and has been passionate about literacy since the beginning of her career.

“I began teaching and wanting to teach literacy skills, whether that meant teaching an appreciation of literature in high school, working with middle school children to elevate their skills or teaching basic literacy skills to elementary school children,” Sulentic Dowell said.

At the University, Sulentic Dowell coordinates the Elementary Grades Teacher

Education Program, which prepares University students to become educators certified to teach in grades 1-5. She also teaches a literacy assessment class that is required for undergraduate students in the program, as well as several graduate level courses.

Sulentic Dowell assists both “pre-service” student teachers, who are working toward a degree and certification, and “in-service” teachers, who have experience as educators, in becoming the best teachers of literacy that they can be. Part of her role includes partnering with colleagues in local school systems to send student teachers from the University to gain experience teaching in elementary schools.

Sulentic Dowell said that student teaching is a critical part of University students’ preparation for a career in education and would not be possible without the support of local schools, particularly in East Baton Rouge Parish.

“I believe that all children

deserve the best prepared and educated teachers that are available, and that’s my goal in partnering,” Sulentic Dowell said. “We can give students background, but then we have to rely on local schools and teachers to help us finish that process.”

Sulentic Dowell is also the Director of the LSU Writing Project, which seeks to improve the teaching of writing and help Louisiana students develop their writing and learning skills.

Sulentic Dowell has published three books promoting service-learning and literacy in schools. Her most recent book, “The Literacy Leadership Guide for Elementary Principals: Reclaiming Teacher Autonomy and Joy,” was published in December 2018 and was co-written by Tynisha D. Meidl and Jason Lau. Sulentic Dowell was overjoyed to receive recognition for her years of dedication to promoting literacy.

“I am both thrilled and humbled by this,” Sulentic Dowell

courtesy of LSU MEDIA RELATIONS

LSU professor Margaret-Mary Sulentic Dowell wins the 2019 Light Up for Literacy Award. said. “This feels like it’s close to the pinnacle of my career.”

Sulentic Dowell and other award winners will be honored on April 4 at the 2019 LEH Bright Lights Awards Dinner held at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

FACILITIES

Murals in Allen Hall have rich history with student artists

BY SOPHIE LIBERTO @LibertoSophie Inside Allen Hall, dozens of murals line the top of the walls, depicting various images of farming, science and education.

“There is no single answer to [what the murals depict],” said Professor of Art History Darius Spieth. “There are multiple parts of it. The primary thing is to show how LSU is relevant to the state with research and agricultural elements.”

University students painted these frescoes in the 1930s, Spieth said. They were all students of Conrad Albrizio, a professor in the school of art. Stylistically, these murals are very similar to Albrizio’s work.

Albrizio is famous for the murals in the Union Passenger Terminal train station in New Orleans.

He painted them in 1954 and, by this time, his style had changed.

They are very colorful and cubist inspired, according to Louisiana Public Broadcasting television series “Art Rocks!”

Albrizio also painted frescoes in the Louisiana State Capitol that are similar to the ones in Allen.

These murals in Allen date back to the time of Works Progress Administration (WPA) Art. During the New Deal, the WPA funding became available to construct large-scale art projects.

The artists produced work for the public. Mural paintings are seen in post offices, state capitols and public buildings.

Jackson Pollock is an artist that created WPA art. A common art style at the time was figurative while some included bulky figures. A lot of the work of the WPA included depictions of

local history.

According to “The Murals of Allen Hall: Reclaiming a Legacy,” a book designed and produced by the College of Art and Design and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Allen Hall murals did not have WPA support because they were student projects, but they did have influence from the WPA. The murals in Allen Hall are

“There is no single answer to [what the murals depict]. There are multiple parts of it.”

DARIUS SPIETH

Art history professor not real frescoes as real frescoes are plastered into the wall. These murals are painted on the drywall with oil paints, according to Spieth.

According to “The Murals of Allen Hall,” Allen Hall is very significant to the University’s campus. The hall is a part of the library group with Hill Memorial Library and Peabody Hall. Peabody and Allen frame Hill Memorial Library. Allen Hall is also the first building along the western edge of the main quadrangle.

Some murals in Allen are missing today because they have been covered up. Some frescoes were destroyed. In the original murals before they were restored, some frescoes included political content, which included World War

II and rise of fascism. There were political comments about Hitler and Mussolini in the murals. An administrative assistant insisted they be removed.

The frescoes on the western end were visible until 1962 when the stairwell in Allen was modified to grant access to the third floor, at which point they were covered by the stairwell addition.

Each student had a segment, and were allowed to paint whatever they wanted which led to political content.

For decades, the murals were covered up. A restorer in the 1990s removed a layer of paint and so the murals became visible again. Some of the original artists were still alive when the murals were restored.

In 2001, the comprehensive conservation campaign of the fresco cycle of the 1930s began with the restoration of murals on the interior of each end of Allen Hall. These murals had never been painted over and remained visible, although not as vivid as they once had been.

In 2001, the murals were chemically analyzed with a noninvasive cleaning methodology using dry cleaning followed by deionized water applied to Japanese rice-paper for the removal of the accumulation of surface dust and deposits. Minor repairs were also made, especially near a window where a leak had been present, according to “The Murals of Allen Hall.”

In 2012, when the stairwell in Allen Hall had been reconfigured and the recovery of the murals on the western end began. The removal of the layers of overpainting was carried out by means of a compatible solution applied to small areas.

BELLA BIONDINI / The Reveille

Murals are found within Allen Hall on Field House Drive, located inside the LSU Quad, on Tuesday, Jan. 22.

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

page 5

HEALTH

LSU professor creates malaria vaccine, receives LIFT2 grant

BY BAILEY CHAUVIN @BaileyChauvin LSU Department of Pathobiological Sciences research assistant professor Paul Rider created a malaria vaccine that will receive financial support through a “Leverage Innovation for Technology Transfer,” or LIFT2, grant provided by the LSU Board of Supervisors.

“When I came to LSU from Berkeley, I was surprised by how many opportunities there were at LSU to do research,” Rider said.

“I’m happy to be able to take advantage of those opportunities to do this kind of work. I’m excited about all of the things that we’re doing here.”

Malaria is one of the “big three” infectious diseases, along with HIV and tuberculosis. There are approximately 200 million cases of malaria each year and 400,000 deaths caused by the disease, most of which are in children under the age of 5.

“The best part about our vaccine is that we target the liver stage,” Rider said. “The pathogenesis, the part that makes you sick, is the blood stage. We’re stopping it before it gets to the

blood stage and causes malaria.”

When a person is bit by an infected mosquito, the mosquito introduces sporozoites, cells that will cause infection, into the bloodstream. The sporozoites travel through the liver and divide into schizonts, which further divide into merozoites that infect the blood cells. The blood cells then burst, which causes anemia and other symptoms of malaria. Rider’s vaccine targets the parasite before it enters the blood cells.

Rider’s work expands on the research of LSU Department of Pathobiological Sciences professor Gus Kousoulas, who created a Herpes Simplex Virus vaccine. Kousoulas’ vaccine has two mutations in it that disrupt the virus’ ability to enter neurons. This prevents the virus from establishing latency, in which it lies dormant within a cell and periodically reactivates, causing the host to experience symptoms.

Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) can be categorized into HSV Type 1, which most commonly causes cold sores, and HSV Type 2, which most commonly causes genital her-

pes. When Rider began working in Kousoulas’ laboratory, Kousoulas and his team were determining if their vaccine could protect mice from both HSV Type 1 and HSV Type 2.

Two years ago, Rider began looking for opportunities to use Kousoulas’ vaccine to vaccinate against other infectious diseases and cancer. He began putting antigens from other infectious diseases into the vaccine and testing the vaccines’ safety and efficacy.

Rider began collaborating with Dr. Ahmed Aly, who currently works at Bezmiale Vakif University in Turkey, after Aly showed interest in using malaria antigens in the HSV vaccine. After Rider created the vaccine, Aly showed the vaccine had sterilizing immunity and completely protected vaccinated mice from malaria.

The LIFT2 fund supports academic researchers in all campuses of the University as they transition from researching and developing their technologies to commercializing them for public use. The LIFT2 fund awards grants twice a year on a competitive basis. Rider is one of 12 researchers to receive a

BELLA BIONDINI / The Reveille

LSU pathobiological sciences research assistant professor Paul Rider and his grad student Farhana Musarrat partake in lab work inside of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital on Friday, Jan. 18.

LIFT2 grant during its ninth round of funding.

The LIFT2 grant will allow Rider to perform experiments with the malaria vaccine that are necessary in order for the vaccine to be available for dis-

LISETTE OROPESA

LSU alumna and world-renowned soprano Lisette Oropesa returns to Baton Rouge for an epic masterwork performance with the LSU Symphony Orchestra.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 25 • 7:30 P.M. LSU UNION THEATER

Tickets on sale now. Visit us online at lsu.edu/cmda/events

tribution.

Rider expressed gratitude for his colleagues, including Kousoulas and former University professor Thomas Klei, and the LIFT2 grant provided by the LSU Board of Supervisors.

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

page 6 MARDI GRAS, from page 3 Shrum’s study mainly focuses on consumerism as a motivator for the nudity. He also emphasizes that, although it’s a common societal belief that mainly women participate in this ritual, his studies have found that men are just as likely, if not even more likely, to join in on the fun.

“Sometimes people just take off their clothes, and who knows why they do it,” Shrum said.

“But they don’t do it on a regular basis, and they don’t do it like they do at Mardi Gras.”

He also observed that in some situations, the participants will receive beads before disrobing, but in other cases, the participants will only get their reward after they have proven they will go through with it.

However, even when the beads are received first, most people would consider it unacceptable to not go through with the disrobing.

“Of course, they could always chicken out or not go through with it, but you don’t see a lot of that,” Shrum said.

Ware proposes an alternative option for those who feel overwhelmed by New Orleans Mardi Gras crowds or desire a more family friendly atmosphere. She is an expert in rural Cajun Mardi Gras celebrations, which feature the traditional “Mardi Gras runners” who go around the town

ESPORTS, from page 3 dressed in costume, playing music and asking for food from various members of the community. At the end of the day, the entire town will gather together and enjoy a meal.

Although Cajun Mardi Gras is very different from the stereotypical Bourbon Street experience, Ware said there are a lot of similarities between the two.

“Mardi Gras is a time when you’re allowed to act out of character,” Ware said. “Both celebrations draw members of the community together for this heightened experience of fun, laughter, and maybe having too much to eat or getting a little too drunk before going back to real life the next day.”

Ware, like Shrum, is not a Louisiana native, but was drawn into Louisiana culture by the food, music and sense of community. She came to Louisiana from Pennsylvania, after spending her childhood in many different places, over 30 years ago. Now, she returns to Cajun country every year and recommends that others do the same.

“When I saw that first Cajun Mardi Gras, I just knew it had to be my dissertation,” Ware said.

“I would definitely urge anyone to try Cajun Mardi Gras. To a lot of us, who didn’t grow up in one place, the sense of community is very meaningful.”

a computer science senior who serves as events director for Esports at LSU. This is the second event that Esports at LSU has held to raise money for Youth Oasis. At a similar tournament last year, the club raised $400. It surpassed its $500 goal for this tournament.

Tsai said the club hopes to make the charity tournament an

courtesy of LSU ESPORTS

Participants of LSU’s Esports Tournament gather around players as they compete to win the tournament on Jan. 19.

BASS FISHING, from page 3

HOME

annual event or even put it on each semester.

Esports at LSU’s president and computer science senior Cody East said the club is looking to do a charity stream in February for St. Jude Children’s Hospital.

The club also regularly hosts non-charity events. Mass communication senior and Esports at LSU’s vice president Ben Hosford said the club is planning

team’s biggest hardships is that the members all have different schedules and a variety of majors including engineering, construction management and business participating. The organization tries to have meetings two to three times a month if they plan to meet on campus.

“More times than not, we end up eating at Walk-On’s right

down the road,” Turner said.

“During the summer, we go fishing even if it’s not for a tournament because we all end up fishing together.”

Turner said the organization is a close group, constantly enjoying each others’ company. He added that this is a “very tight” team this year, saying that the members enjoy seeing older and younger people coming together in appreciation of the

five or six major events this semester.

The club hosts weekly events and workshops, too. Hosford said new players are encouraged to attend so they can learn from more experienced players.

Everyone is welcome, including people who have never picked up a game controller.

The 3-year-old club encompasses all game titles, so all gamers’ interests can be met.

Hosford said that it is a diverse club that includes members from various demographics.

Tsai said Esports at LSU is a hub for both casual and competitive gaming not only in Baton Rouge, but in Louisiana as a whole. There is a huge gaming community in the state, although it is not well-known for its video games. Tsai hopes to bring gaming at the University to the next level.

“We’re in contact with university athletics,” Tsai said. “We’re looking to have a sports club.”

Tsai said eventually the club wants to convince the University to have a varsity Esports team.

Gamers can connect with Esports at LSU by joining them on Facebook, Twitter, Discord or Tigerlink. Anyone is free to join as well as attend the meetings, which are announced on the club’s social media pages.

There are no age restrictions for participation, and non-students are welcome. sport.

For those who are unsure whether or not the team is meant for them, Turner said the team is a very good opportunity to fish in new places and meet new people compared to fishing on your own and not being a part of a team.

The LSU Bass Fishing team has social media pages on Facebook and Instagram both being “LSU Bass Fishing.”

2019-20 Leasing Begins February 1, 2019 courtesy of LSU BASS FISHING

Members of the LSU Bass Fishing team weigh in a bass at a tournament.

SPORTS

page 7 OPINION

ROCKET MAN There aren’t a lot of words that accurately describe Marlon Taylor’s game that do him justice — Sir Elton John’s classic “Rocket Man,” where a man spends so much time up in flight alone, is a better description for the junior guard.

Certainly, Taylor must feel alone when he’s jumping high up into the outer reaches of the stratosphere for a put-back dunk.

A more recent song brings that same understanding of Taylor: Drake and Future’s “Jumpman,” appropriately named after Michael Jordan’s Air Jordan brand.

CHRIS CALDARERA @caldarera11

and rebounding abilities that has propelled the Tigers on this current run.

While you can rattle off the statistics and pull up his gravitydefying dunks on YouTube that would surely make you think he’s a transformer in disguise with mechanical springs for legs, there is actually more than what meets the eye when it comes to Taylor.

When you watch him cut to the basket without the ball and practically levitate to catch a pass for a dunk, you would think he’s made that play out of second nature like he’s done it his entire life. That isn’t exactly the case.

see TAYLOR, page 9

see NFL, page 9

MITCHELL SCAGLIONE / The Reveille

Rocket man, jumpman, space jam and other corny song references aside, it doesn’t matter. The LSU swingman and his recent flourishing success have been intertwined with the LSU basketball team’s current win-streak.

Taylor’s impact cannot be understated.

Since Taylor has been inserted into the starting line-up, the Tigers are a perfect 7-0 dating back to after their last loss at Houston, in a game in which they led for most of the second half.

Since becoming a starter, the junior guard has seen his offensive production go up, but it is his defensive intensity and what he brings in his shot-blocking

CAL’D UP

The oblong, leather-bound ball left the cleat of kicker Greg Zuerlein and nestled itself into the safety net behind the goalpost. Silence fell upon an atmosphere that was filled with deafening noise a few seconds before.

The Los Angeles Rams had defeated the New Orleans Saints in overtime to punch their ticket to Super Bowl LIII. Miles away in Baton Rouge, I was unfortunate enough to witness the winning field goal and celebration from a high definition television. My friends and I sat in silence, numb to the pain that should follow such a heartbreaking loss on a championship stage.

We were numb because we had known how the game would end for a while. While we portrayed a facade of hope and optimism, we had known which team would be walking away with the trophy since 1:45 mark in the fourth quarter.

It was like being at a restaurant with a significant other when it’s well known that the relationship has no legs. You know the journey will be finished by the end of the meal, but you try to enjoy the food regardless.

Marlon Taylor’s high-flying success was no surprise

BY DAVID LEBLANC @DavidLeBlanc95

NFL needs to own up to mistakes

WOMENS BASKETBALL

LSU Lady Tigers look to find new identity down the stretch

BY MYLES KUSS @KussMyles Most teams go into the season with a certain motto or mantra to lean on when the results do not match the intensity of play.

For the LSU women’s basketball team, they are trying to figure out what that identity is as they continue in the Southeastern Conference play.

The Lady Tigers (12-6, 3-3 SEC) have been up and down all year — they beat ranked Texas A&M with perimeter defense and fast breaks, but lost mightily to No. 19 South Carolina as they did the exact opposite and could not make shots or defend the fast break.

So the question is, what

changes need to be made?

There are different answers to that complicated question, and coach Nikki Fargas addressed it with her words motioning toward offense.

“I feel like we are getting enough field goal attempts,” Fargas said. “We are not converting as much as I would like us to. We simply need to get better on the offensive side of the basketball.”

A simple statement from the coach is much harder to put into practice. LSU has been a great defensive team all year but has lacked in most shooting categories throughout the season.

Against South Carolina, LSU shot 37.9 percent from the floor while the Gamecocks shot an even 50 percent. LSU

also shot only four threes compared to South Carolina, who shot 19.

Fargas mentioned early in the year that shooting would not be an area that would lead to wins, but they would with their defense. With defense being LSU’s strength through SEC play, Fargas has shifted her priorities to the offensive side of the ball. She thinks offense, not defense, will need a priority from here on if they want to win games.

With all those stats being said, the Lady Tigers have being able to put together solid game-plans and played well in the past two games.

They almost edged a tough

see LADY TIGERS, page 9

EMMA HOGUE / The Reveille

LSU junior guard Jaelyn Richard-Harris (13) calls for the ball on Jan. 17, during the Tigers’ 60-64 loss against Kentucky in the PMAC.

page 8

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Shanice Norton brings defensive stablity to LSU’s lineup

BY KERRELL ROBINSON @kerrell9 The LSU women’s basketball team has had one of the best defenses in the country all season.

LSU has a team full of sophomores and juniors. Their future looks bright, but a lone senior is what holds them together — senior guard Shanice Norton.

“Leadership for me plays a huge role in keeping the team together,” Norton said. “Being a leader and being the only senior, it has given me the position of being the glue. Defensively, coach Nikki [Fargas] gives me that role, to lead with my defense. Our defense is what pushes our offense.”

Norton is one of the starting guards on the team. She does not always get the glorious statistics that some of the other players get, but she has been an important piece to the team.

This season she is averaging 6.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2 assists and 1.3 steals a game, and she flirts with double-doubles nightly.

“I don’t really think about that,” Norton said. “It’s just being the best player I can for my team. It fuels our offense.

Her stats may not be the highest, but it is the other things that she does that draws praise from Fargas and teammates alike.

She tips passes. She passes to the assists. She tips rebounds

to teammates. She locks down offensive threats. She energizes the defense. She would possibly have more steals if opposing offenses dared to pass it her way.

She is a defensive stopper and a jack of all trades.

“Shanice does a fabulous job,” Fargas said. “Especially when she is locked in on her side. You don’t get to score on Shanice’s side. It is almost like you better run your offense away from her. She does not give up a lot of points. She is a very good on-the-ball defender. I like her defensive mindset.”

Norton has always been the same style of player, but she has grown so much since she came to LSU all the way from London, England.

Though this is her first year being a cemented starter, Norton has started all but one game this season. Now, she is a necessary part of that starting lineup.

As she looks back on her play throughout the years, she can see the differences in herself on the court, however her biggest growth she has noticed was her mentality.

“It is a huge difference,” Norton said. “I have grown so much mentally. I have gone from going home after a game crying upset about the way I played to going home and thinking that I really accomplished something today or that I have really helped my

MITCHELL SCAGLIONE / The Reveille

LSU senior guard Shanice Norton (2) dribbles the ball during the lady Tigers’ 76-52 loss to South Carolina, on Sunday, Jan. 13, in the PMAC. team get this win. I really helped put us in a place where we can improve and be a better team.

I have grown in a sense of being able to keep it together and staying tough.”

In her final season, she does not really have many individual

goals. She sees the bigger picture and only wants team success. She doesn’t care about the double-doubles. She doesn’t care about the points.

In her time as an LSU Lady Tiger, she has never seen the second round of the NCAA

Tournament. She has her sights on the tournament. She has her sights on a run.

“In previous years, we have only really made it to the first round of the NCAA Tournament,” Norton said. “We want to push passed that.”

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Kavell Bigby-Williams makes impact as rim-protector for LSU bounds, and 6 blocks a game. He then began playing for the youth Great Britain The road to LSU for Kavell national teams.

Bigby-Williams crossed the Bigby-Williams has been down many paths, but after finally pond to begin his collegiate careaching Baton Rouge, and after reer at Gillette College in Wyoming, where he besitting out one came the Spalding year, Bigby-Wil“I try to go into NJCAA Division I liams is making an impact on every game with the Player of the Year the court that same mindset — to in the 2015-16 season. Being one of has changed the dynamics of help the team on the the top junior colthe Tigers. defensive side, play lege prospects, Bigchose B ig by-W i l hard, and do what I by-Williams Oregon as his destiliams has been instrumental in can to help the team nation, and became just the third British LSU’s 4-0 start win,” player to make it to to SoutheastKAVELL BIGBY-WILLIAMS the Final Four. ern Conference Senior forward Bigby-W i l l i a m s play, averaging saw scarce play10.0 points and 8.5 rebounds, and getting dou- ing time in his first year at ble-doubles in each of the last Oregon and Will Wade, who two games against No. 20 Ole had just been announced as LSU’s new basketball Miss and South Carolina.

But before Bigby-Williams coach, persuaded him to join was blocking shots and aver- the Tigers.

“We certainly could have aging a near double-double in the SEC, his basketball journey used Kavell [Bigby-Williams] started in Beckenham, Eng- last season in games like these land, about 20 minutes south where dominating the glass is so important,” Wade said folof London.

Bigby-Williams attended lowing LSU’s 88-79 win over Harris Academy, where his Alabama in the SEC opener. “He talent became evident, av- was huge for us today and hopeeraging 20.7 points, 15.4 re- fully he can keep playing at this

BY JACOB BECK @Jacob_Beck25

level for us.”

That has been a recurring theme this season, as the change in rim protection and physical presence down low from last season to now has changed the complexion of the team.

Last season, Duop Reath and Aaron Epps were the only players over 6-foot-7-inches that had significant playing time, especially following the suspension of Mayan Kiir. Epps was more of an outside threat, leaving Reath to handle all off the duties in the paint.

This season, Bigby-Williams has been an excellent rim protector, averaging 2.2 blocks a game, ranking third in the SEC, an aspect of the game that the Tigers just simply didn’t have last season. The value of a shotblocker, especially in the SEC, can be vital to a team’s success, and there is no question that he has added another dimension to this team.

“I try to go into every game with the same mindset — to help the team on the defensive side, play hard, and do what I can to help the team win,” Bigby-Williams said. “Some games I may be successful, some games I may not, but I try to go into every game with the same mindset.”

MITCHELL SCAGLIONE / The Reveille

LSU senior forward Kavell Bigby-Williams dunks the ball during the Tigers’ 89-67 victory over South Carolina on Jan. 19, in the PMAC.

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

page 9

TAYLOR, from page 7

LADY TIGERS, from page 7

Taylor has only been playing organized basketball since his sophomore year of high school.

Baseball was his first and favorite sport growing up “Basketball just wasn’t me,” Taylor said. “I didn’t find it fun at that time.”

It was early on when Taylor figured out he could do some things athletically that some of the other kids couldn’t, he explained.

“Gym class seventh grade, 12 years old is when I figured out I could dunk it,” Taylor said.

With junior college transfers, there’s always a transition adjustment they have to make to their new environment and elevated skill of their new competition, but Taylor points out that he was ready and knew that he would be able to make an impact before he even got to LSU. “Yeah honestly and not to be cocky, but I felt like I could really help this team out,” Taylor said.

“It was a big transition.

The game is way faster and there’s better players, way better players.”

Taylor’s numbers speak for

and ranked SEC opponent in Kentucky (16-3, 3-2 SEC) but ended up losing a close matchup by 64-60 — a game in which they shot more threes and better from the floor.

In the Sunday matchup in Tuscaloosa, LSU came away with a tight road victory against Alabama (10-9, 2-4 SEC) with a score of 62-56, who has admittedly struggled lately.

Since Fargas has stressed a

NFL, from page 7 Likewise, that 1:45 mark will live in infamy in a similar way. It was the moment that Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman egregiously committed the textbook definition the NFL’s helmet-to-helmet penalty and pass interference on Saints receiver Tommylee Lewis.

If the penalty had been called, the Saints would have been able to run the clock down, forcing the Rams to use the last of their timeouts. The go-ahead field goal would have been kicked, and the Saints would all but certainly be heading to the Super Bowl.

The problem is the flag wasn’t thrown. The officials swallowed their whistles, deeming it a “bang-bang play” on the field, thus creating what will certainly go down as the worst no penalty call in the modern-day history of the NFL. If you think that’s a bit dramatic, it’s probably time you downloaded a social media app or two and witness the disbelief of the sports world for yourself.

Sure, there have been bad calls in big sports before. The tuck rule play in 2002 and the Dez Bryant catch controversy in 2015 are the first two that come to mind. However, both happened in divisional rounds of the playoffs and both were debates about the interpretation of certain rules. There is no debate about what happened in this year’s NFC title game. The league itself has since admitted to the officials blowing the call, and Robey-Coleman has even admitted to committing the pass interference foul himself.

That’s fine and dandy, but the admission of guilt from the Rams and the sympathy of the NFL and the world won’t ease the pain felt by the average lifelong Saints

need for better offensive play after the South Carolina game, LSU has responded by putting up points against two tough opponents, with a variety of offensive weapons stepping up.

The theme of a team identity will be a subject to pay closer attention to as LSU hopes to grab a spot in the big dance. If they can keep their defense strong and improve on their pace of play on the offensive end, the Lady Tigers may have a chance to surprise people.

MITCHELL SCAGLIONE / The Reveille

LSU junior guard Marlon Taylor warms up during the Tigers’ 89-67 victory over South Carolina on Jan. 19, in the PMAC. themselves. Since arriving at LSU, the junior guard has averaged 21.7 minutes per game and has shot and posterize dunked his way into an impressive and out of this world 49.4 shooting percentage from the field.

The two most popular questions Taylor gets asked these days by the media and fans are things like, “How much is your vertical?” and “How high can you jump?”

He’ll tell you he honestly doesn’t know the answer to either, and if he does know, he keeps that number a secret like a social security number.

Right now the only number that matters to him is the win column, and it’s plain to see why his rise and the team’s success have both risen the Tigers to the top of the Southeastern Conference standings here in mid-January.

fan, and it certainly won’t soothe the players in black and gold who had a remarkable season that fell one game short of the ultimate goal.

The 2018 season’s entire outcome is changed thanks to the absence of a penalty, and the legacies of players on the field.

With so much at stake, I believe it’s time for the NFL to implement the ability for coaches to challenge certain penalties.

The way replay works in today’s game, coaches rarely, if ever, use all of their potential three challenges. The booth reviews any play after the two-minute warning as well as all scoring plays and turnovers.

Come to think of it, I can’t remember the last time I saw a coach use two challenges in a game. It’s simply not necessary, and it’s clear that penalty calls and no calls are as subjective as

the elements of the game that can already be challenged.

Obviously, some penalties would be excluded from replay review challenges. The holding penalty occurs on nearly every play, so it would be harmful to the game to include that particular foul. Penalties like pass interference are clearly a different story.

The least the NFL could do is deliberate on making the change.

Commissioner Roger Goodell’s office hasn’t released an official statement or apology yet, but the words would be meaningless. If officials aren’t held accountable, and the league doesn’t discuss improving the game of football, fans will stop watching.

Many in New Orleans and the state of Louisiana will have to nurse broken hearts for a while, maybe forever. The rest of the world isn’t without consequence

EMMA HOGUE / The Reveille

LSU junior guard Mercedes Brooks (12) looks for pass on Jan. 17, during the Tigers’ 60-64 loss against Kentucky in the PMAC. though. Super Bowl LIII will be a tainted title, and the integrity of the NFL is once again under scrutiny.

The idea of fair competition

in the league is nonexistent in Louisiana, and that sentiment will spread like a wildfire if Goodell continues to sit in silence as controversy swallows his NFL.

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page 10

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FOR RELEASE JANUARY 23, 2019

THE Daily Commuter Puzzle ACROSS 1 Unwanted e-mail 5 Smack 9 Slender 13 Friendlier 15 Lounge about 16 Donut’s center 17 Mom’s brother 18 Like terrible handwriting 20 “__ whiz!”

21 Clean the floor 23 Take into custody 24 Donahue & Mickelson 26 “Ready, __, go!”

27 Shrewd 29 Company 32 Packages of paper 33 Be a pack rat 35 Skirt’s edge 37 Unruly crowds 38 Sudden forward rush 39 Actor Bridges 40 __ Brynner 41 Shoe bottoms 42 Pub game 43 __ soup 45 Most tender to the touch 46 Not at home 47 Reed or Fargo 48 Flat on one’s back 51 Family card game 52 WWII president 55 Flat on one’s face 58 Numerical comparison 60 Shrek, e.g.

61 British noble 62 Item in a bedding package 63 Golf shop purchase 64 Sunbeams 65 Painting & sculpturing DOWN 1 __ as a bug in a rug

by Jacqueline E. Mathews

Created by Jacqueline E. Mathews

2 Forest tree 3 Good enough 4 Singer Tormé 5 Undergarments 6 Chat room laugh 7 Everyone 8 Delight 9 Jerseys 10 Part of the ear 11 Misfortunes 12 Bump into 14 Sends in payment 19 Avarice 22 Vaudevillian Olsen 25 Sings with lips closed 27 Military force 28 South Korea’s capital 29 Chokes 30 From then on 31 Chairs & pews 33 Ship’s frame 34 Afternoon hour 36 Has to

1/23/19

Tuesday’s Puzzle Solved

©2019 Tribune Content Agency, LLC All Rights Reserved.

38 Slowpoke 39 Horse’s home 41 Hinder the growth of 42 Generous ones 44 Sounds 45 Barron, to Melania 47 Sword fights

1/23/19

48 Espy; notice 49 Egg on 50 __ over; study intently 53 Try to lose 54 Goes bad 56 Battery size 57 Attempt 59 Cry of discovery

ENTERTAINMENT

page 11 FOOD AND DRINK

iPHONE-OGRAPHY

Capital City Mac Fest returns

Baton Rouge local brings positivity with viral dance videos

BY MASIE O’TOOLE @masieotoole

BY LIA SALIME @liasalime

sometimes,” Saurage said, “but making it all come together is probably my favorite part.”

Every new upload is a snapshot of a pair of friends having fun around Baton Rouge. The duo has filmed in some of the most well-loved parts of the city: The Riverfront, Perkins Rowe and even The University, among others. Thanks to these videos, Baton Rouge is finally earning its place on the Internet’s map.

Mac and cheese, mac and cheese and more mac and cheese, please.

On Saturday, Feb. 9, Geaux Rouge Productions Capital City Mac Fest presented by Perkins Rowe will grace the new green space with its cheesy goodness.

University alumnus Franz Borghardt, co-owner of Geaux Rouge Productions and creator and founder of Baton Rouge Brunches, initially conceived the event thanks to someone suggesting a mac and cheese event would be a lot of fun. It so happened that such an event aligned itself perfectly with Geaux Rouge Production’s principle: to develop events that create an unforgettable experience that also improves the community. The rest is cheesy history.

“The first year it was at Curbside [Burgers]. We had a whole bunch of people there. It was a lot of fun, perfect weather,” Borghardt said. “And so we wanted to do it again and we wanted to do it in an awesome Baton Rouge space and the new Perkins Rowe area just made sense.”

see VIDEOS, page 16

see MAC FEST, page 16

photo by ALYSSA BERRY

After the wild ride that was 2018, some laughter and positivity is exactly what everyone needs — and Cale Saurage is delivering.

The 20-year-old Baton Rouge native began producing his uplifting dance videos just a few months ago, and now, they are taking the internet by storm.

Since October 2018, Saurage has managed to gain over 21,000 Instagram followers. One particular video titled “HOW IM COMIN INTO 2019!” has even amassed over 20 million views across

all platforms.

After a popular account on Twitter reposted the video, the notifications immediately started pouring in. In one night, Saurage said he gained over 6,000 followers. According to Saurage, it all began with him and his roommate, John Corban, joking around and having a good time back in October.

“We went and rode bikes,” Saurage said, “and we ended up thinking, ‘We should put out some dance, some funny stuff.’”

His content is a perfect representation of that. Dancing, interactions with the locals and even a few skate tricks are edited together to create each video.

Unlike many creators today, his content is genuine. No big cameras or scripts are involved.

Instead, it’s just two guys, the city and an iPhone. Saurage even edits the videos himself. After filming, he strings together the clips and adds music, well-timed zooms and even the occasional graphic.

“Yeah, it gets frustrating

FOOD AND DRINK

Vegan Friendly Foods popularizing vegan food in Baton Rouge

BY RACHEL MIPRO @remroc15 In a small restaurant on Bennington Avenue, Cornelius Roy planned on revolutionizing Baton Rouge food culture. Now, around two months after Vegan Friendly Foods’ opening, the business is still going strong.

Roy, one of the owners of Vegan Friendly Foods, wants to make vegan food popular for everyone and spread awareness of healthier foods. As an on-andoff vegan for eight years, he understands how hard it is to find good vegan options. His solution was to make soul food vegan, opening a restaurant without a single animal-based ingredient.

“It’s about spreading and educating. This is kind of like activism in a sense. It’s weird trying to help people with their

diet,” Roy said. “This is not the healthiest vegan thing to eat, but it’s a good starting point to help you transition.”

Besides their signature dishes, like jambalaya and mushroom steak, they also plan on testing out new dishes, like vegan ice cream. Their desserts, especially the vegan King Cake, have been big hits. Other dishes took a lot of effort, like the Backslider Burger, which was the restaurant’s effort to make a good vegan burger.

“So we’re vegan right? We need to have a burger that we can eat that’s comparable to another burger that someone would eat that has bacon and cheese and all that stuff on that.” Roy said. “So that’s why we did like a coconut bacon, the cheese, the avocado.”

Another challenge was making good vegan mac and cheese, which took them some trial and

error, especially in the taste and consistency.

“That is something in the vegan community that is the definer,” Roy said. “If you have the mac and cheese, we love you.

And that is something, ironically, we’ve been struggling with nailing that down.”

They eventually succeeded in making good mac and cheese by using nut-based cheese. After having a customer taste it without any complaints, Roy thinks they finally hit on the right recipe.

Besides experimenting with new dishes, Roy also wants to implement a monthly newsletter with advice on how to eat healthily as a vegan along with other lifestyle advice. His goal is to make the restaurant into a community place, somewhere

BELLA BIONDINI / The Reveille

see VEGAN, page 16

Vegan Friendly Foods operates under normal business hours on Monday, Jan. 21 on Bennington Ave.

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

page 12

REV R ANKS ‘Derry Girls’ shows trivial teenage drama with Irish history

BY RACHEL MIPRO @remroc15 “Derry Girls” was a funny, realistic story of everyday life in a time when that didn’t seem possible. “Derry Girls” features a 16-year-old Irish girl, Erin, and her friends who are living in the midst of The Troubles, when Protestant loyalists and Catholic nationalists were pitted against each other.

Instead of being dark and bleak, it shows a lively culture, where everyone gets worked up about small issues and remains stoic about the looming violence.

The writers did a great job of showcasing how normalized the fighting was. In one scene, the girls are on a school bus when guards stop them at a checkpoint. Instead of freaking out about the armed men and the possibility of being bombed, they’re more concerned with getting good seats.

This culture of fighting is also shown through the character of James, Erin’s friend’s cousin. As a British citizen, everyone hates him, mocking him

in really mean but hilarious ways. James is forced into attending a Catholic girls school because of his nationality, since he would’ve been beaten up and severely hurt in any other school. Even his cousin, Michelle, hates him for it.

In each of the episodes, the girls, along with James, keep getting into shenanigans that are absurdly funny but really relevant issues, like when a priest struggling with faith latches onto them, or when they get stuck in the middle of a anticatholic Orange march.

Outside of politics, it’s also a genuine depiction of a teenage girl’s life. Erin is god awful at flirting, loves greasy food and is just trying to figure herself out. Her friends, from panicprone Clare to ditzy Orla and rebel Michelle are all just trying to be themselves, sometimes showing this in really brave ways.

I also really liked how James was the one following their lead. The men in the show were funny and great characters, especially Erin’s father, who is continually feuding

with his father-in-law, but the real focus was on the women and their lives.

They were the ones driving the plot, which was something I really haven’t seen too often. I thought that was pretty cool. Erin also had really funny facial expressions that added a lot of comedic value for me.

When she gets angry, she kind of looks like a pug.

All of the characters talk very quickly and somewhat urgently, making every situation seem more dramatic.

Whether it was fighting over birthday pictures or a run-in with an IRA member, every problem was given the same seriousness. “Derry Girls” covered everything, from a widespread love of the local chip place to the prominent catholic element.

“Derry Girls” was so good because of this — it cannot be boxed into one category. It handles comedy, history, drama, romance and friendship without being too heavy-handed.

It’s both light-hearted and meaningful. courtesy of Hat Trick Productions

‘Glass’ inserts well-known characters into superficial storyline

BY MASIE O’TOOLE @masieotoole “Glass” was definitely not your average superhero movie. It was way worse.

M. Night Shyamalan’s most recent film is a mashup of two of his most successful movies, “Unbreakable” and “Split.” As hinted at the end of “Split” with a brief cameo appearance by Bruce Willis, “Split” and “Unbreakable” exist in the same universe. In “Glass,” these two worlds finally collide, and characters from both movies finally reveal their connections.

But it’s all just so exhausting.

Shyamalan’s personal take on the recent trend of shoving your characters into one world and profiting massively off of it (I’m looking at you, Marvel) is a two hour long block of plot, all for the setup of his trademark twist.

Almost 20 years after the release of “Unbreakable,” David Dunn (Bruce Willis) is busy saving the day and fighting petty criminals using his super-strength and super-judge abilities.

Eventually, he decides to set

his sights on— you guessed it— Kevin Crumb (James McAvoy).

Despite his 24 personalities, Crumb, even when controlled by “The Beast,” meets his match in Dunn. They battle it out, but before anything is resolved, they are both captured by police.

Now the real storyline begins.

The pair is sent to a mental hospital where they meet up with another central character from “Unbreakable,” Mr. Glass (Samuel L. Jackson). A doctor (Sarah Paulson) says the trio are suffering from a mental disorder that leads them to believe they are superhuman, and proceeds to “treat” them.

From there, they all shakily unite to accomplish a common goal: escape, and prove their abilities to the world.

And that’s only the rising action.

The plot of “Glass” is built on stereotypes we’ve all seen before: superhero, mastermind, monster. Shyamalan attempts to excuse this staleness with an acknowledgement of his unoriginality, but proclaiming that your creation is bad doesn’t make

it good.

To be fair, the (main) plot twist got me, but possibly because there was absolutely no foreshadowing in any three movies. It’s almost like it was tacked on to up the shock value, yet another Shyamalan trademark.

But wait, there’s more!

From what I could tell, there were a total of three different twists at the end of the movie, all of which pulled the storyline further and further from its origin. The result was a gnarled, 30-minute ending that kept teasing you into thinking it was over.

All three stars of this rating were earned thanks to James McAvoy’s spectacular performance as Kevin. As he flipped from personality to personality on camera, his entire demeanor changed. Even before he began speaking it was possible to tell which personality he was, thanks to his totality of expression.

Overall, McAvoy’s character was the only solace in the sea of pretentious kitsch that was “Glass.” If you need me, I’ll be in bed with whiplash for the next week.

courtesy of Blinding Edge Pictures

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

page 13

Actor Jeff Goldblum honors history of jazz with new record

BY RICHARD HAYDEL @magnetodorito The long and storied history of jazz has created artists that are household names to this day: Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie and now Jeff Goldblum. Wait, what?

That’s right – the actor of Jurassic Park fame has created a jazz album in one of the most unconventional musical releases of 2018. However, “The Capitol Studios Sessions” is not merely a cash-in put under Goldblum’s name. What has transpired is a solid collection of covers that shines through the charisma of Goldblum and his guests, elevating what could have been lazy mediocrity to honest, heartfelt jazz.

Backed by the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, Goldblum hops on the piano and delivers 14 tracks to a live audience: instrumentals, duets and playful banter abound, all tied down by Goldblum’s unmistakable personality.

The album opens with a cover of Herbie Hancock’s esteemed 1964 standard “Cantaloupe Island,” which is handled

with great care and respect for Hancock’s original work. Instead of letting Goldblum saturate the entire album from the get-go, the song is free from any vocals, allowing the music to segue the listener into the certain feeling the album is trying to convey.

Following this is a cover of “Don’t Mess With Mister T,” another instrumental noteworthy for the fact that the original song was composed by Marvin Gaye for the soundtrack to the 1972 film “Trouble Man.” On this song Goldblum introduces German trumpeter Till Brönner, who continues to make his presenceknownfortherestof“The Capitol Studio Sessions.”

The pair of instrumental tracks paves the way for what is the most interesting and humorous point of Goldblum’s performances: the surprise introduction of comedian Sarah Silverman.

“I haven’t seen you at all since you’ve come gussied up for the thing, not that you always don’t look spectacular,” Goldblum playfully remarks towards Silverman before an

eager crowd.

The two then dive into a take on “Me and My Shadow,” a staple in the pantheon of 20th-century jazz music, and proceed to spice it up with their respective quirky natures that made them icons in the realm of entertainment in the first place. As the track wraps up, Goldblum cleverly wrings out the iconic motif to the film he’s most well-known for — a great nod to Jurassic Park and a testament to its effect on his career.

The album’s highlight by far is Goldblum’s take of “My Baby Just Cares For Me” with singer Haley Reinhart. Although it could never touch the heights of the immortal Nina Simone’s version, it keeps the same lighthearted and genuinely affectionate mood that resonated from the track in 1958.

Goldblum’s final guest on the bill is Irish singer Imelda May, who joins him for a pair of Nat King Cole Trio covers among others. “Straighten Up and Fly Right” and “Gee Baby (Ain’t I Good to You)” are faithful covers, but can’t help sounding a little generic, which is this album’s

courtesy of Decca Records

singular gripe. Regardless, for an album that has to stick to one genre, “The Capitol Studios Sessions” could’ve been much worse.

Jeff Goldblum proves he is one of the most talented human

beings on the planet with “The Capitol Studios Sessions” and succeeds in curating a pleasant, atmospheric jazz album — a sect of music that is all too lacking in this age.

‘On The Basis of Sex’ portrays fraction of Ginsburg’s legacy

BY LIA SALIME @liasalime “On The Basis of Sex” focuses on the beginnings of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s prolific, world-changing career.

In 1956, Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Felicity Jones) is a first-year student at Harvard Law School. She’s one of the few women in her class of hundreds of men. She’s happily married to Martin Ginsburg (Armie Hammer), a second-year Harvard Law student, and mother to Jane (Cailee Spaeny).

When Martin falls ill with cancer, Ruth attends both her own and Martin’s classes during the day, then cares for her husband and Jane at night. Two years later, Martin accepts a job in New York.

Ruth transfers to Columbia Law School where she graduates tied for top of the class. She struggles to find a job due to being a woman, eventually settling for a teaching position at Rutgers Law School.

In 1970, Ruth is disappointed with her career. Martin brings a tax case to her attention that discriminated on the basis of gender.

Ruth deduces the case could potentially set a precedent on which she could build the change she desires to bring the world.

The title of the film itself is ironic. In real life, Justice Ginsburg’s secretary pointed out that the word “sex” would be too distracting, and suggested she replace it with “gender.” This is

included in a scene in the film.

The law itself states that discrimination on the basis of gender is unlawful. Yet, the film utilizes the word “sex,” presumably because sex sells and “On The Basis of Sex” has a better ring to it than “On The Basis of Gender.”

While the film covered important aspects of Ruth’s career, like all the sexism she faced and overcame in order to change the law so that gender would become a protected group, it’s so small in comparison to everything she has achieved. The film left me wanting more – more of the story, more of the battles she won and the misogynists she defeated along the way.

Felicity Jones is, unquestionably, a hard-working, talented actress, but I have to question the decision to cast her in the role.

Jones is neither Jewish nor American. She had to work with a dialect coach to achieve a Brooklyn accent, which did not feel organic.

I kept thinking of Rachel Brosnahan in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and how naturally she fit into the role. This wasn’t the case for Jones.

In addition, I found the contacts and teeth caps incredibly distracting, ridiculously unnerving and utterly unnecessary. It made the casting seem even more forceful. A less known actress would have fit into the role more organically than Jones, but I understand the appeal of attaching an Oscar-nominated actress

to the project, unnecessary as it may have been as Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s career would’ve been incentive enough for movie goers to want to see the film.

In contrast to Jones, Armie Hammer and Cailee Spaeny were ideal choices for Martin and Jane, respectively. Hammer plays the role of supportive husband so naturally that it’s hard to accept that he’s merely acting. Martin sees Ruth not as subservient but as an equal.

Spaeny’s Jane is an intelligent, empowered young woman who does not let the expectations of the time be imposed on herself.

The scene where she stands up to the constructions workers sexualizing and harassing her and her mother was particularly satisfying. She was a breath of fresh air from Jones’ uncomfortable Ruth.

Another actor who has cast to perfection is Justin Theroux, who plays ACLU president Mel Wulf. Wulf is at times supportive, at times sexist toward Ruth. He is fighting for equality yet is seemingly unaware of the sexist behavior he displays.

Wulf wasn’t as fearless as Ruth, though he wanted to make change happen.

In the end, the film portrays a pivotal moment in the war for gender equality and women’s rights, a war that is still going on today. It is simply a must-watch, especially for my I-don’t-liketo-read-so-I’ll-wait-for-the-film people.

courtesy of Focus Features

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

page 14 FASHION

Sneaker Politics expands business, laces itself in Baton Rouge

BY BARROW CLEMENT @ClementBarrow Sneaker Politics is a momand-pop store that provides a home-spun alternative to chain stores like Foot Locker and Shoe Carnival.

Sneaker Politics started as a mom and pop store in Lafayette in 2006. They then franchised and opened stores in Austin, New Orleans and are currently working on a location in Dallas. Their Baton Rouge branch opened in 2010.

Every first Sunday of the month, Sneaker Politics hosts an event called “Shake Back Sunday “It’s like a giveback event,” said store manager Fletcher Sanders. “We normally raffle off shoes. During the first hour is the hangover hour. Then we raffle off the hottest shoes of the month.”

Encouraging its mom-andpop roots, Sanders stresses running the store as a family en-

vironment, which he believes has been vital to the store’s success.

“We run each store like a family environment more than like a job,” Sanders said. “I think I have six people here working for me, and it’s like six of my little brothers. It’s awesome. That’s how we keep customers coming back. It’s not like your typical shoe store, where you walk in and just grab a pair of shoes. I have a lot or relationships with customers…And that’s what makes us stand out.”

For a mom-and-pop store, Sneaker Politics is a step above the other big-name shoe stores.

“A lot of the product that we get is specialty product that is not available to big box stores,” Sanders said. “We’re actually working on a shoe right now with Saucony and Café du Monde, so it’s gonna be a Politics/Saucony that we’re doing, and Café du Monde, they’re gonna serve beignets at the release.”

Sneaker Politics also does shoes for events, such as anni-

versaries for movies and events for other businesses.

“We did something for the 20th anniversary of ‘The Waterboy’, the movie, here with Adidas,” Sanders said. “We had a food truck out there, stuff that you’ve seen from the movie. We sold all the jersey’s, the Bobby Boucher jerseys, so stuff that we do here is a little different then your big box mall store product wise and experience wise.”

Though they have many unique brands, Sneaker Politics also carries many of the big-name brands such as Nike, ASICS, Reebok, Adidas, Vans and Puma. They also carry many major clothing brands as well, such as Nike, Adidas and Reebok, in addition to street wear brands, such as The Hundreds, 10 Deep and Billionaire Boys Club.

“A lot of these shoes you can’t find anywhere else,” Sanders said. “We’re like the only store in Louisiana that does what we do, on the shoe side. There’s other

ALYSSA BERRY / The Reveille

Sneaker Politics sits on 9655 Perkins Road, Suite D, on Jan. 14, 2019. stores that can have the same clothes, but we have the best accounts that you can get.”

Sneaker Politics relies more on word of mouth than traditional advertising.

“We have a huge following,” Sanders said. “We do a ton of online business … We don’t

spend a ton of money on advertisement, so it’s kinda a word of mouth thing.”

Sneaker Politics is located at 9655 Perkins Road Suite D, and is open Monday through Saturday from 11 p.m. to 7 p.m. and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

FOOD AND DRINK

Poké City brings quickly served, Hawaiian-style food to Red Stick

BY RICHARD HAYDEL @magnetodorito The Baton Rouge poke frenzy has been felt all over the area, and Bluebonnet Boulevard has received its own slice of fresh flavor with the recent opening of Poké City.

Though poke is becoming

more popular by the day, the staff of Poké City wants to make sure that they provide a dining experience unlike any other establishment in Baton Rouge.

“This is a Hawaiian-inspired restaurant and it’s the only one in Baton Rouge, and so we just wanted to have something different, bring something

different to the table,” said cashier Brianna Spears.

And even though it is in its early stages of life, Poké City seems prepared for a spike in business down the line.

The restaurant, which stands on 9837 Bluebonnet Blvd. and sits directly adjacent to the intersection between

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Bluebonnet and Burbank, has ample opportunity to become the mainstay poke option in the southern reaches of the city.

“We’re going to do good because business gets busier and busier every day, and every time people come more people come… with Bluebonnet I feel like it’s the best road it could’ve been built on,” Spears said.

Location isn’t the restaurant’s only calling card. Poké City offers traditional Hawaiian-style poke in a convenient and simple fashion, but there are strokes of creativity that come to light when the average consumer craves more than the normal bowl of poke. Enter the crown jewel of Poké City and what is sure to draw customers who crave an exciting alternative: the sushi burrito.

Sushi burritos can be custom-made to the customer’s liking, but the premiere menu item, the LSU Sushi Burrito, brings a special Louisiana flair to the already-unique concept. According to Spears, the ingredients are as eclectic as they are an homage to Cajun culture: snow crab, crawfish, green onions and cream cheese all fried into one.

Even though Poké City is offcampus, reasons to visit the restaurant are numerous, namely the amount of food that comes with a purchase.

“Yeah, [the prices are] fair.

Imagine all those ingredients in one thing, that’s like a lot of food,” Spears said.

Another reason Poké City and the oncoming wave of pokeserving restaurants continue to find service in Baton Rouge is the health benefits in the dish itself. In fact, that may be Poké

SALVATORE CAMARDA / The Reveille

Poké City sits on 9837 Bluebonnet Blvd. on Jan. 20, 2019.

City’s best advantage in the tense market: the service of fast food with the advantage of wellpriced well-being.

“It’s healthy. There’s a lot of unhealthy stuff, but it’s good for our younger people to eat this, because, you know, everybody wants to eat healthier, right?” Spears said. “And poke is healthy. All of this stuff is organic. The only fried thing is the burrito and it’s not even bread.”

To anyone considering trying Bluebonnet’s new, healthy alternative to fast food, Spears has a brief-yet-enticing reply: “Come to Poké City! Try our food!”

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

page 15

JAN. 27

THE ADDAMS FAMILY WHEN: 7:30 PM Jan. 25, 2 PM and 7:30 PM Jan. 26, and 2 PM, Jan. 27.

WHERE: The Reilly Theatre

JAN. 26-27

JAN. 25-27

EVENT CALENDAR REPTICON WHEN: Sat. 10 AM — 5 PM Sun. 10 AM — 4 PM WHERE: Lamar-Dixon Expo Center

SARAH SHOOK AND THE DISARMERS WHEN: Doors open at 5 PM, show at 6 PM WHERE: Dyson House Listening Room

JAN. 30

HARRY POTTER TRIVIA WHEN: Wednesday, 8 PM — 10:30 PM WHERE: Barcadia Bar Restaurant Arcade, 3347 Highland Road

FEB. 14-24

FEB. 9

LUKE COMBS WHEN: Saturday, starting at 7 PM WHERE: Raising Cane’s River Center, Baton Rouge

OUR TOWN WHEN: Feb. 14 — 16 at 7:30 PM, Feb. 17 at 2 PM, Feb. 19 — 23 at 7:30 PM, Feb. 24 at 2 PM WHERE: Shaver Theatre

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

page 16 VIDEOS, from page 11 Although he’s only been making dance videos for a few months, Saurage is no stranger to putting his work out for the world to see. Saurage began making videos and publishing them to YouTube when he was just in middle school. From there, he branched out to a few more serious videos focused on dance and skateboarding but eventually found his audience after posting

MAC FEST, from page 11 The lineup for Mac Fest includes over 10 food vendors: Provisions on Perkins, City Pork Deli & Charcuterie, Shroomheads, Sammy’s Grill, Creole Cabana, Cou-Yon’s Cajun Bar-B-Q, Baton Rouge General Medical Center, Our Mom’s Restaurant & Bar, The Overpass Merchant, Tchew’s, GOYaYa’s Crepes, Bin 77 Bistro & SideBar, The Guest Chef BR, The Rum House and The Big Cheezy. GOYaYa’s Crepes is the reigning winner for last year’s Mac Fest.

“Basically you buy a ticket and you get a sample of the different vendors and then you get to vote on which one you like the best,” Borghardt said. “There will be a judge’s panel as well who votes on the best. Tickets are $35 and $10 of every ticket goes to

more positive, comedic content.

Though he admits it can sometimes be difficult to maintain a positive vibe while still keeping his ideas fresh, he believes it’s all worth it.

“It’s harder to be positive on social media than to be negative,” Saurage said. “It’s super easy to be negative.”

In 2019, Saurage plans to keep the videos coming, despite also working a full-time job. He’s also considering posting longer videos

to his YouTube channel, though the shorter videos he’s more well known for will remain his focus.

“I’m gonna keep riding the wave and see what happens,” he said. “People keep asking, ‘When’s the next one?’”

At their very core, Saurage’s videos are a celebration of fun and friendship, Louisiana style.

“It’s fun to come out here to Perkins Rowe and dance around and film it, acting stupid,” Saurage said. “It’s a good time.”

Cale Saurage stands outside of Cinemark on Perkins Rowe on Jan. 20.

support the Baton Rouge General Burn Camp.”

Through Geaux Rouge Productions, Borghardt is able to develop and deliver new events to the Capitol City Area. Some of the events like Mac Fest raise funds for charitable causes. According to the Geaux Rouge Productions website, he has organized multiple charity events benefiting various causes and raised over $50,000. Borghardt is not new to public service — he is also an attorney who has served the community and his clients for over a decade and is the owner of the Borghardt Law Firm.

“We’re hoping to raise as much money as possible for the Burn Camp,” Borghardt said “We’re really excited about giving a portion of the tickets to the Burn Camp. Partnering with Baton Rouge General is always

a good thing.”

Borghardt’s separate company, Geaux Rouge, is marketing the event for Geaux Rouge Productions. Some of their other events include the 2016 Fundraiser Under the Overpass, Brunching for Greater Baton Rouge, BRunchFest, and Burger on the Bayou.

“Geaux Rouge Productions is a company that myself and Nick Hufft co-own,” Borghardt said.

“We put on large scale events.

Some of them are charity events, some of them are for profits.

But basically, they’re large scale food events and we try to develop community-oriented events for the city of Baton Rouge.”

Tickets for Capital City Mac Fest presented by Perkins Rowe are available for purchase through Eventbrite.

Geaux Rouge Productions Capital City Mac Fest is a tasty festival that will raise money for Baton Rouge General Burn Camp on Feb. 9.

VEGAN, from page 11

NOW OPEN Located at the New Nicolson Gateway, Across from Tiger Stadium.

On the Bus Route!

Shop Online- pick up in store!

Retail Parking Lot – No passes needed. Tigercash: Accepted

where everyone can express their culture.

“The store is a hub, it’s a testing ground. It’s more than a restaurant,” Roy said. “I have other concepts I want to do and I want to see how they work first here in the restaurant before I break off and do other stuff.”

Right now, Vegan Friendly Foods gets around 70-100 customers a day, frequented by both college students and members of the Baton Rouge community.

They’re just starting to expand, getting their first catering event for February.

One of the best experiences Roy’s had since Vegan Friendly Foods opened is the support and the appreciation from the Baton Rouge community. Roy said the restaurant has gotten a lot of

ALYSSA BERRY / The Reveille

courtesy of FRANZ BORGHARDT

positive feedback so far.

“Those things really touch me because they’re appreciative of the food, they say ‘thank you for being here,’ like ‘Baton Rouge needed this,’” Roy said.

“Those types of interactions with the community have been very touching.”

BELLA BIONDINI / The Reveille

Vegan Friendly Foods owner Cornelius Roy sits outside of his restaurant on Jan. 21 on Bennington Ave.

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OPINION SCHEDULING STRIFE

page 17

LSU’s schedule booklet lacks detail, transparency

DROP THE MIC DONALD FOUNTAIN @Official_DFound Life as a college student can be stressful. One concern weighing heavily on students’ minds each term is signing up for classes.

The University makes this process more frustrating than it realizes. The course information the University provides is not enough for students to make informed decisions.

Trust is a value the University should not handle lightly. Students trust the University has their best interest in mind, but this belief will slowly dissolve if students continue to get blindsided by unexpected fees. Hiding textbook

and material prices from the students until they get the syllabus makes the University look like crooks. These actions are shady and concerning at best.

“Knowing what you are getting into will be beneficial for anyone, especially for a freshman,” said sociology sophomore Kayla Brown.

Biology freshman Piper Bordes agrees. Bordes said she paid $600 for textbooks and supplies.

“Last semester, I was like, Woah, You don’t expect to spend that kind of money,” Bordes said, “It would be a neat feature for people to see, especially for those who are on a budget.”

Although textbooks and supplies can be expensive, the price tag is not the main issue.

Students already pay hundreds of dollars in fees. Students paid, on average, almost $650 in fees for the fall semester, according to

the University. The difference is this information is made available in advance.

The University owes the students more than just textbook and supply costs. Students should also have access to who the definitive professor will be for the courses posted. Instances of courses being listed without a professor and last-minute changes to a course’s professor are not uncommon.

The past two semesters, I have signed up for a class and did not find out who my professor was until the day before. These late notifications disallow any possibility of getting to know a professor beforehand.

Students showing the initiative to contact a professor makes a strong impression. Having a one-on-one conversation with a professor can give you the idea of whether to keep or drop a class.

Many students know a syllabus

doesn’t always accurately depict what a class will be like. The first few interactions with the professor usually gives you answers.

Even for the courses who do list the professors in advance, their email is not readily available at the time of registration.

If you ask any of the University’s professors or advisers the key to success in college, I’m sure they will agree preparation is essential. The University is being hypocritical when they don’t disclose necessary information about a course from the beginning.

The University needs to stop taking advantage of students because they know the options and time to schedule a course are limited. Most companies wouldn’t dare practice this non-transparent habit. Who do you know that would take an item to the cash register not knowing what it will

ALYSSA BERRY/ The Reveille

LSU student browses the University’s schedule booklet. cost? Would you fill your basket with things that did not have a price tag? The University will soon lose its students’ trust—if it hasn’t already—if course registration is not streamlined and made more transparent.

Donald Fountain is a 21-yearold mass communication sophomore from Saint Francisville, Louisiana.

Self acceptance, ‘finding yourself’ integral to personal growth SMITT’S TEA JAMES SMITH @itssmitt Society tells us to label one another based on occupation.

We ask strangers, “What do you do?” rather than, “Who are you?”

We ask children, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” rather than, “What do you like to do?” We emphasize sociallyconstructed roles rather than unique identities.

This emphasis can create a world of anxiety for young adults.

Who hasn’t had breakdowns throughout their college career while ruminating the future their major implies? Therefore, rather than prioritizing the molding of ourselves into a socially-constructed role, we should prioritize investing time into discovering our passions, desires and dislikes.

We should invest in ourselves and our unique identities rather than what society tells us to invest our time in.

Psychology tells us why this investment is so critical.

Carl Rogers was an American psychologist now known as a founder of psychotherapy. One of his most popular notions is that of “the good life.”

“It involves the stretching and growing of becoming more and more of one’s potentialities,” Rogers wrote in his book “On Becoming a Person.” “It involves the courage to be. It means launching oneself fully into the stream of life. Yet the deeply exciting thing

about human beings is that when the individual is inwardly free, he chooses as the good life this process of becoming.”

In other words, the journey of self-discovery is an integral key to living the good life, a life marked by happiness, contentment and bliss.

Rogers found that people were better off when they were met with “unconditional positive regard” from others. When we’re met at our most vulnerable states with acceptance and respect, it feels good. When we’re met with “conditional positive regard,” in that we’re only accepted when we fit neatly into a conceived mold, it can feel pretty bad.

We should look within ourselves with “unconditional positive regard.” We should take note of who we are, what we have been through, what may lie ahead, what strengths and weaknesses we possess and lovingly accept all of them.

We should not look wholly to society for guidelines to life. We should not view ourselves with “conditional positive regard.” If we did, we would feel worthy, valued and loved only when we meet societallybased expectations.

The Reveille ran a story Jan. 6 featuring Jordan Hefler,a Univeristy Alumna and a successful self-made artist-turned-influencer. She turned a photography passion into a career. She pushed herself to do what she felt was necessary to advance her career, not always what anyone else told her. Her motto is “do what you

cartoon by ETHAN GILBERTI / The Reveille

want.” In other words, be true to yourself, not necessarily whatever your mother or your major deems appropriate.

A relatively new psychological term “emerging adulthood” is a phase of life that college kids know all too well. It’s exactly as the term implies: an in-between phase in which we learn how to live independently. Psychologist Jeffrey Arnett, who coined the term, distinguishes this is as a period of experimentation and self-discovery.

The University offers an excess of opportunities for young people to learn about themselves.

This advice may sound cliché, but join a club, try different classes

at the UREC or enroll in a course that looks interesting but isn’t necessarily required for your degree. Use the resources the University provides as a means to make us happier students and healthier individuals.

One of Erik Erikson’s, an influential psychologist of the 20th century, “eight stages of development” is Identity vs. Role Confusion. He hypothesized that the major challenge facing adolescents is successfully answering questions of identity. Those who try different things until they discover aspects of their identity will be able to remain true to themselves in the face of conflicting world-views, resulting in

zself-confidence and peace of mind. Those who try to crumple themselves into a box imposed by parents, society or another external influence may experience identity crises and distress throughout their lives.

Dr. Suess once said, “Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” Discover yourself and embrace yourself. Recognize your potentials and utilize them to your heart’s desire. You and everyone around you will thank you for it.

James Smith is a 22-year-old mass communication senior from Grand Coteau, Louisiana.

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

page 18

Head

Contemporary radical feminism dangerous, counterproductive

to

Head

Feminist movement not radical, demands true equality

OH, NOT AGAIN!

SMITT’S TEA

KYLE RICHOUX @KyleRichoux

JAMES SMITH @itssmitt

Today’s political and cultural landscape is tumultuous, and we’d be hard pressed to find anyone who isn’t affected by our deep political divide. Radicals exists on all sides, but few topics are as fought over as feminism.

American suffragist, social activist and abolitionist Elizabeth Cady Stanton gathered supporters in 1848 and drafted the “Declaration of Sentiments,” modeled after the Declaration of Independence. In her declaration, Stanton criticized the lack of rights for women in America, including the inability to vote, own property or seek education. Stanton joined these points to a plethora of other negligence against women to form a convincing argument.

There can be no doubt every man and woman of any color and creed deserves the same rights and protections under the law. This is what our country is founded on, at any rate. It has not always been true, but we’ve made impressive strides in making it so.

In 1920, the U.S. government ratified the 19th Amendment, finally granting suffrage to women. Since then, women have been given the right to own property.

There have even been pushes by women in the late 20th century to get themselves in the work force on a larger scale and exercise the same control over their lives as men.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, women made up 47 percent of the labor force in 2010. How much closer do we need to be to 50 percent to be considered equal? Women even make up 56.4 percent of public university students around the nation. The numbers make it clear women have the same opportunities for education as men.

Feminism is a good idea, and the cause has improved women’s quality of life massively. What’s not good, however, is what the cause has devolved into. Radical social justice warriors preach equality, but in reality, they crave sweet, sweet revenge.

Although flimsy entertainment media like BuzzFeed and MTV lack credibility, the quick spread of information and ideas is insanely powerful. Every young woman indoctrinated into thinking men are inherently evil is another soul lost to radicalism.

To top everything off, contemporary feminism is dangerously hypocritical.

Feminism is defined as advocacy for women’s rights on the basis of equality.

Equality is a two-way street, but these radicals would rather women crush men under their boots.

I’ve seen Facebook posts attempting to deny men the ability to claim not all men are rapists. One such post demanded

cartoon by ETHAN GILBERTI / The Reveille

anyone who disagrees to unfriend her.

If it’s wrong to stereotype all women, then shouldn’t it be wrong to categorize all men as rapists? This discrepancy sounds rather unequal.

Sexism is defined as prejudice, stereotyping or discrimination, typically against women, on the basis of sex. The definition calls out women specifically, but it does not preclude discrimination against men. Therefore, according to our rules, stereotyping all men as rapists is sexist.

As a final coup de grace, radical leftists have become the very thing they condemn.

To defend themselves from so-called Nazis and fascists, social justice warriors seek to ban words they consider offensive.

In the process of banning words, they would indoctrinate us and our youth into thinking what they think, with no room for argument.

George Orwell’s classic novel “1984” warns us about oppressive government groups who dominate their population by brainwashing them into believing false facts, rewriting history books and teaching citizens the “correct” way to speak under threat of mental and physical punishment.

These tactics have been used before in real life. We’ve seen them come into play in fascist regimes like Mussolini’s Italy, Stalin’s Russia and, yes, Hitler’s Germany.

Controlling a population’s words and thoughts is wrong, and we cannot claim to fight for peace and justice if we stoop so low as to force the common man into it.

Of course, not all who identify as feminists fall into this category. Women matter as much as men do, and seeking equality for all people is a noble goal. Bloodthirsty radicals seeking revenge not only endangers society with their evil ideas but also gives a bad name to the brave women who fought for the rights they deserved and those who continue the fight today.

Kyle Richoux is a 20-year-old sociology junior from LaPlace, Louisiana.

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, unseated a 10-term incumbent running on what many called a “radical” agenda. When she learned of her victory, a reporter asked, “What about the folks who say, ‘Listen, she’s too radical’?” She responded, simply, “There is nothing radical about moral clarity.”

Social justice movements throughout American history were at one time considered radical. Consider the American Revolution, abolitionism, the labor movement, first-wave feminism and gay liberation.

Each of these societal developments was a response to an injustice. They disrupted the status quo and were met with ardent opposition. Paradoxically, each are steeped in the values that America supposedly champions. The documents that we look to for guidance — the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence — clearly outline moral principles that demand equality. These movements appeal to those founding principles and are wholly American. There is nothing more American than a radical movement.

In a digital age, it’s become easy to feel as though we’re contributing to a movement by taking to Twitter or Facebook to express our distaste of the status quo. Some who might disagree or think that this is a vain façade of action throw around the term “social justice warrior” to undermine and mock those seeking progress.

The latest feminist movement has become a target of this mockery. Feminism in the 21st century has its flaws.

Rifts emerged among the organizers of the Women’s March over what the movement should signify and who should be the face of it. Questions of who are we really marching for or who needs this march the most exemplify internal struggles that many social movements have faced.

While fourth-wave feminism is not perfect, it’s still very much needed. It’s another shot at the oppressive, white patriarchy that America was founded upon. Every American social movement is an attempt to correct and align the America we live in with the America that is described in our founding documents. We’ve done a fantastic job at digging ourselves out of the America in which only white men who owned property could vote, but we’ve yet to achieve true equality.

The #MeToo movement illustrates an aspect of America that we should

cartoon by ETHAN GILBERTI / The Reveille

be ashamed of and underscores the need for contemporary feminism. I don’t mean to discredit the men who have been wronged and participated, or didn’t, in the #MeToo movement. However, women clearly jump-started it and claim it.

Misogyny ran rampant and went unquestioned for far too long. It continues today. It’s our job, firstly as humans and secondly as Americans, to put an end to the injustices that historically marginalized groups still face.

I acknowledge that I’m a white young man blessed with a privileged upbringing writing about women’s issues. However, I, like many, become infuriated when a Stanford swimmer can rape an unconscious woman behind a dumpster and receive a six-month jail sentence, or when a Baylor fraternity president can rape a drugged woman and receive no jail time or when a Hollywood giant can assault women for decades and go unquestioned. I’m especially disgusted and impelled to speak out when a wealthy celebrity can brag about assaulting women and become our President.

Liberty, equality, justice and the pursuit of happiness are not radical principles. They’re moral paradigms that we’ve championed since 1776. This moral clarity isn’t new, but its tangible exemplification has been missing.

Call me a “social justice warrior” if you’d like, but I’m comfortable with speaking out against injustice when we have so much work left to do. If fulfilling my obligation as a human and as an American categorizes me as a radical or as a social justice warrior, then so be it.

I’m proud to be one.

James Smith is a 22-year-old mass communication senior from Grand Coteau, Louisiana.

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The Reveille (USPS 145-800) is written, edited and produced solely by students of Louisiana State University. The Reveille is an independent entity of the Office of Student Media within the Manship School of Mass Communication. Signed opinions are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the editor, The Reveille or the university. Letters submitted for publication should be sent via e-mail to opinion@lsureveille.com or delivered to B-39 Hodges Hall. They must be 400 words or less. Letters must provide a contact phone number for verification purposes, which will not be printed. The Reveille reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for space consideration while preserving the original intent. The Reveille also reserves the right to reject any letter without notification of the author. Writers must include their full names and phone numbers. The Reveille’s editor in chief, hired every semester by the LSU Student Media Board, has final authority on all editorial decisions.

Quote of the Week “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about thing that matter.”

Martin Luther King Jr. Minister, Civil Rights Activist Jan. 15,1929 — April 14, 1968

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

page 19

LSU cares about individual students’ personal, academic success I SAID WHAT I SAID MAYA STEVENSON @colormemaya When discussing the drawbacks of the University with any naysayer, the size of the University inevitably comes up. Since it has over 30,000 students, there’s no way for the University to care about every single one. Students must be seen as cash-cows, or merely an 89-number. I disagree.

Despite the University’s status as one of the largest public schools in the nation, they do a nice job of ensuring the students always have resources available.

The shining stars of the University would have to be the advisers. Advisers are those who make sure you’re on the right path and assist you when you’re not on one at all. Countless

students can recount just how an adviser has saved their life, or more aptly, their college career.

Each college has its own number of advisers, each equipped with knowledge to help students navigate college with the ease of knowing someone is there to guide them.

There are so many things you truly don’t know about the University or your degree until meeting with an adviser. Scheduling an appointment is incredibly easy, and many colleges do take walk-ins. This means accessible assistance at any time.

If you’re not able to meet inperson, many advisers will correspond through email.

Some of the University’s professors don’t have the best reputation, but this is where the independent learning part of college comes in. When teaching yourself doesn’t work, there are even more University-provided

options to ensure your academic success.

I know many students who take advantage of the Supplemental Instruction sessions provided in conjunction with their courses. Unfortunately, they don’t exist for every single course.

Six days a week in Troy H. Middleton Library, the Center for Academic Success provides free tutoring for 19 course subjects.

They also provide free online tutoring, with current students being provided with 900 free minutes. Genesis Tutoring in the LSU Student Union provides evening tutoring in 14 course subjects.

The Department of Foreign Languages offers tutoring five days a week in Hodges Hall. The Department of Physics and Astronomy even offers tutoring for one of the most difficult subjects on campus — physics. There’s also writing help and support

provided by the writing coaches in Coates Hall. Even the residential halls on campus provide tutoring. All students have to do is walk downstairs.

This plethora of resources doesn’t draw a picture of a university apathetic toward its students. Rather, they prove the University is interested in ensuring success for each individual student.

I’ve heard many stories about the difficulties of working with the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships. Yes, this can be extremely frustrating. However, they can also be extremely helpful. Outside of all the documentsending and the back-and-forth communication, the University’s financial aid office is very speedy in their assistance. Designated by their last name, each counselor is assigned a group of students to assist. Only hindered by the number of students in front

of you, they generally get back to you as fast as possible.

The University has a number of detractors who point out some of the injustices students and faculty face on campus. However, to say the University administrators only see students as an 89-number or the total of a fee bill is as incorrect as it is disrespectful to those who work hard to prove this stereotype wrong. I’ve never experienced a problem with the University that couldn’t be solved with an email or a phone call.

The University provides so many resources and opportunities on campus — students need only ask for assistance. There are people on campus waiting to help you. In fact, they’d be more than happy to do so.

Maya Stevenson is a 19-yearold English and economics sophomore from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

LSU students require healthy, affordable food options on campus OH, NOT AGAIN! KYLE RICHOUX @KyleRichoux Eating is not only vital to our health, but also critical for our development. It’s important for college students to know the facts about nutrition because anything not affecting our bodies now will affect them later.

Just watching what we eat isn’t enough for college students, though. As young and upcoming adults, we have to start worrying about financial issues.

It’s not hard to find cheap food. It’s a little challenging, but still possible, to find healthy food. If you want a real challenge, look for food both nutritious and affordable.

The LSU Student Union recognizes the fast-paced lifestyle of college students by providing a

plethora of quick lunch options.

The problem is quick usually means fast food. With expediency, we almost always sacrifice quality. When quality takes a hit, so too does nutritional value.

To claim fast food isn’t nutritionally sound isn’t to claim it’s cheap, however. If we use the convenience of the Student Union’s fast food options each day, we’d end up spending around $50 on lunch for the week.

For students living off campus, you can look around your residency for options. Unfortunately, you’ll find the same variety of Chick-fil-A, Taco Bell and McDonald’s — not much better than anywhere else.

If this doesn’t strike your fancy, you’d best look elsewhere. So where else is there?

To minimize funds spent on food, we’d do best to bring food from home. After all, most professors allow food in their classes as

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Likewise, scenic areas around campus and even the Student Union have no limits on what food you can bring and consume.

Furthermore, it can be immensely relaxing not having to wait in a line for 30 minutes during your precious lunch break and even making some time to take in the sunlight. Your body, both inside and out, is the winner in this situation, and your body will thank you for it.

As dandy as this all is, the food needs to come from somewhere. Whole Foods provides a wide variety of health-conscious food options, but it is notorious for being overpriced and inaccessible to college students on a budget.

If you catch them at the right time, farmers markets are an excellent alternative. Alumni from the University’s Agricultural College have created the Red Stick Farmers Market, a local farmers market hosted on Saturdays not too far from the University itself.

College is a weird time for all of us, and we could do without the extra weight of having to struggle

cartoon by ETHAN GILBERTI / The Reveille

to maintain a proper diet and our personal budgets simultaneously.

However, if we find ourselves with some free time, we ought to search out healthy and affordable

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Kyle Richoux is a 20-year-old sociology junior from LaPlace, Louisiana.

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Wednesday, January 23, 2019

page 20

Fee bill unnecessarily vague, leaves students with questions TEKAY SAYS TE’KAYLA PITTMAN @tekaysays One of the many things on University students’ minds is money and what they are actually investing their money into.

Students tend to stress over finding ways to make money and stay away from being the typical “broke college student.”

Many students worry about being able to pay back their student loans and wonder if the University’s ever-increasing tuition and fees are actually worth it. The University should do a better job with explaining each fee in detail to avoid confusion with students about where their money actually goes.

The University’s tuition increases every year, and there is a huge difference between in-state and out-of-state fees. To some, it may seem unfair that you even have to pay extra to be a student coming from out of state when you are making the school more diverse. In addition to paying tuition and fees, students also have to pay for room and board, books and supplies.

A lot of students I have spoken to question why they even have to pay for books and subscriptions to classes. This raises the

question: what does tuition actually cover? Students have paid thousands of dollars, and some are falling deep into debt that will take years to pay off.

Many students are both confused and blindsided by the lack of transparency on the fee bill.

If the University allowed potential applicants to view the fee bill before having to pay the almost $50 application fee, it would clear up confusion among potential students.

Aside from being blindsided by the fee bill, many students have to pay for “required” textbooks and subscriptions to online courses. Some of these books are used for just a semester and can cost over $100. The subscriptions basically equate to students paying to be in an online class, but still having to go to class two or three times a week. Most online subscriptions are better at instructing the students rather than the professors.

As a second-semester freshman, I am still learning about the college process. I found it strange that I had to pay for books and subscriptions in nearly every class. Even some extracurricular activities that I was interested in cost money. I wondered what I had paid for with my tuition money.

It would help students if professors allowed us to see their

cartoon by ETHAN GILBERTI / The Reveille

class requirements before we joined it. Every professor has a different syllabus and a different way of doing things. If we had better insight on this information, other than sites like RateMyProfessor.com, then it would make things easier for students.

Doing this would allow students to be prepared for class by knowing the expectations and

financial responsibilities associated with them.

It is understandable that these ways have been sewn into the University for years so changing the status quo won’t be easy.

However, we can agree that no one wants to be confused on what they are investing their money into. Allowing us to know what we pay for helps us to make

better fiscal and personal decisions in our path through college life. The University should make an effort to move toward these changes and be more transparent with what students are paying for. Let’s “debunk” the fee bill.

Te’Kayla Pittman is a 19-year-old mass communication freshman from Atlanta, Georgia.

President Trump, climate change deniers hinder positive progress ACCORDING TO ASHLON ASHLON LUSK @ashlonrose Stop drinking out of plastic straws and cups. Eat a vegan or vegetarian diet. Carpool with your friends. All of these are wonderful ways to do your part in reducing pollution.

Unfortunately, you could make all of these changes and more and it still wouldn’t reverse the negative effects of climate change. Individuals choosing not to use plastic straws may help a little, but the real culprit of the majority of the environmental mess we’re in is large corporations.

No amount of plastic straws could offset the amount of waste and chemicals major companies dump into our oceans. No amount of bike sharing could offset the fossil fuels American corporations pump into the atmosphere with little regulation.

The media placing the blame on American individuals is misleading, because it makes it seem as if the public could single-handedly solve the problem.

Companies like Chevron, Exxon and BP are major carbon producers in the U.S. sixty-three percent of industrial carbon dioxide and methane released in the atmosphere can be traced back to just 90 companies.

Climate change is not a problem that individuals can fix. This is a policy issue. We are allowing these companies to pollute our oceans and atmosphere at ever-increasing rates. Instead of attacking people for not recycling, despite its importance, we should be calling out big companies like Chevron to lessen their output of fossil fuels.

We should be asking CocaCola and PepsiCo to produce less plastic, which is littering our oceans. Eight metric tons of plastic enter the ocean every year.

This is not because you drank out of a plastic bottle, it’s because companies mass produce plastic products.

Despite President Donald Trump removing the climate change tab from the White House website, climate change is real and it’s happening. Telling citizens climate change isn’t real is dangerous to the future of the environment. When Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Paris climate agreement, he not only put the environment in danger, but he indirectly told the American people he did not care about the environment.

The U.N. said we have 12 years to get global warming under control before we can’t stop it anymore. The sea levels are rising at a dramatic rate, which affects Louisiana directly because of our deltas. There will be more droughts and storms than ever

cartoon by ETHAN GILBERTI / The Reveille

before in history.

The U.N.’s report says that global warming could cause famine, disease, economic tolls and refugee crises. Even half a degree could make a difference. The moderate level of average warming is 1.5 degrees celsius, and if it gets to 2 de-

grees celsius, there could be massive devastation.

Under the Paris climate agreement, the U.N. set a goal to limit warming to an increase of 2 degrees celsius above the Earth’s average temperature, but they hope to have a stricter limit of 1.5 degrees celsius. We

will need to make serious changes to our environment and the amount of money that we are spending on cleaning up the air and ocean in the next 12 years.

Ashlon Lusk is a 19-year-old mass communication sophomore from Houston, Texas.