Legacy Fall 2015

LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY

Fall 2015

The faces we ignore

An exclusive exclusive look look at at those those who who keep keep the the Flagship Flagship sailing sailing An

Let the valley shake How to to make make the the next next earthquake earthquake game game How

RIsking Ramen Ramen RIsking There’s more more to to noodles noodles than than you you think think There’s

LEGACY Fall 2015

Editor In Chief Keem O. Muhammad

Managing Editor Michael Tarver

Creative Director Kristin Hudson

Multimedia Director Maleiya Porter-Jones

Designers Haleigh Dean Jennifer Vance Madeline Simpson

Writers Bianca Smith Emily Price Hayley Franklin John Hanley Kayla Randall Laeh Alexander Casey Spinks Makenzie Godso

Photographers Kaitlyn Graff Brandon Harris Emily Brauner Bri Basco Javier Fernandez Brandon Ore

Sales Manager Samuel Accardo

Adviser Brian Charles

Publisher Office of Student Media

Mission Statement: LEGACY Magazine focuses on arts and entertainment, culture, fashion and food via design, in-depth features, profiles, and photography. The onus is on LEGACY to incite a dynamically engaging and challenging discourse in the LSU community and Louisiana at-large.

2

or 21 years, LEGACY’s staff has vigorously worked to create a magazine with the best possible content for the LSU community at large. As the newest Editor, countless questions have been asked about my vision for this great publication. Perhaps the most important question was who LEGACY’s audience would be: Is this a magazine for freshmen? The Greeks? The hipsters?

Over the last six months, it has been our top priority to venture LEGACY further into exciting, thought provoking territory. To do this, we believe the magazine is obligated to share the colorful, inspiring stories of hard-working, every day people. Members of the LSU community are from all walks of life; since it’s the ordinary folks who achieve extraordinary heights, the onus is on LEGACY to reflect such.

Yet, the question stands — who is our audience?

We dedicate this copy of LEGACY Magazine to the future architect spending all of tonight in Atkinson hall. The biker, clocking several miles on the road every day and every annoyed driver trailing right behind them.

The athlete, balancing the pressures of schoolwork and practice and the committed fan who treats tailgating like a civic duty. This is for the Barista, bussing tables at Highland Coffees at seven in the morning and the Chef at Louie’s Café who can make an omelet with their eyes closed.

We dedicate this issue to the parent finally returning to school to finish their degree. The Tiger Trails bus driver, transporting countless students from home to campus and back and the social activist, tirelessly fighting for the rights of minorities. This is for the 10-year-old who dreams of the day they can sit in the student section of Death Valley and the veteran professor who fondly remembers reading LEGACY’s very first issue.

Lastly, to the broke, first-generation college student with plans of one day changing the world — this is just for you.

We at LEGACY hope you enjoy reading this season’s issue as much as we enjoyed making it.

F

With great pleasure,

Keem O. Muhammad

C O N T E N T

9

20 39 PAGE

STORY

4

Good Hair

9

LSU’s Hidden Gems

14

The Blur

16

The Art of Androgyny

17

Straight Outta Compton

18

Save Smarter, Spend Wisely

20

Who Do We Dress For?

24

Let the Valley Shake

26

The Faces We Ignore

32

Coffee Culture

35

Numb

38

A Smashing Good Time

39

Risking Ramen

42

35

Bounce QROMA

46 48

Best If Used By

52

The Bright Ages

@lsulegacymag

lsulegacymag.com

#onelegacy

3

4

GOOD

HAIR Words: Bianca Smith

Design: Maddie Simpson

5

“

I don’t know what to do with your hair sweetheart,” my mom told me as I showed her a picture of Selena Gomez in Seventeen Magazine. Her hair was straight, shiny and polished and my twelve-year-old self wanted nothing more than to have good hair.

“Your hair is not like her’s, girl. You’re just gonna have to get used to it,” my mother said, going back to the dishes and ending the conversation.

A couple of weeks later, I got my hair relaxed for the first time.

This is a story that many women and young girls know all too well.

Western culture has placed Anglo-Saxon features at the forefront of beauty and it became the foundation as to what it means to be beautiful. For many years, society has been laying the groundwork on how to be a beautiful and successful woman in society, but African American features are nowhere to be found.

The “whitewashing” of the media is not a practice that recently started. Many magazines and publications like Vogue and Cosmopolitan, have been using white women in their beauty “how-to” sections a vast majority of the time, leaving many minority women out of the beauty conversation.

While the new term for “white-washing” has yet to debut in Webster’s dictionary, the term has been used a lot when it comes to cultural topics. One of the areas of discussion is the effect it has on minority women. In an article

6

posted by the blog Race and Technology, one of the most common known effect is low self-esteem, but another effect that rises from this issue is colorism. Colorism is the practice of discrimination based on someone’s skin tone within a racial group. It is believed that African American women who fit within the Eurocentric ideals (lighter skin tone, naturally colored eyes etc.) are more likely to be accepted into mainstream culture than African American women who are darker.

The article goes on to say that the process of whitewashing doesn’t only mean to flood all forms of media with white faces. It also means taking African American women and digitally assimilating them so they can fit perfectly into the already constant format.

Examples like these are easy to find in Hollywood and print and digital advertisements.

Most African American women in movies and shows possess some of the features that meet Eurocentric ideals such as lighter skin and sleek straight hair. While many advertisements have been using the mighty power of Photoshop to lighten the celebrity’s skin tone like for Kerry Washington and Mindy Kaling.

Junior and mass communication major, Cynthea Corfah, is well aware of whitewashing and how it impacts minority women.

“It’s sad how African-American women haven’t been praised for their kinks and curls,” she said.

“Our hair type, facial features, and body shapes are what make us so uniquely beautiful. I think with enough ‘rebellion’ against conforming to white beauty standards, those standards will change.”

While African American women have to change their looks and strip away a bit of their identi-

ty to fit in, many Caucasian women are taking African American beauty looks to seem more “edgy” and fashion forward.

The saturated use of white washing transforms into another controversial topic: cultural appropriation. Cultural appropriation is the sociological notion that interprets that the adoption of certain elements from a culture as a negative act.

The practice of cultural appropriation has been at the forefront of many entertainment and fashion blogs who post pictures and editorials of celebrities and models who, in return, receive praise for these looks. Minority women, however, remain trapped and ridiculed from the stereotypes that surround these trends. Many examples still float around the world wide web today.

Sophomore and mass communication major, Kia Sims, expresses her views on the heated topic. “It’s not necessarily the “white-washing” that I have an issue with, its mostly the cultural appropriation,” she stated. “I think people should be able to wear their hair however they wish and not be judged for it. The issue comes into place when a black woman is looked at as “ghetto” or “manly” when she wears cornrows, but it is considered high fashion if a white model wears it down the runway. It’s a double standard in the beauty industry and something has got to change.”

During the summer, Hollywood socialite and reality star, Kylie Jenner, posted a photo on her Instagram wearing cornrows.

Soon after, commenters across all platforms started bashing the star for appropriating black culture, sparking an all out debate on the Internet. What fueled the fire even further was when Hunger Games star Amandla Sternberg criticized

Jenner for using the trends of African American women for her own gain.

Jenner never apologized for the post and never took the picture down. However, Sternberg created her own response by posting a photo on her Instagram that explains the reason why the appropriation of African American culture is damaging to society as a whole. The post explained society makes the features of black women beautiful but not the women themselves. That the euro-centric fascination with Western culture makes it acceptable for white women to plump their lips and get tans and big butts, while African American women are hounded for naturally possessing these features.

The criticism of African American women and the styling of their hair have been exposed over the broadcast waves. In late February, E!’s hit show, Fashion Police was hosting their Academy Awards special, spending an hour critiquing and mocking various celebrities and their looks under the guise of good fun.

Things took a turn for the worse when Zendaya Coleman’s look was placed on the chopping block, leading to E! News anchor, Guiliana Rancic, to question Coleman’s reasoning for going on the carpet wearing dreadlocks. After a few seconds of petulant banter, Rancic commented on how the hairdo made Coleman seemed like she smelled of patchouli oil and weed. The Internet exploded with anger, forcing one of the hosts, Kelly Osbourne, to leave the show and Rancic issuing a heartfelt apology.

The scandal provided a first hand of look at the reactions African American women face on a daily basis when it comes to their hair.

Sadly, this isn’t only the recent example on the sensitive topic.

For Allure Magazine’s August issue, controversy ensued when a beauty

article giving hair tutorials used a white woman wearing an Afro along with a tutorial. Many readers and nonreaders alike were furious with the fact that an African American woman wasn’t used instead. Allure has since apologized for the article, but the overall topic has not simmered.

The aftermath of whitewashing can lead to practices and beauty regimens that would help the minority woman be accepted into mainstream society through the process of assimilation. A couple of the most common practices for African American women is relaxing their hair or getting a weave. However some people speculate on whether it is because of the media’s influence or for themselves.

Kia Sims expressed that it is a little bit of both for her. “I chose to relax my hair my senior year of high school,” she said. “This was mostly because I wanted my hair to be more manageable to do on my own and straighten it. I’ve always worn my hair straight and that’s the way I like it.”

However, she does go on to confess that the media had a little bit of a part in her decision. “That’s mostly because I always looked in magazines or on TV and all the women I saw had straight hair, so that’s how I wanted mine.”

The processes and upkeep for the sake of “good hair” is not easy.

First off, going to a salon for a relaxer is not cheap. Of course there a lot of factors that determine the price like hair type, type of relaxer

As a society, we need to realize whitewashing is not a myth or conspiracy theory, but a real form of oppression which exists on the pages of magazines and the screens of televisions.

7

and salon but the average is around fifty to a hundred dollars.

Besides the pricing, the process itself is nothing short of pleasant. In Chris Rock’s critically acclaimed documentary “Good Hair,” Rock takes it upon himself to explore the mysterious culture of hair processing on African American women. In the film, many women refer to the relaxer as “creamy crack” for it’s miraculous but damaging effects it has on women’s hair.

Also, once a woman starts relaxing her hair she has to keep doing it until she decides to go natural.

The unpleasantness also stems from the fact that the relaxer can burn the woman’s scalp and cause acne and scarring along the top edges of the forehead, let alone a strong odor. After the hair is relaxed, shedding is a common occurrence.

Several years ago, some relaxers were found to contain the deadly chemical sodium hydroxide or lye, and some chemicals are similar to those found in drain cleaners.

Though the FDA has tackled this issue, it still goes to show the lengths many African American women will travel to have “good hair.”

Many women resort to getting wigs or weaves for their hair.

Wigs are whole pieces of hair which cover the woman’s original hair type. Weaves are often sewn into braids to achieve a certain look. Not all weaves, however, are straight and long. Weaves come in many styles and colors and vary in terms of style and expression.

However, not all African

American women are using relaxers or weaves. Many women are deciding to go natural. Maintaining someone’s natural hair is very complicated and requires a lot of upkeep, but many women still see it as a better alternative than relaxing.

Cynthea Corfah has made the decision to go natural. “I no longer choose to relax my hair,” she said. “I made the decision to stop relaxing my hair my freshmen year of college. For years, I wondered why my hair wouldn’t grow and why I was having such severe damage.

I started doing research on the ‘Natural Hair Movement’ and I only saw good results. It was then that I stopped relaxing my hair.”

So far, Corfah has no regrets.

“I love it. It comes with it’s own challenges though,” she declares.

“Such as: learning the different hair styles, ways of protection, how frequently you need to get trims, etc. But being natural has definitely given me a newfound appreciation for this beautiful texture I have growing out of my head.”

It’s nice to see African American women in entertainment flaunt their natural locks. A perfect example of this will be Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o and singer Solange Knowles who have been gracing the red carpet with their natural styles. Many African American celebrities like Zendaya Coleman, Taraji P. Henson and Gabrielle Union have taken to Instagram to post pictures of their natural hair to help many younger African American women to love their natural hair.

As Corfah stated, going natural is also a political movement.

Many African American women choose to go natural to rebel against a society that tells them their curls are not beautiful. They decide to stay away from any chemicals and weaves because they want to show off the hair they were born with.

African American hair is a difficult topic. It’s natural for some people to walk on eggshells when it is introduced. However, the issue should not be ignored. The standards of beauty minority women face is a problem that should not only be discussed online. It deserves a lot of face time as well. If people were able to thoroughly discuss this topic and the effects behind it, maybe there would be more respect and tolerance of African American beauty.

As a society, we need to realize whitewashing is not a myth or conspiracy theory, but a real form of oppression which exists on the pages of magazines and the screens of televisions. To move forward on race relations, we must realize how influential the social construct of race is in our society and how much praise the Eurocentric ideals receive in order to keep minority women inferior.

These harmful constructs must be recognized and challenged with the intention of replacing it to expand the definition of beauty and celebrate all women.

A MID-CENTURY JET FIGHTER, AN 18TH CENTURY SUGAR KETTLE AND THE REMAINS OF A BENGAL TIGER ARE A FEW OF THE HIDDEN GEMS THAT DOT THE LSU CAMPUS.

A SCHOOL STEEPED IN TRADITION AND HISTORY IS ALSO A TREASURE TROVE OF SENTIMENTAL RELICS FROM THE PAST.

story by HAYLEY FRANKLIN | design by JENNIFER VANCE | photos by BRITTANY BASCO

9

Though the T-33 “T-Bird” and giant Boré Sugar Kettle are appealing enough, students and visitors don’t need to aimlessly trek LSU’s campus to find such hidden gems. The first Mike the Tiger is not even hidden, but displayed in the LSU Museum of Natural Science, located in Foster Hall.

At the Museum of Natural Science one can look into the empty eye sockets of a cryolophosaurus ellioti dinosaur skull cast or take a stroll to the Howe-Russell Geoscience Complex to find a complete dinosaur skeleton cast.

Hundreds of preserved birds, fish, amphibians, mammals, reptiles, and insects also live in the Museum of Natural Science. There are even small displays about the Arctic, the Indian mounds of Louisiana, and the American mastodon, whose bones are on public display.

Entry into the museum is free, but Museum of Natural Science Outreach Coordinator Valerie Derouen said student attendance is less than she would hope.

“We have the number one genetic resources division and the number three university-based bird collection in the world, so scientists really know about us and we’re getting loan requests all the time, but around campus people just don’t know we exist,” Derouen said.

The LSU Museum of Natural Science not only displays scientific and historic exhibits, but also conducts scientific research by analyzing the DNA of animal collections stored in the museum basement and in other buildings on campus.

“From all of our different vertebrate collections, which are birds, mammals, amphibians, fish, and reptiles, we also take tissue samples. That could be fin clips if it’s a fish. It can be a heart, liver, anything that you can get DNA out of. We keep them in freezers and use them for molecular research,” Derouen said.

Derouen said the research done at the LSU Museum of Natural Science can be useful in a number of applications. She emphasized studies by LSU herpetologist Christopher Austin, on malaria resistant

green blood in New Guinea lizards which led to breakthroughs in malaria research in humans.

Research is not the only reason Derouen loves her job. She equally enjoys sharing her passion with the patrons of the museum.

“I love interacting with the public and letting people know about the history of life on Earth.

That’s mainly what we’re trying to figure out. How has life progressed on earth and what are the different species out there? How are they all related? How old are they? I find that really interesting and that’s what the scientists here are trying to figure out,” Derouen said.

LSU’s Museum of Natural Science is not the only museum on campus which allows students and faculty to conduct research. The LSU Textile and Costume Museum, located in the Human Ecology Building, often allows textile, apparel and merchandising students to prepare the museum’s exhibits.

Textile and Costume Museum curator Pamela Rabalais-Vinci said many of their exhibits are part of students’ doctoral dissertations.

LSU students conduct research for the museum exhibits, often sifting through microfilm at the LSU libraries.

“I think there’s so much benefit to knowing about where we’ve been, and part of where we’ve been is what we wore,” Rabalais-Vinci said. “There’s such a link to what was happening in a period historically and a link to our culture, that’s illustrated in dress.”

The LSU Textile and Costume Museum showcases a plethora of historical pieces, including articles of clothing which belonged to

11

prestigious LSU alumni. Thomas Boyd’s vest and Charles Coates’ top hat can be found in the museum, along with Alice Foster’s Harley Davidson outfit.

International textiles, some from Africa and American textiles from almost every era, are also kept at the LSU Textile and Costume Museum.

Much of the textile and clothing is kept in storage and is not on public display, but exhibits are changed periodically throughout the year.

Past exhibits included sack cloth clothing, Acadian handicrafts, women’s aprons, prehistoric fabrics and footwear, and mid-nineteenth century Louisiana burial dress.

The current exhibit includes 1900s vintage day dresses and an explanation of how they transitioned into a slimmer more boyish tea dress in the 1920s.

Textiles, apparel design, and merchandising doctoral student Dina

12

Smith said the changes in dress marked social changes.

“They were coming out of the Victorian era where a lot of things were conservative and there was a particular way of doing things with proper etiquette. By the 20s a lot of those things were relaxed so tea dresses could be worn for both fancy afternoon dress and into the evening, whereas the first time period they had to change clothes for every little event throughout the day,” Smith said.

Rabalais-Vinci said it is important not only to preserve vintage clothing, but also to keep current styles in their collection. Be it modern fashion, or vintage clothing, Rabalais-Vinci said the purpose of each item is to bring inspiration.

“We’re always anxious to show and make it available to students any fashion item or detail that could be a source of inspiration,” Raba-

lais-Vinci said.

Numerous other museums on LSU’s campus may provide inspiration to students of all majors, but students need to be willing to go out and be inspired.

History buffs and rock collectors might enjoy the Howe-Russell Geoscience Complex, while animal and science lovers might enjoy the LSU

Natural Science Museum. Literary addicts might find their place in the Hill Memorial Library, which almost always has a new exhibit, and fashionistas might frequent the LSU Textile and Costume Museum.

There are a number of options, and you don’t have to choose just one, because every single one of them is free.

Don’t let a selfie be your only memory

13

THE BLUR Issues of Consent in American Culture “Blurred Lines” focuses on ambiguity as a coercive tactic

14

WORDS: JOHN HANLEY

Robin Thicke’s 2013 single “Blurred Lines” revitalized the dialogue on rap and consent in America.

The song and accompanying video propelled such a discussion to the forefront of American minds for at least as long as the song’s fifteen minutes of fame lasted.

But the fact that the discussion sparked up at all begs a few questions, the most glaring of which—what is vague about consent?

Oliver Rocha, an LSU ethics professor who has taught classes on sex law and “hooking up ethics,” said there is a disjunction between actual consent and what is presented as consent in society.

According to Rocha, “there are three fairly uncontested conditions for consent.” For an agreement to be consensual, it must be freely made, adequately informed, and the parties must be competent. He described consent as a “type of agreement that morally and, or legally transforms the relations between individuals.”

What led to the Thicke conundrum is that the “sexiness” of the song relies on a stretching of the boundaries of this definition.

Rocha conceded there is, both legally and philosophically, “room for debate about certain conditions and the various ways in which these conditions are met.”

But what is clear is “Blurred Lines” focuses on ambiguity as a coercive tactic which hides under the façade of playful sexiness.

Despite the severe backlash and career downfall Thicke faced due to the song, Rocha said ambiguity is still deemed socially acceptable when it comes to consent and sobriety.

“Though alcohol is thought to inhibit our competence and make consent much harder to come by in most other contexts, it is often assumed that individuals can consent to sex with near strangers while very intoxicated,” Rocha said.

And it doesn’t help, he added, that the law is relatively ambiguous as well.

Louisiana Revised Statute 14:43 states that “simple rape is a rape committed…when the victim is incapable of resisting or of understanding the nature of the act by reason of a stupor or abnormal condition of the mind produced by an intoxicating agent.”

“There is a good deal of difference across various jurisdictions over whether alcohol is consistent with sexual consent,” Rocha added.

Yet, as Rocha noted, it is still a social norm to have

|

DESIGN: HALEIGH DEAN

sex after drinking or being otherwise intoxicated. This is technically illegal and non-consensual, and yet it remains a daily occurrence.

“Though there are positive trends, media representations of sexual culture today continue to perpetuate problematic misconceptions,” Rocha said. “We continue to see largely positive depictions of characters, such as How I Met Your Mother’s Barney Stinson, who use deceit and trickery to obtain sexual agreements. Yet, these deceived and manipulated agreements should not count as consensual, and these positive depictions tend to promote the frightening notions that honesty and openness are not necessary in sexual contexts.”

Rocha said, as strange as it seems in the modern cultural context, many philosophers assert sexual consent should be treated the same way other forms of consent (e.g., medical consent) are treated. Citing an instance where popular TV show host John Oliver said a drunk person “might” not be able to consent to sex, Rocha noted how, in other contexts, the use of the word “might” seems ridiculous and dangerous.

“If someone who is pretty drunk walks into a real estate office, we do not think they simply ‘might’ not be able to give consent to sell their house. If someone is pretty drunk and tells a doctor they are happy to have their kidney removed, we do not think they simply ‘might’ not be able to give consent. If someone is pretty drunk, they are not fully competent and cannot give consent.”

The question that ultimately emerges from this disparity between society and legality is how society can ride the line between safe, legal, and consensual and sexy, playful, and flirtatious.

“The problem with current social views of consent is that holding sexual consent to a lower standard can lead to quite grave harms,” said Rocha. “It is quite possible that a significant lie or sufficient inebriation will turn what you think is sexual consent into what is really a serious sexual transgression—possibly rape. When the potential problems are as serious as sexual aggression and rape, then it is of the utmost importance that we hold ourselves to the highest moral standards possible.”

15

The artof androgyny Words: MaKenzie Godso Photo: Emily Brauner layout: Kristin Hudson

M

asculine? Feminine? Or both?

Androgyny as an influencer in fashion and beauty is not a relatively new concept, dating back to the 30s and gaining momentum more notably in the late 70s and early 80s with the “power suit” debut for women in corporate positions.

Within recent years, designers have been blurring the line between what differentiates women and men’s clothing.

Androgynous trends rose in the past few years, trickling down from runways and magazines, and forced the universal population to question the conventional beliefs of which clothing is designated for men and women.

For example, designer Rei Kawakubo consistently challenges the traditional ideas of masculinity and femininity in fashion through the Comme des Garçons label. In the Fall 2013 “Ready To Wear” show, models with sleek, gelled hair and minimal makeup sported boxy garments, featuring defined masculine silhouettes with feminine accents. The women wore black, gray, or pinstripe oversized suits that had dramatic folds and exaggerated fabrics on the shoulders and sleeves.

Although most of the garments were very large, the exaggeration of the pleats and oversized puffy sleeves provided a contrast to the traditionally masculine pantsuit.

Not long after, many women could be spotted wearing boxy coats and remixing them with more feminine silhouettes because of the exposure to this trend through runways and cheaper fast fashion stores.

Retail stores like Zara displayed mannequins dressed in oversized blazers mixed with form fitting pencil skirts and chic heels.

Josh Holder, owner of Time Warp Boutique, believes that androgynous trends have been

prevalent for the past few years.

“From grit to minimalistic modern, people are changing the rules on what is acceptable.

You should still be able to wear florals and color and still be a ‘man’,” Holder said.

Other designers have generated runway shows that are agender, displaying both male and female models with clothing that suits gender neutral shoppers.

For Meadham Kirchhoff ’s Spring 2015 “Ready to Wear” collection, models emerged wearing brightly colored and patterned shirts, latex bottoms, and oversized jackets, giving the show a punk meets futuristic atmosphere. From a female model wearing structured striped pants and an asymmetrical white button- up shirt, to a male model donning hot pink, latex pants with zippers and buckles, the show did not define what men or women should wear.

Traditionally, most men would feel uncomfortable wearing hot pink latex pants, since hot pink is usually a color associated with women. But, designers are making a statement about gender roles in fashion, and how men can dress in garments that are ordinarily for women and still be men, and women can wear oversized, baggy clothing and still be women. The idea that a garment has to belong to a man or woman has become less popular as designers have produced collections that embody androgynous trends.

The portrayal of androgyny in the fashion and beauty industries influences what trends become popular in the newest season.

Ads, fashion shows, magazines spreads and more showcase ideas of androgyny, which influences viewers to buy into the trends, such as the recent rise of minimal makeup, boxy blazers for women, and flared bell bottoms for men.

The idea of androgyny focuses on avoiding the definition of what has to belong to men or women, and instead incorporating aspects of both to create a masculine plus feminine mash up.

STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON t the Words: Casey Spinks

I

no

Design: Kristin Hudson

f recent box office results have proved anything, it’s that ‘gangsta-rap,’ a subgenre from the late 80’s and early 90’s, still makes money.

Albeit, less in the traditional method of selling albums, like it did in its own day. Instead, gangsta-rap has earned approximately $138 million at the multiplex, thanks to the four week-long dominance of F. Gary Gray’s “Straight Outta Compton,” a drama chronicling the true story of the infamous rap group, NWA.

With lyrics that often portray drugs, gangs, violence, and misogyny in a positive light, gangsta-rap can appear as a strange anomaly, both to the older generation of baby boomers and the younger millennials.

To the older generation that first reacted against the subgenre, chants like “F*** the Police” that were so characteristic of NWA were dangerous; gangsta-rap was a disease corrupting the white suburban youth of the time and destroying the conservative, law-and-order values of middle America.

Dr. Stephen Finley, LSU professor of religious studies and African-American studies, teaches a class on hip-hop, culture, and religion, and noted how politicians of the day spoke about the subgenre and hip-hop as a whole. “...A politician blaming hip-hop for a lot of social problems. Well, ‘hip-hop’ is only code for ‘black’...For him black people and black youth culture was a problem. I understood perfectly what he was saying, and my students did as well,” Finley said.

In reality, this decrying of gangsta-rap was related to outside prejudices and exploiting the problems of the subgenre for the sake of blanketing the entire genre of rap and black culture as a whole as one of violence, gangs, and drugs.

By turning gangsta-rap into a microcosm of blackness, the larger culture ignored the real complexity and social consciousness that had been coming out of the African-American community for some time.

“The woman who put [the first mainstream hip-hop] record out in 1979 actually did it for religious reasons. She said that she was led by the Holy Spirit to do it, and a lot of people don’t know that,” Finley said.

With the millennial generation being known for its tolerance and feminism almost becoming a cliche in media, gangsta-rap and its objectification of women might seem offensive to the younger generation as well. And Dr. Fin-

y r o t s e l o h w

ley made no attempt to evade some of these issues: “To be sure, much of the subject matter of gangsta-rap is misogynistic and violent.”

But the problems millennials might have with gangsta-rap might be more related to the preceding generation’s prejudices than the actual lyrics of rappers like Ice Cube and Dr. Dre. “Research has shown that millennials are actually no less racist than previous generations,” Finley said.

The research he refers to is the General Social Survey conducted by NORC in 2010, 2012, and 2014. In this survey, millennials answered questions such as “are blacks lazier than whites?” in similar fashion to members of Generation X and the Baby Boomers. Statistically, America’s “tolerant” generation is no better than its fathers.

Evidenced by this research, Millennials might judge the genre of rap in the same way their fathers did in the same way they judge African-American ability to work—by judging a small piece as representative of the whole.

Dr. Finley always referred back to the fact that gangsta-rap was only one small piece in the larger machine of rap culture. Even younger generations should be slow to generalize and judge hip-hop on the basis of one part alone. When asked about the new generation of diverse popular rappers—the unique craft of Kanye West, the spiritual exhortation of Kendrick Lamar, and the white progressivism of Macklemore and Ryan Lewis—Dr. Finley was quick to point out that that diversity is nothing new. It has been a part of rap and hip-hop since the beginning, and even during the gangsta-rap phase of the 90’s.

“That kind of diversity has always existed within hiphop. What we have is a confluence of a tensions, given to certain kinds of rap, that make it seem like these less socially responsible forms of rap in particular are bigger and more significant,” Finley said.

With a sequel to “Straight Outta Compton” allegedly already in the works and interest in hip-hop remaining high, perhaps this “confluence of tensions” should be unraveled in order to provide a more holistic history of rap and tell the story of a diversity that has been there from the beginning.

Save Smarter, Smarter,

Spend Wisely Some tips on financial management and stretching the dollar

18

Words: Laeh Alexander

College is an investment that sets the foundation for a successful career.

Students look forward to the day when they can walk across the stage and obtain the diploma that grants them access to live the American dream. That pursuit of happiness however, is a long-term commitment that requires an infinite amount of time, discipline work ethic, and, most importantly, money.

A substantial percentage of college students in Louisiana have to source means of financial support when starting a new academic year.

They may find relief from financial burdens in forms of scholarships, stipends, student loans, or family aide. Though they may not be aware of successful ways to manage their funds so that it will last.

LSU Cale P. & Katherine Smith Student Financial Management Center executive assistant Emily Hester advises students to plan their budget and keep track of spendings when entering the school year.

“The first step in that process is to know what is coming in, what is that income?” Hester said.

Sources of income may be an influx from working part-time jobs, leftover scholarship money, or perhaps monetary support from family.

Students should then continue to track their spendings. A good habit may be to check their checking account at least once a day. This will ensure students that they are aware of what they are spending, and what is left over in their account. This routine helps individuals make better financial decisions.

“For example, if you budgeted $50 to go out to eat in a given month, well if it’s halfway through the month and you’ve already spent $40 of the $50, then you can’t just keep eating out for the rest of the month,” Hester said.

It is common in college for students to work either on or off campus jobs to support themselves.

|

Design: Haleigh Dean

Some students may have the responsibility of paying for their rent and other household bills, or simply to provide extra change in their pockets. It is recommended that full-time students should work no more than 20 hours per week.

Doing so may affect an individual’s performance in school.

“Often times working on campus has more flexibility because it is faculty and staff on campus who understands that changing life of a college student a little better, but certainly there are great off campus jobs that students are successful and working,” she continued.

LSU graduate assistant Raylea Barrow suggested to start the new school year with a plan in mind.

“For incoming and first year students, it is really important to come in with a plan to know how you are going to pay semester by semester for college,” Barrow said. “ What we’ve seen in our appointments is that a lot of students don’t really have a good mindset or have a talk with their parents about how they want to pay for college.”

On campus resources are provided to students to take advantage of, such as meal plans, that cut the costs of spending on food. The Baptist Collegiate Ministry at LSU also offers free meals to students on particular days of the week. LSU Campus Life hosts free events to students including Movie on the Parade Grounds that feature new releases, Silent Disco, and more. The LSU Health Center is another resource that saves students the trouble of paying for a doctor’s visit elsewhere, because it is already included in the fee bill.

Students can determine personal methods of how to balance the urge of spending based on want versus need. First-year students may be susceptible to spend over their budget, because it can also be their first time handling this responsibility.

“I think often times for that first year, it’s sort of sink or swim, because either you have that experience of managing money on your own and you do really well, or you did the opposite and you are struggling to be able to pay for everything,” Hester said.

Family could also play a role in an individual’s behavior and actions towards finances. For example, if a student grew up in an environment where their parents or guardians saved more money than spent, it is also likely that the student too will save more.

“Families are actually the biggest indicator of how a student will manage their money because they see how their parents or guardians have spent money, and then they often emulate that without even realizing it,” Hester explained.

The center is devoted to helping students manage their funds responsibly and successfully by providing several resources for all circumstances and situations.

“I encourage students to come visit us,” Barrow said. “I think there are a lot of great resources on campus that students may not know about and are utilizing that are free, and I think we are one of those options.”

The center’s advisors and staff members are proud to assist students at its new location in 158BB LSU Student Union by appointment or walk in.

19

Who Do We D

T

he society millennials live in adheres to many rules and ideals conceived before or during our time. Who establishes these rules? Whom do they benefit? Some rules determine

20

certain kinds of clothing to be the standard and vilifies those who cannot or do not wear them. These rules, much like war, shines a light on its victors and marginalizes everyone else. Societal structures

stopping people from wearing what they want are oppressive.

They recklessly damage the social development of all individuals involved.

Dress For? This essay gives a face to those oppressed by these structures.

Self-expression is a form of freedom of speech, a constitutional right in the United States.

A larger issue which surfaces when people aren’t allowed self-expression is self-acceptance.

In a world where millennials desperately search for a place to belong, if we cannot find outlets for self-expression, we will not find selfacceptance. Those supporting systemic inequality need to be held accountable for denying people the inalienable right of self-expression.

Words: Brandon Harris Photo: BRandon harris

22

Thus, the question stands-who do we dress for?

LET THE VALLEY SHAKE WORDS BY CASEY SPINKS

DESIGN BY MADELINE SIMPSON

I

n the Old Testament, the Israelites shouted so loudly the walls of Jericho came crashing down.

This passage may seem too implausible for modern society, but to LSU fans who know the noise of Tiger Stadium, the idea doesn’t seem so far-fetched.

Most LSU fans know of the famous “Earthquake Game” in 1988 against Auburn, when, on the final play of the game, LSU scored a come-from-behind touchdown and won the game 7-6.

The crowd noise after the play was so intense, it registered as an earthquake on LSU’s seismograph. Upon discovery of the seismograph readings, the game cemented itself in LSU sports history and led the university’s geoscience department to keep a consistent track of seismograph readings during LSU games. Dr. Juan Lorenzo, seismologist and professor in the geology department, archives files of many past gameday readings on his work computer.

But LSU fans aren’t content with resting in history, neither in terms of championships nor earthquake games.

So the question now is— can it happen again?

Such a task would actually not be as difficult as it sounds. One statistic shows that the Earthquake Game happened with a crowd of 79,431. With the recent expansion to 102,321, LSU fans in 2015 have 22,000 more people in the stadium than in 1988.

Another statistic shows the advantages of the 2015 season in comparison to past years. In 1988, LSU was 2-2 and unranked leading up to the ground shaking game against Auburn, and the team finished the season with an understated 8-4 record.

With ESPN placing LSU as the 4th strongest preseason team in the country and Kirk Herbstreit predicting a playoff appearance, the Tigers are poised to be in a much better position this 2015 season, and fan hype is sure to benefit. History shows that fans get more excited when it’s a top-10 matchup than when the unranked Tigers are trying to bust a better team’s perfect season, as was the case against Auburn in 1988.

History is on our side for the repeat of a crowd-induced earthquake.

Dr. Lorenzo showed me a seismograph reading of October 25, 2008—gameday against the Georgia Bulldogs (which the Tigers lost 52-38)—that revealed a clear spike in vibration from the beginning all the way to the end of the game. Likewise, the game against Auburn in 2006 gave the seismograph a huge spike when, by Dr.

Lorenzo’s tracing, Brandon Lafell caught an exciting touchdown. Dr. Lorenzo even has readings of a boring blowout win against Tulane during the 2008 season that register increases in vibration.

“You will get vibrations from the stadium [every game day],” Dr. Lorenzo said.

Though it may be less enchanting to know that ‘earthquake games’ are not as rare as LSU fans might think, it does reveal even greater opportunity for the Tigers to make the Valley shake.

Fan excitement alone is not enough to bring the noise to earth-shaking levels, however. What created the 1988 uproar was a moment—a game-winning touchdown. In order to create another valley-shaking game, LSU will need to get itself into tight situations against archrivals. Luckily, this season presents that opportunity. Home games against the highly rivaled and highly-ranked Auburn, and perhaps one of the most successful renewed rivalries in the country, Texas A&M, present LSU with its villains.

And no LSU fan has been a stranger to tight situations during head coach Les Miles’ tenure. Who can forget the Mad Hatter’s history of 4th-down gambles and the mind-boggling clock management (or lack-thereof) that has led to nearly inexplicable game endings?

With all these ingredients, it seems that another, perhaps even greater earthquake game could be in store for the Tigers this season. But maybe the secret to registering on the seismograph will be merely something much simpler than 20,000 extra fans or a come-frombehind win: consistent, adequate quarterback play that LSU has been without as of late. Spending year after year dealing with quarterback competitions due to lackluster performance has made fans desperate for, at the very least, a game manager.

Perhaps that alone will lead to a collective sigh of relief from LSU fans far and wide that will cause the Valley, even the whole state, to shake.

Unfortunately, even if fans do manage to shake the Valley, the geoscience department won’t know it.

The seismograph readings have ceased since the 2008 season due to expensive maintenance.

“Just to run the seismograph costs about $5,000 a year, and to buy a station costs $30,000, and that’s a cheap one,” Lorenzo said.

The seismologist mentioned any eager donations would be welcomed...

the faces we

IGNORE

26

STORY BY EMILY PRICE AND BIANCA SMITH DESIGN BY JENNIFER VANCE PHOTOS BY JAVIER FERNANDEZ You see them everyday on campus.

They are everywhere — the quad, building hallways, dining halls and occasionally your dorm and locker room.

Maybe they’ve cleaned the office you work in or take you to school and back every day.

But have you actually paid attention to them? Can you put a name to any of these faces?

Our campus thrives on the work of our faculty and staff. The maintenance and facility services staff at LSU are some of the most dedicated people on campus. They are part of the backbone of this university, working hard everyday to maintain each aspect of a lively, functioning campus. They represent this university in ways none of us can because they leave their fingerprints on every surface of campus.

Sometimes, you hear them before you see them: the wheels of carts as they turn against pavement or linoleum floors, the revving motors of leaf blowers and lawn mowers, their hammers banging away the loose ends of a problem. When you do see them, they smile, greet you, and go back to work, tending to the needs of our campus.

Jackie Pooler is one of these workers.

Pooler flits from table to table, picking up after hurried students on the second floor of the Student Union. A closer look makes it clear this woman has life experience beyond her years. She laughs often, speaks in quick bursts and never skips an opportunity to share her story so others may learn from it.

Pooler began working at LSU in 1998.

Before cleaning the second floor of the Union, she was a server at the Pentagon, now called The 5, and later moved to Outtakes.

After being an LSU employee for 17 years, Pooler prefers what she does now.

“I like cleaning up better than serving food because I don’t have anybody looking over me,” she said. “I know what to do.”

27

Though Pooler now finds more than enough enjoyment in a warm bubble bath at the end of a long day, she hasn’t always valued the simplicity of her current position.

“I used to live a wild life,” Pooler said. “I was out there in the world, drinking and drugging. And I had fun, but I save a lot more money now.”

Students who have worked with Pooler describe her as hilarious, real, and wise.

“The students and me are cool. I mean, I don’t know them by name, but they know me…probably because of the nametag,” Pooler laughed.

Pooler is mostly satisfied with her work environment. However, she had one confession. Pooler crossed her hands atop her lap. Her tone became careful as she mulled over her thoughts.

“If I could change one thing about this job, I would ask for more help,” Pooler said. “Chick-fil-a’s open till 10 and we all get off at 6, and the next morning I have a lot of cleaning to do.

It’s not a big deal or anything, just a pain.”

Pooler has two grandchildren, 11 and 13.

“I have a daughter who stays with me, and I pay the bills,” Pooler said matter-of-factly.

She regained her jovial demeanor to offer some advice to the students of LSU. “Believe me, I know they’re fun,” Pooler wagged her finger, “But don’t do drugs.”

There’s always something about the quiet ones which draws a person in. It seems people of few words are often enveloped in the comfort of constancy and a soft, yet confident spirit. Talana Jones exudes both —she has been an LSU Campus Transit bus driver for seven months.

While management expects Jones and her coworkers to offer pleasantries to their passengers, Jones is the type of woman that would have made this choice regardless.

“I’m kind of a quiet person, but I tell everybody that gets on, ‘Hey, how you doing?’ and everybody that gets off, I

28

tell them, ‘Have a good day,’” Jones said as she instinctively accomplished a tight turn.

Jones knows she has the power to impart a positive influence on the moods of her passengers, so she ignores her inclination to stay reserved.

On the surface, bus driving seems far from the common definition of glorious. Taxiing hundreds of sweaty, droopy-eyed, earbud-donning students complaining about their scatterbrained professors is certainly not a job for those lacking patience, but Jones sees a need for herself.

She savors the moment she notices her riders’ appreciation, however subtle it may be.

“When they see [bus route] ‘purple’ coming, everybody piles up to the road, like ‘Yes!’” Jones said. “When they get out of class, they’re looking for their bus, so I feel like I can make these students’ day brighter simply by showing up.” Jones laughed. She knows happiness can be as mundane as the collective relief felt when a bus arrives on time.

Bus driving may be her only source of income, but Jones holds many important positions for the people in her life.

“I’m supporting four children at home, two sons and two daughters,” Jones said, her voice shaking.

Hard times fell upon her in the summer of 2015 when LSU had no need for Jones’ services. Despite Jones’ best efforts, she couldn’t secure another job, and her situation grew dire.

She could no longer afford to keep a house of her own.

“Right now I live with my cousin, her three kids, and my four kids in a three-bedroom house,” Jones said. A tear fell down her cheek.

Despite these hardships, Jones always puts her family first. To say she only works as a bus driver would be selling Jones incredibly short.

“I’m also a girlfriend, a momma, a counselor and a cook for my kids,” Jones’ dewy eyes were interrupted by a smile. “My kids are my second job, and I love it.”

29

“Reach for the highest mountain.

Do what you need to do, and enjoy the ride.”

TALANA JONES LSU Campus Transit worker

Even though Jones is content with her current position, she remains hopeful that one day she will climb the professional ladder.

“I want to have a higher position one day, one not behind the wheel so often,” Jones said, “Not because I dislike this job but because I want to give my own kids as big a head start as possible.”

When asked what advice Jones would give the community, she took a minute to think.

“Reach for the highest mountain,” Jones said. “Do what you need to and enjoy the ride.”

But she’s not the only one reaching.

Our custodial faculty plays a major role in keeping LSU beautiful.

Their work can be found everywhere from the smallest classroom to the dorms and dining halls. They take care of us in the greatest sense by simply cleaning up our messes.

Corey King is still getting used to his title as custodian. He was hired a few weeks ago.

King is a shy young man in his late twenties with a wide, welcoming smile and flicker of light in his eyes. He scrolls through his cell phone while sitting on a bench in front of Middleton Library.

“I want to have my own business one day and be successful,” King said. “Like a car wash and detailing business.”

He graduated from high school but decided to not go straight to college.

“I really didn’t know what I wanted to do at the time,” King confessed.

King carefully considers his responses before uttering a word. He keeps his answers short and simple as if wanting to keep an air of mysticism about him.

“I wanted to be a police officer,” he said, reflecting on his past and the options which lie ahead. “Sometimes I think about becoming part of LSU Police.”

King believes it is not too late to hit the books again and pick up where he left off. For him, college suddenly became an option.

“Not yet, I’m still thinking about though,” he answered. A little bit of doubt swiped over his face. “I’m not really sure about how the university will pay for it.”

Uncertainty doesn’t stop King from imagining he will be admitted into the flagship university. He already has an idea of what he would major in —business or marketing.

King works eight hours every day including weekends. He doesn’t have a significant other

yet, but the workload has not prevented him from missing special family moments.

King pays his bills and gives his close family members “a little something” from time to time.

Corey King is just starting to get a sense of the inner workings of LSU, but Zalarease Judson has been a university employee for eight years.

Judson’s nurturing personality is bright and infectious. Judson is a 50 year old mother of three with four grandchildren, but she speaks to everyone as if they were family.

Though her children are having children of their own, Judson still wants the best for them.

“My hopes for them are to have a good career and be successful,” she said.

Judson graduated from high school and went straight to nursing school, but her education was cut short.

“I had to step out because a family member was sick,” she explained. “My mother. She has dementia.”

Like most college students, Judson would change her major if she returned to college.

“I would study in childhood development.

My dream is to own my own business. In childcare,” she said.

Judson works 40-hour weeks and cares for her mother. She responded with a simple “no” when asked if her hours pull her away from her family. “[I hope for] my mother to be better,” she said. Judson’s expression softened at the thought of her mother. Judson’s boundlessly supportive nature shines through her pride in LSU students. “[They] try to build themselves a good career and I admire that they are trying to better themselves in life,” she said. “Looking at them makes me think of what I could [have been] doing when I was in college. So when I look at them, I know they [will] have a better future and won’t have to work so hard.”

Pooler, Jones, King and Judson are a fraction of the faculty and staff dedicating their lives, hopes and dreams to LSU. They are a vital part of the campus community.

Some have watched thousands of students come and go. They are inspired by students and always ready to listen, but they also have their own stories to tell.

After all, the stories behind these faces aren’t so different from our own.

e e f f o C ture l u C

32

Words: Hayley Franklin

|

Photos: Kaitlyn Graff

|

Design: Haleigh Dean

Coffee shop owners support local artists with wall space. rom eleven at night to two in the morning, Highland Coffees owner Clarke Cadzow may be found once every two months hanging the local art he displays on his walls. Unwilling to disturb his customers during the day, Cadzow finds this to be the most logical option.

Cadzow is one of many coffee shop owners and managers in the Baton Rouge area to offer local artists the chance to display their work and get their names out there, while offering an aesthetically pleasing atmosphere to customers.

Glancing over the top of your coffee, you may appreciate these works of art, but might not understand the opportunities that are opened to the artists just by your wandering eyes.

Highland Coffees, La Divina Italian Cafe, and Garden District Coffee all offer free wall space to local artists, cultivating a creative atmosphere for the customers, many of whom are artists, who frequent their establishments.

“A large percentage of our customers are artists of one sort or another.

They’re all different types. We’ve got a ton of musicians, artists who paint, artists that do sculpture, artists who write. We have all different types of people, all different professions, but certainly artists are a big percentage of that,” Cadzow said.

La Divina owner Lance LeBlanc said his establishment also attracts numerous regulars with creative backgrounds, many of them LSU art professors.

When LeBlanc opened shop in 2013 and decided to hang local art, he did not even need to call any of the contacts he had found at local art galleries.

The artists came to him.

“They’ll come in and say ‘I know someone. How

F

do they go about getting their artwork in here?’ and they’ll bring in samples of their work to me. I’m almost honored that they would respect my space enough that they would want to hang their artwork here,” LeBlanc said.

Local artist Amy Dighton is currently displaying her work at La Divina.

She paints mainly in acrylics, using plaster to add texture to her abstract art. She most enjoys blending acrylic marble-like backgrounds, because one can never predict exactly how the colors will blend together.

Dighton said until recently she only created art for friends, but after receiving compliments on her chalkboard drawings at work she dove deeper into her artistic passions.

At first, she was nervous about showcasing her work, but was inspired by another abstract artist who displayed her work at La Divina, Jennifer Carwile.

“I thought, ‘my art kind of looks like that, and her art is beautiful and a lot of people liked it, so maybe I should try,’ and that’s when I mentioned it to Lance. Lance reassured me. It’s his business, so having his support is huge, because I realize that my art is part of his brand for that little bit while I’m there,” Dighton said.

Dighton hopes selling her art at La Divina will help her find out what customers like, so she can form her own style. La Divina, Highland Coffees, and Garden District Coffee allow artists to price and sell their work, helping artists to get their name out while making a profit.

LSU graduate and local photographer Geren Heurtin had trouble putting to words the feeling an artist has when someone buys their work, but it was an exciting experience.

33

“It’s a really great feeling for a few reasons but I think one of them for me is this: You make something and spent so much time working really hard putting it together, and they really love it so much that they want to have it,” Heurtin said.

Heurtin’s photography often takes more than two hours for just one photograph, because her style involves still life. To get the right shot, she needs to arrange the objects multiple times and edit the photos afterward. One of her favorite pieces involves two separate still life photographs seemingly connected by a rope. It looks as if the rope is breaking in the middle, creating a sense of tension.

Heurtin said her photographs were installed on August 8th and will remain until November or December. She said after her artwork is taken down, the Garden District Coffee owner will hang a new artist. Numerous LSU students have hung their art on the walls, and Heurtin said there will never be empty space.

“I know that he doesn’t like for there ever to be a point where there’s not anything on the walls, so there’s definitely always going to be a local artist up,” Heurtin said.

La Divina’s owner also said he dislikes naked walls, and therefore fills up the entire room with the art of one artist. He said sometimes artists will paint paintings solely for the purpose of filling up the space. Not all of the artwork is sold, and, as Cadzow said, artwork in coffee shops is seen more than it is sold.

“I think that artwork is seen way more and in much greater numbers in coffee shops than it would be in galleries just because of the sheer volume of people that go into coffee shops.

Now, maybe not as much artwork is sold in coffee

34

shops, but it sure is seen,” Cadzow said.

Heurtin said being seen is important for making connections with other artists and possible buyers.

“It’s really awesome to have so many people want to discuss your work with you and find out more about it and why you made certain decisions in your art making.

I think it’s also good for getting your name out in general.” Heurtin said.

Heurtin, Dighton, LeBlanc, and Cadzow all said what they loved most about their coffee shops was the supportive atmosphere.

LeBlanc, an artist himself, admired the fact that local artists are brave enough to put their work out there, and Cadzow said he, who is not an artist, often wonders what it must feel like.

“Imagine, your artwork is on the wall, and the next day, you walk into that shop, and your artwork is on the walls of that shop. I would think that that would be a very interesting feeling wouldn’t it? I mean, you walk in and get a coffee and sit down and all around the shop is your artwork,” Cadzow said.

NUMB

STORY BY EMILY PRICE |DESIGN BY JENNIFER VANCE | PHOTOS BY BRANDON HARRIS

A

t my lowest point, I would contemplate ending my life three times a day.

First, when I opened my eyes in the morning, when the weight of the coming day pressed on me most. Again, as I sat with my friends at lunch, loathing the lightness of their conversation, feeling inconceivably lonely. Then at last, softly, when I crawled into bed without brushing my teeth.

Scanning the dark, messy room. Seeing the outline of an unopened backpack. I had tried to start my homework but ended up staring at the wall for four hours.

When I’m depressed, every day is a bad day. The same bad day, over and over again. And I am not alone.

According to The American Journal of Psychiatry, diagnoses of major depression in U.S. adults have increased from 3.33 percent to 7.06 percent in just 10 years.

With a national population topping 320 million, these statistics suggest that about 1.2 million more people are being diagnosed with depression annually.

Healthline cites Louisiana as one of seven states with the highest reported depression rate in the United States.

Corinne Schild is a doctoral psychology intern at the LSU Mental Health Center who conducts counseling appointments with students. Schild believes that such a dramatic increase in the prevalence of depression is connected to a societal change.

“I think what we’re seeing is a cultural shift to wanting immediate fixes and instant gratification. And because we can’t get that all the time, I wonder then how we’re dealing with the incongruence,” Schild said.

Side effects of depression often begin in the early teen years, my age of onset being 12. Increased impatience, irritability and other sudden changes in behavior can be counterintuitive signs of an oncoming depressive episode. But for teens going through puberty, these symptoms can be easily dismissed as hormonal or a form of rebellion.

LSU international studies sophomore Alida Soileau’s experience with depression mirrors my own, including her family’s initial reaction.

“I first sought help for depression when I was 16. One of my relatives, a nurse, said it was just hormones,” Soileau said. She was diagnosed with clinical depression three years later.

Depression shadowed Soileau throughout high school. One of the hallmarks of depression is an overwhelming sense of isolation. This symptom increases when there are few external indications of the illness.

“I became very good at going through the motions,”

Soileau said. “No one really knew, I always seemed to be put together on the outside.”

Once a person finds it challenging to connect with the outside world, more serious side effects become difficult to communicate. Who would want to share the horrid, pervasive thoughts of death that accompany deep depression when others don’t even know the cause of her fatigue?

“I would ask my mom, ‘What if I die? What if there is no heaven?’ And I was only 12 years old,” Soileau furrowed her eyebrows. “It still doesn’t make sense to me.”

Some people believe this mental disorder is only being more readily diagnosed and the rate of depression isn’t

Lacking the desire to participate in life is exhausting.

Nothing feels fun, nothing is interesting, nothing is exciting or joyful or pleasurable, and nothing sounds better than being left alone. going through life without any sense of fulfillment,” Schild said.

Somehow, that is only the tip of the iceberg. The feeling of being on autopilot, as Schild said, only concerns the numbing aspect of depression. On the other side of the spectrum exists intense negative emotions, which Soileau knows too well.

“I have overwhelming guilt for very small things that I should not feel guilty about,” Soileau said. “I can rationalize that I should not feel guilt, but I still do.”

That’s the part about depression that sucks the most. One can be completely aware that the side effects are ridiculously irrelevant and causeless, but that does nothing to help get out of a depression.

In fact, such an awareness only makes the symptoms worse. One develops self-hatred for a misplaced hatred of life, for the narcissism characteristic of depression, for the sharp words shot at those who only try to help, for a complete disinterest in the people around you, in anything.

It becomes overwhelming. Good advice toward a depressed person works just about as well as good advice toward someone neck-deep in quicksand.

“I would say, ‘Come on, get your shit together!’” Soileau said of the attempts she made to pull herself out of a funk.

“Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t.”

Depression is not just sadness, and it cannot be banished by pure willpower.

actually increasing in America.

Science Daily revealed that complaints of common depressive symptoms, such as trouble sleeping or difficulty concentrating, have increased by a margin of 30-75 percent in the past three decades. This data shows that those who aren’t eager to claim depression are more frequently reporting relevant symptoms, which asserts the prevalence of depression is truly increasing.

As if the illness isn’t confusing enough, it can be hard to distinguish anxiety from depression, as each is a common symptom of the other. In my case, after years of my mind mimicking an overcrowded fish tank at the pet store, I

forfeited to acute inactivity.

Lacking the desire to participate in life is exhausting.

Nothing feels fun, nothing is interesting, nothing is exciting or joyful or pleasurable, and nothing sounds better than being left alone.

There are multiple forms of depression, the most debilitating being major depressive disorder (MDD).

Though Schild realizes that everyone experiences depression differently, she finds one common theme among many of her depressed clients.

“Probably most often, I’ve encountered people who describe it as if they’re on autopilot, feeling like a robot,

“There is no such thing as a quick fix. You either need counseling or medication or both,” Soileau said.

But in the meantime, Soileau suggested that one finds a fail-proof form of coping.

“I’ve learned to rely on friends. I have one friend who I go over to her house and pet her cat and vent to her,” Soileau said. “She doesn’t even have to respond, it’s enough just to talk to someone.”

Schild echoed this sentiment, and offered advice to devoted loved ones of those who are depressed.

“Empathically listen, first and foremost,” Schild said. “Help them seek out resources, check in on them, get them connected.”

She had very important words to say to those currently in a depression.

“You’re not alone, and you don’t have to feel this way forever,” Schild said. “There are people out there who want to help you, and there are those who are also trained to help.”

Note: The most universal symptoms of depression are feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness, guilt, irritability, numbness, and physical symptoms like neck aches and stomach cramps. If you are experiencing a combination of any of these or others, seek out the help of a psychiatric professional. The majority of depressive cases can be treated successfully with therapy and medication.

GOOD ASMASHING

LSU’s Smash Club celebrates the spirit of competition STORY BY KAYLA RANDALL DESIGN BY JENNIFER VANCE Passion fuels the LSU Smash Club, and it’s the kind every sports fan can relate to — the spirit of competition.

Despite what club president and biological sciences junior Tyler Causey describes as sometimes being overlooked and not taken seriously as an organization, LSU’s Smash Club, a group dedicated to competitively playing the many versions of the game Super Smash Bros., is part of a growing gaming community that thrives on a global scale.

Causey said the club has seen constant growth since he founded it his freshman year. It was Causey’s ambition and love of the game’s competition that led him to create the club.

“I played a lot

38

casually with friends, and we went to an RA(-)run tournament they put on in one of the halls one time, and it was a lot of fun,” Causey said. “It was just very poorly run and a lot of dumb decisions were being made. I was like, well I can do a better job than this, so I did.”

Causey printed out flyers promoting the club and placed them all over his residence hall. Then he brought in televisions, Wiis and GameCubes to play in the hall’s activity center. Once people caught wind of the club, which holds weekly Super Smash Bros. tournaments, it didn’t take long for them to start joining.

The club’s vice president, math junior Diego Kaptain, was one of the people

TIME

who joined Causey’s club and the two have been friends ever since.

Kaptain and Causey have maintained one goal for the organization, and that is to never be unwelcoming to new members or to charge dues, otherwise they wouldn’t be true to themselves.

“We never want to become a club that forces its members to pay fees or attend regular meetings because we feel that would make our club exclusive and detract from the community,” Kaptain said.

For Kaptain, the Smash Club’s focus is to grow the University’s gaming community, and to be inclusive of all newcomers.

Causey said sometimes it’s hard for those outside the organization to understand why they’re so passionate about the game, but it’s because they don’t understand how much goes into playing, or the game’s positive effects. He often compares it to the passion sports fans have.

“Our community is very comparable to sports,” Causey said. “Some say why do people watch other people play video games? Well why do people watch other people play sports? It’s the same thing, for the same reasons.”

Kaptain added that the technical aspects of the game, including its challenging mechanics, fluid movement, combo system and tournament scene, also contribute to the passion and its addictive quality.

However, he mostly believes it’s a perfect break from reality.

“One of the biggest draws is that it’s a great way to destress and escape from the real world,” Kaptain said.

Regardless of stigmas and stereotypes revolving around the gaming community, Causey said it grows exponentially every year and he looks forward to seeing that growth reflecting on the University’s gaming community.

Need to eat? Can’t cook? We got you.

39

Words: Hayley Franklin

I

|

Photos: Emily Brauner

nstant ramen is one of the cheapest, easiest made meals a college student could ask for.

You don’t even need to know how to boil water.

It takes three minutes to cook ramen in the microwave, and zero minutes to eat it raw, which is possible because it is a precooked alkaline noodle.

Alkalinity refers to the basicness of a food, as opposed to its acidity. According to PBS’ “The Mind of a Chef,” the basic alkaline ingredients in ramen noodles change the chemical environment of flour, causing the noodles to yellow and have more texture.

Alkaline noodles can also be cooked in a short amount of time, while remaining firm. Ordinary noodles dissolve in boiling water if they are heated too quickly or for a long amount of time.

Momofuku Ando, the inventor of instant Nissin ramen, used alkaline noodles because he wanted a noodle which could be easily prepared and eaten anywhere.

According to Nissin Food, instant ramen was Ando’s solution to the lack of food sources resulting from World War II.

When Nissin Foods’ product first hit Japan’s shelves in 1958 it was considered a luxury item and was sold at six times the cost of udon noodles. However, by the end of that same year it was a Japanese staple.

Within a decade instant ramen was global with numerous companies adopting the idea. According to The New Yorker, instant ramen was brought to America in the familiar foam cup, Nissin’s Cup O’ Noodles, in

For ramen recipes check Hayley’s story online at lsulegacymag.com

|

Design: Haleigh Dean

1973.

As sales increased, prices decreased and ramen became affordable for the penniless college student.

According to Huffington Post, instant ramen costs on average about 13 cents per package, and would only cost $142.65 dollars a year if it was your only food source.

What’s the catch?

According to a study conducted by professors at Harvard and Baylor University, eating ramen may increase a person’s risk of having metabolic syndrome.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine defines metabolic syndrome as a group of risk factors that raise the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and strokes.

The study observed male and female participants in South Korea. Women who consumed instant noodles at least twice a week showed higher risks of metabolic syndrome, though there was no apparent correlation between the two in the male participants.

However, according to Huffington Post, New York University professor and nutritionist Lisa Young said risks of metabolic syndrome can be reduced by eating vegetables with small noodle portions.

It is both a matter of weighing one’s wallet against one’s health, and weighing one’s vegetables against one’s ramen.

Ramen comes with risks. Eat responsibly.

91.1 FM

radio powered by you

Program Schedule Fall 2015

SET LIST

SET LIS T M o n d ay

6 AM - 9 A M the hive w 9 a m - 12 ith bee pm 12 p m - 3 pm noo ntide noi 3 pm - 6 p m the flipsi se with radioactive 6 pm - 9 p de with pe rex m nny lane the ge 9 pm - 11 pm und ntle river with the e sw rg 11 pm - 1 am mas round sounds with an ters of th T u e s d ay e universe jae the dj & Chuck [ with capt 6 AM - 9 A ian kid & A underground hip-ho M p lbagdadi [ Sunrise so 9 a m - 12 80s music ] i r e e w pm the ] m e l o dy g a i t h d j 5 / 4 12 p m - 3 rden with pm the madison s deep end 3 pm - 6 p quare m the picket with jacoamo 6 pm - 9 p line with m t h e d j f l at planet car 9 pm - 11 snake av a n w i t h pm bur m a s ta b nin 11 pm - 1 a m t h e ’ to b a by l o n w i t h y e at s uki [regga r u s t y ca g e e] with supe rnaut [me ta l ]

Executive Staff Sation Manager Kurtis Johnson

Chief Announcer Peter Chol

Music Director Allison Mikes

Program Director Katie Warner

Music Assistant Maggie Sylvester

Production Director Cristina Dellinger

Production Assistant Bailey Wilder

Promotions Assistant Chase Bates

Promotions Director Jolie Robichaux

Traffic/Music Assistant Jessie Boylan

Traffic Director Michael Prince-Bouton

News Director Kalli Champaigne

Web Director Eric Garcia-Martinez

Social Media Coordinator Ellen Carleton

Faculty Adviser Friscia

Sports Director Tom Dobrez

w e d n e s d ay the hive with bee 6 AM - 9 AM 9 a m - 12 p m se with radioactive rex 12 p m - 3 p m n o o n t i d e n o i the flipside with penny lane 3 pm - 6 pm n t h e g e n t l e r i v e r w i t h t h e s wa 6 pm - 9 pm h e s s [ r & b/ s o u l ] c u d e h t & at lc l e h h 9 pm - 11 pm purple wit & b/ h i p - h o p ] t h d j c a s p e r [ c o n e m p o r a ry r 11 pm - 1 am the wire wit t h u r s d ay Sunrise soiree with dj 5/4 6 AM - 9 AM arden with madison square 9 a m - 12 p m t h e m e l o d y g with jacoamo 12 p m - 3 p m t h e d e e p e n d e w i t h t h e d j f l at s n a k e n i l t e k c i the p 3 pm - 6 pm e at s p l a n e t c a r ava n w i t h m a s ta b 6 pm - 9 pm i n t e r n at i o n a l b e at m u s i c ] [ . m g e h t i e at s w 9 pm - 11 pm new world b s] w i t h d j m o n e t [ i n s t r u m e n ta l 11 pm - 1 am soundscapes f r i d ay the hive with bee 6 AM - 9 AM 9 a m - 12 p m se with radioactive rex 12 p m - 3 p m n o o n t i d e n o i the flipside with penny lane 3 pm - 6 pm n t h e g e n t l e r i v e r w i t h t h e s wa 6 pm - 9 pm l e a rt i s t s ] a m e f [ n a m h a o w j d h t i w m f 9 pm - 11 pm fem [ lg b t q a rt i s t s ] ! l e i n a d with just 11 pm - 1 am queersphere s at u r d ay s h i n va s i o n ] m e a s s o rt e d w i t h l i x y [ b r i t i 9 am - 11 am lixy’s tea ti s] m u b l a l l u f ith the gardener [ 11 am - 1 pm tree rings w ] l at s 12 0 m i n u t e s w i t h d o l ly [ 9 0 1 pm - 3 pm [video game music] the arcade with dj miniboss 3 pm - 5 pm sux & Thibodeaux s wa m p s o u n d s w i t h b o u d r e w 5 pm - 7 pm e [classic hip-hop] pa u l’ s b o u t i q u e w i t h b a by k at 7 pm - 9 pm i t h t h e s wa n [ e l e c t r o n i c s ] 9 pm - 11 pm radiosnack w nd with lady meg [big band] 1 1 p m - 1 a m t h e b a n d s ta s u n d ay p o p/ c l a s s i c a lt ] h m a d i s o n s q u a r e [ a d u lt a lt 8 a m - 10 a m a l t i t u d e w i t blues] & z z a j combustion with zia [ 10 a m - 2 p m s p o n ta n e o u s music] d l r o w [ s a l c h a m e l e o n & d j at 2 p m - 3 : 3 0 p m pa n g e a w i t h s s i c c o u n t ry ] a l c [ e k a n s at l f j orrow with d 3 : 3 0 p m - 5 p m h i g h way o f s reveille weekend news 5 pm - 6 pm o & T h o m a s d o b r e z [ s p o rt s ] out of bounds with alex asar 6 pm - 7 pm at h r o c k ] t h e m at h l a b w i t h d j 5 / 4 [ m 7 pm - 9 pm lic/garage] d w i t h d j s i c k m a n [ p s yc h e d e 9 p m - 1 1 p m t h e p s yc wa r o m w i t h m a s ta b e at s 11 pm - 1 am the green ro

2015 – 2016 Season bit.ly/HopBB

The HopKins Black Box performance laboratory is located in 137 Coates Hall on the Baton Rouge campus of Louisiana State University. Seating is limited; patrons may reserve in advance at (225) 578-4172. The HBB gratefully accepts donations at the door for all performances.

Each semester, we proudly showcase performances and videos created by our extraordinary students.

Fall Showcase 7:30 PM Wednesday December 2

Doc returns to 1985 to warn Marty that many societal problems will persist in 2015. Since movies contributed to their continuation, Doc and Marty must go back in time and into movies. Back to the Future IV questions what popular films do when they represent privileged bodies in the past, present, and future.

Back to the Future IV Directed by Patrick McElearney 7:30 PM Wednesday - Saturday November 4 - 7 2:30 PM Sunday November 8

Join us as we turn the HBB into a magical roller rink filled with adolescent characters who tell a tale of growing up.

Developed by the cast in rehearsal and performed in the round and on roller-skates, our story circles around such coming-of-age themes as finding independence, the first crush, and lessons learned through competition.

Rollerland Directed by Tracy Stephenson Shaffer 7:30 PM Wednesday - Saturday October 7 - 10 2:30 PM Sunday October 11

Wish is a collective multimedia daydream mixing kitsch and novelty shaped by audience interaction. Please BYO blankets + pillows. Projectors work best on shades like milk, eggshell, calming cream, tailor’s chalk, first star, rhinestone, satellite wish, and wild snow. So wear them!

Wish Created by Hal Lambert and Jaclyn Rawls 7:30 PM Friday & Saturday September 11 – 12 2:30 PM Sunday September 13

We launch our season with an eclectic showcase of short performances celebrating our students and faculty.

Faculty and Graduate Student Showcase 7:30 PM Thursday September 3

Fall 2015

bit.ly/HopBB

The season finale: a celebration of the short performances and videos created by our students.

Spring Showcase 7:30 PM Wednesday April 27

Ever see a white painted bicycle on the side of the road?

Through video, installation art, and performance, The White Bicycle explores the hybrid nature of the ghost bike memorial and how various communities across the country interpret it.

The White Bicycle Directed and complied by Nicole Costantini 7:30 PM Wednesday - Saturday April 20 – 23 2:30 PM Sunday April 24

How do we prepare for death? Whose death matters to us and how? An ensemble of performers presents a collage of cultural responses to the end of life ranging from hospice care to the death penalty, CSI to Bambi, Where the Red Fern Grows to Game of Thrones, Dia de los Muertos to Easter Sunday.

Shadow of the Valley Conceived and directed by David P. Terry 7:30 PM Wednesday - Saturday March 9 – 12 2:30 PM Sunday March 13

Taboo, irony, betrayal, curiosity: what do our bodies, in illness, perform back? Traversing cellular, clinical, and cultural terrain, Flipping Cancer engages the surreal adventures of life-threatening illness in an era of questionable pink-washing, seemingly linear biomedical health narratives, and the “survivors” they describe.

Flipping Cancer Guest Artist Marie Garlock 7:30 PM Friday February 26

Written and directed by Akeem Muhammad 7:30 PM Wednesday - Friday February 3 – 5 Kick off Black History Month with a coming-of-age story about an ambitious high school student battling the socioeconomic, political, and cultural realities of the Black community. From freshman year to graduation, obstacles await him—and you—every step of the way.

Black Enough

Spring 2016

BOU Words By Kayla Randall

44

UNCE Design By Madeline Simpson

45

A

ll of New Orleans hits the dance floor as soon as the beat to Big Freedia’s “Explode” kicks in.

For two of Freedia’s main dancers and co-stars on her reality show “Big Freedia: Queen of Bounce,” Tamika Jett and Shelby “Skip” Skipper, the dance floor is more than just a place to have fun — it’s their livelihood.

LSU alumna Jett and Southern University alumnus Skip are New Orleans natives, much like bounce music itself.

Skip is Freedia’s head male dancer and a bounce music historian.

“Bounce music is project music,” Skip said. “It comes from the Showboys’ ‘Drag Rap (Trigger Man)’ beat. MC T. Tucker and DJ Irv are two of the founders of it in New Orleans.”

Skip said bounce music began to pick up in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, and took off with DJ Irv and MC T. Tucker’s 1991 song “Where Dey At.” The song had a big run for about four years, and then DJ Jubilee came in with 1997’s “Get Ready, Ready!,” a New Orleans bounce staple.

In 1998, transgender artists came onto the scene beginning with Katey Red, for whom Big Freedia did backup dancing and vocals. Then in 2003, Freedia decided to go solo.

Bounce dancing closely mimics the rapid energy of the music. With women it involves the cultural phenomenon, twerking, and for men it involves fancy footwork and shoulder movement.

The music and dancing are inescapable in the city, he said, leaving listeners with only two options.

“If you were born in New Orleans, you’re either going to love bounce music or not. There’s no middle or in between,” Skip said. “You can’t duck it and dodge it.

It’s got to be within your spirit.”

Jett, one of Freedia’s newest dancers, said she has loved bounce music since she was a child, recalling

46

when she first heard the “Drag Rap” beat sample.

“I probably heard it first as a kid with DJ Jubilee, and I’ve loved it since,” Jett said. “It’s been a part of my life forever.”

Now Jett and Skip travel the world with Big Freedia, showcasing bounce music, dancing and New Orleans culture. The duo expressed they are proud to represent their city and express their heritage with people who otherwise would never hear or see anything remotely close to bounce.

Jett said she’s still in disbelief that her career involves doing what she loves and visiting places she never thought she’d see in life. For Jett, nothing compares to performing for new audiences.

“I think I like performing out of town more than in New Orleans,” Jett said. “People in New Orleans, we love it, but that’s all they know and it’s not a surprise.

When we travel it’s another energy, they respond to us differently.”

Skip is now developing his own dance to show the world called the “scuffle-boogie,” which is a fusion of tap dancing and bounce.

He said the combination has received rave reviews and his ultimate goal is to take it to Broadway.

Constantly trying to stay progressive and unconventional, Skip is always coming up with possible bounce fusions.

He is also responsible for millions of people seeing and hearing bounce music on national television when he auditioned for “So You Think You Can Dance” in 2009.

“I was a specialty dancer, so I got to play my music,” Skip said. “It was New Orleans bounce and they had never heard of it before, so they let me have my own little set. The crowd went bananas.”

Skip went to the televised next round solely because of his dancing to bounce music.

He then proceeded to the top 30 dancers on the show, all without ever having formal dance training.

After seeing him on “So You Think You Can Dance,” Ellen DeGeneres, another New Orleans native, invited him to open and close her show with his routines.

He was still a sophomore at Southern University at the time.

Skip said it was the first time he had been to Los Angeles, and he was picked up in a Bentley to go to the show. He joked that he felt like Rick Ross or Lil Wayne at the time.

Skip and Jett contrast people who don’t take bounce music seriously, because for them, it’s a way of life.

Some people may consider bounce music a joke,

but to Skip, it’s about how the dancer feels, whether joy or anger, and it’s a legitimate performing art and form of expression.

It’s also how he makes a living. Skip said he doesn’t know what he’d be doing without Freedia.

“Bounce music is how we pay our bills and feed our children, it’s not a game,” Skip said. “I’m just happy I’m a part of that culture and I’ve made history with that culture. My heart and soul is indebted in this lifestyle, this music.”

Skip supports himself and his daughter through touring with Freedia, and Jett supports herself and her New Orleans dance studio, Passion Dance Center, where Skip teaches a “bouncercise” class. He explained the goal of the class is for participants to have a good time and learn a few new moves the next time a bounce track comes on.

Because they represent New Orleans with Freedia everywhere they go, Jett and Skip are protective of the art form and take issue with others taking from it without giving credit.

“I was watching a dance show and they started talking about New Orleans bounce,” Jett said. “I was like ‘What do you know about bounce, you’re in Atlanta’.”

Jett said she’s happy people are embracing bounce all over the globe, but she gets upset when other artists culturally appropriate bounce music and its dancing.

Skip said when people try to take bounce and run with it and don’t mention where it originated, it rubs him the wrong way.

Most recently, New Orleans showed the pair that there’s no place like home when they performed at Lil Weezyana Fest. The crowd screamed for Drake and Lil Wayne of course, but when Big Freedia and her dancers came out, they went berserk because no one knew they’d be performing, he said.

Though it has expanded its reach, bounce music still begins and ends with New Orleans. Skip and Jett both call bounce “New Orleans party music,” and believe it holds a special place in the Crescent City’s culture.

Skip said bounce can be heard in clubs, parties, weddings and funerals because of its influence on the city.

“Don’t get me wrong, we listen to rap, jazz, zydeco, contemporary, all kinds of stuff,” Skip said.

“But bounce music is the heart and soul of New Orleans.”

47

QROMA: A Representation On The Rise

Words By Emily Price

48

Design By Madeline Simpson

Q

ROMA is a student organization at LSU dedicated to those who desire to be part of a diverse, open-minded community.

A combination of the prefix “chroma,” meaning color, with the first two letters replaced by a “q” to represent the queer umbrella.

QROMA is a young organization on campus filling a necessary role, reaching out to minorities of color, sexual orientation, and gender to cultivate a safe space for students who feel a lack of representation.

QROMA addresses intersectionality, an elegant ideology that brings various civil rights battles to the front lines of political discussion.

Megan Gilliam, QROMA president, exudes intersectionality in her everyday life.

“I see myself as a gay black woman, and therefore I can’t ignore any part of me because those identities all form one specific person,” Gilliam said.

A member of QROMA, Chris (who requested his last name remain private), compared intersectionality to the art of cooking.

“A dish takes many spices and ingredients to become that one dish, so if you change one spice it’s a completely different dish.” Imani Maxberry, QROMA Vice-President, agreed with Chris’ analogy.

“For QROMA, it’s bringing all those dishes together and having one big gumbo,” Maxberry said. And gumbo is nothing without a little heat.

Some may wonder, “Why uplift the word ‘queer’?”

This word, like most deroga-

tory slang, had humble beginnings as a synonym of “strange” or “different.” However, it has been used as an insult against homosexuals in particular for centuries, which drives Gilliam, Maxberry, and Chris to say it even louder.

To some members of the LGBTQ community, “queer” can be used as a word of empowerment, a tool in taking back the dignity that those in the past had lost to the word’s insulting sting.

They compare the use of “queer” by queer people to the resurgence of the “n” word as a colloquial term within the black community, considering both share a sordid history as terms of oppression. Maxberry described it as “taking the negative and making it our own.” Gilliam added, “…by us saying [queer], I think it’s more palatable,” and dubs it “reassimilation.” They danced around the word “empowering,” which sat in the back of their throats with each response they gave.

Of course, using a word with such a strong connotation inevitably creates polarization. While there are those who revel in the power the word brings, there are those who steer clear of its mentioning.

“[Some people] might not necessarily want that label on them,” Chris stated. But it goes both ways.

“For some people it can be kind of empowering to know that there are other people who are in this.”

Either way, this LGTBQ organization is not hurting from the definitive choice of their language.

With only one year under its belt, QROMA boasts upwards of 50 members. They are grateful for a continued increase in membership, but the leaders of QROMA find mass awareness to be their most urgent goal.

“We’re trying to be that organization where people aren’t so scared to be informed,” Maxberry noted. “We’re full on for people who aren’t even in that community to come to our meetings because they tend to be more accepting the more information they know.”

Though they’re having some difficulty getting their name out there, the leaders of QROMA said that there has never been a challenge they couldn’t face. “[The question] isn’t even ‘can we,’ but ‘when we,’” Gilliam stated.

Those who aren’t a part of this community may feel at a loss of how to incorporate QROMA’s message into their lives, but Gilliam mused on a friend’s words— “Never think that because you’re in the majority, that’s the normal… it’s the common.”

In order to reverse harmful thinking, Gilliam insisted on listening, always and carefully. She called it “responding rather than reacting.”

Throughout the perpetual battle for representation, QROMA serves as a haven for any and all.

Gilliam smiled and said, “I really love when we come together, I feel at home.”

Maxberry agreed. “Such a good feel. We don’t ever want that to change no matter how many people we get.”

Their last piece of advice was simple: “Come to QROMA meetings.

We’ll come to yours.”

49

t s be sed u if by SO GOD E E I C NZ VAN AKE R M E y F NI yb JEN stor y b gn desi

Fashion industry thrives on idea of fast fasion

T

hat chiffon top you’re wearing?

Totally last season. Those fringed ankle booties adorning your feet?

Correct- last season. Those painfully tight skinny jeans hanging in your closet? You guessed it, last season.

The fashion industry’s structure is based on the idea that this season’s hottest garment will be obliterated next season.

The constant rotation and recycling of trends keeps the fashion world thriving.

Fast fashion is the term used to express the idea that designs move from runways quickly in order to reproduce current trends. Fast fashion retailers, such as Zara and Forever 21, pump out various garments that are identical to the ones seen on runways, but are mass produced at lower costs. This approach prompts disposability by encouraging the discarding of cheaply made clothing

a mere season after it is made.

Lisa McRoberts, Assistant Professor in the Textiles, Merchandising, and Apparel Department at LSU, believes that fast fashion promotes a culture of wasting clothing that is predominantly composed of synthetic fabrics that are not biodegradable. “The best solution would to be to buy less quantity and more quality clothing, focusing on styles that most enhance your body...I would rather buy one quality item of clothing than ten poorly constructed items,” McRoberts said.

A documentary titled “The True Cost”, addresses fashion’s sustainability and provides a look at the factory workers who make the clothing. One in six people on Earth are involved in

the worldwide fashion industry in some way, and today, 97 percent of America’s clothes are made overseas.

The executive producer of the documentary, Livia Firth, stated that fast fashion exploits slave labor from all over the globe, as well as exhausts the Earth’s resources.

“Eventually the resources will deplete, the profit margins will shrink, and there will be revolutions in the streets,” Firth said.

So what is the solution? Not buying clothes from Zara or H&M? Only buying designer products that guarantee sustainability?

There is no simple solution.

Fast fashion retailers will continue to produce clothing until people stop buying their products. People will continue to buy clothing from fast fashion

retailers as long as designers keep fabricating new trends that the public wants to be a part of.

People as a whole can decrease the wastefulness of the fashion industry, simply from buying clothing made by trusted designers who promote sustainability within their designs. Not everyone can afford the price-tag that accompanies high-end labels, but newer labels, such as Kowtow and Amour Vert are producing sustainable clothing that comes with a cheaper price-tag.

So next time you drool over that new fringed skirt from Forever 21, remember how quickly it will fade from the trend reports next season, and instead think of how much nicer it would be to own a skirt that will last you more than two weeks.

The Bright Ages When it comes to technology, modern society is both inspired and terrified.

In 2007, Steve Jobs introduced the first iPhone, and, in his words, “reinvented the phone.” This exhilarated Americans, as we looked forward to the fulfilled promises of the future and the innovation that would culminate in the massive global network that modern technology brought us.

However, hope has faded for some.

Celebrity artists like Banksy speak out against commercialization and excessive materialism. Scholars and psychologists like Sherry Turkle have voiced concerns about the negative effects of technology. But the technology that has many up in arms may be surprising.

These people are not talking about airplanes, batteries, or even weapons —they’re talking about phones, tablets, and laptops.

“Technology appeals to us most where we are most vulnerable,” Turkle said in a Ted Talk.

52

“We’re designing technologies that will give us the illusion of companionship without the demands of friendship.”

Turkle’s criticism is indeed valuable, but scrolling through one’s Facebook feed can lead to many videos claiming technology has rendered us disconnected, apathetic, and utterly deaf and blind to the world and to each other. But the rising stereotype of the inattentive teenager absorbed in their smartphone is not entirely accurate. Communication has shifted, but it has not wholly dissipated nor has it necessarily decreased.

Charles Pence, LSU philosophy assistant professor who has conducted research in the history of science and the philosophy and ethics of technology, said the argument that communication is being altered for the worse can just as easily be changed into a more optimistic, but just as viable, argument.

For Pence, these arguments, such as the idea that texting and social media has caused people to speak poorer English, can easily be translated into a positive.

“We have a generation of people who spent their whole lives manipulating text, playing with words. You think those people are going to be bad at language?”

Pence said. “No, they’re going to be awesome at language because you’re thinking about language in a way at six years old that some people never did in their whole lives in 1900.”

The issue, he said, is both arguments

are equally reasonable. And America’s cultural self image isn’t broad or informed enough to know how social media and its relatives will truly affect people, for better or worse.

“When it comes to things as distant as cultural conventions like how to engage with your parents, those are going to change a lot, they have changed a lot, and they’ll continue to change a lot,” Pence said. “Yes, social media will change them, but you’re going to need a better argument than I’ve ever read to tell me that those changes are obviously bad.”

One of his biggest points is that human culture shifts to incorporate new technologies, and that social media is just another technology society is currently adapting to.

“You can find people making the same kinds of arguments that people make about social media, about every technological change that’s ever happened in the history of human society,” Pence said.

He then cited Socrates’ argument that writing would ruin humanity’s ability to cultivate memory and that monks initially argued against the printing press.

But ultimately, “We get over it,” he said.

“We’re going to go through the same equilibrating process that we’ve gone through when we integrated the printing press and the automobile and the landline telephone,” Pence said.

“We have, as a culture, been pretty good at working our way back to an

equilibrium after changes like this.”

In the same way society came to view 2 a.m. phone calls as a deviation from the norm, cultural norms will eventually emerge for social media and technology. Whether or not people follow those norms will ultimately be up to them, but Pence said he is skeptical that technology will take complete control because, in general, people don’t actually think they should strive to refrain from communicating with each other.

However, he said he does agree that technology changes the way that people interact and has the capacity to change the world.

“Technologies do shape us in ways that we might not readily understand or that we might not be able to readily understand until well after the fact,” Pence said.

But that doesn’t mean they’re doing anything bad, Pence said.

A computer science student at LSU, who wishes to remain anonymous due to his work in the field of cyber security, agreed society is inevitably going to incorporate social media into its culture.

“I think social media is something that people are going to have to learn the hard way how to police themselves,” he said. “For example, people have already learned, for the most part, that you shouldn’t post your address on the Internet.”

People develop norms like these over time, Pence and this student agreed, and whether they

53

do so consciously or unconsciously, people will find a way to incorporate technology into a changed but nonetheless functional society.

“I think it has more to do with the person than the technology,” added the computer science student. “At some point, we have to be accountable for our interactions with other human beings.”

This student said he has noticed that people are uncomfortable when he makes eye contact with them, and that, in a small, informal experiment of his own, he found people to be more receptive and more talkative if he looked at his phone rather than in the eyes. However, he said he found more professionally experienced people to be comfortable with eye contact and meeting face-to-face.

To an extent, Pence also agreed with this idea, and said technology and people work off of each other. On one end, technology affects the way people view the world and the way they interact in society. But on the other

54

hand, people decide what technology to use and how to use it.

“It’s not really possible to cleanly divide the people and the technology because the people and the technology constantly change one another,” Pence said.

He said it’s impossible to tell whether technology actually causes a shift in ideals and cultural norms, or if the advancement and emergence of technology is simply correlated with an already present shift.

“It’s hard to say whether social media caused these shifts, or if a new generation of humans showed up with new ideals, and at the same time, they developed technologies to go along with those ideals to help enforce them and bring them into real life,” Pence said. “I might be more inclined to say that there was a cultural shift, and that cultural shift and the technology mutually enabled and promoted one another in a symbiotic way.”

M A G A Z I N E

One Roar. One Alma Mater. #OneLegacy

@lsulegacymag

lsulegacymag.com

Vape Shop and Smoker’s Gallery High End Functional American Glass Art Top Quality Smoking Accessories Hookah Supplies Shisha and More!

Original artwork by Alex Harvie, TJ black and Nick-O

Best Glass in Louisiana Guaranteed!

We stock a full line of electronic equipment, Authentic mods and premium e-juice

extremely knowledgeable and experienced staff 3151 College Drive Suite B 225.248.6602 (in the college creek shopping center)

Mon - Sat 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.

@thelotusbr www.Thelotusgallery.com