The Daily Reveille — March 25, 2009

SNAPSHOT

lsureveille com Log on to see images from the sculpture building.

THE LAST DANCE

CRIME BRIEFS: Student arrested for simple battery at Groovin’ on the Grounds, page 4.

Lady Tigers’ streak of five consecutive Final Fours snapped, page 7.

THE DAILY REVEILLE WWW.LSUREVEILLE.COM

Volume 113, Issue 116

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

BOARD OF REGENTS

Robertson: All institutions should be evenly funded Board to consider formula today

By Kyle Bove Chief Staff Writer

Student Government President Colorado Robertson said a complicated funding formula under consideration by the state

Board of Regents is unfair to the University.

The formula would establish how much total funding a university should have based on an institution’s level of research, graduation rates and its ability to produce graduates in high-demand professional fields.

The Board of Regents’ budget request calls for the state to pay 56 percent of that total for LSU, and 60 percent or more for all other

four-year institutions. The remaining money would come from tuition, research, grants and other sources.

“LSU A&M should receive the same amount of state share of their operating dollars as every other four-year institution in this state,” Robertson said.

The Board of Regents is meeting today to discuss the methodology behind the formula, which has been in the works for nearly two

years.

Robertson met with Commissioner of Higher Education Sally Clausen and LSU System Spokesman Charles Zewe last week to discuss the formula and its role in pending budget cuts.

“For four-year institutions, [funding] should be across the board,” Robertson said. “It’s not fair, and it’s not equitable for LSU FORMULA, see page 15

$pring broke U.S. economy, violence in Mexico affecting University students’ vacation plans

By Joy Lukachick Staff Writer

As the last class lets out two Fridays before Easter and University students leave the Quad behind for sunnier places, Sara McManamon is staying in Louisiana for her spring break.

The communication studies freshman has spent spring break on Florida beaches in the past, but this year she’s staying home to save money.

Between a shaky economy and the news of drug wars and increased violence along the borders of Mexico, local travel agencies are admitting the spring break market has been affected, and resorts are lowering prices to attract a larger market.

Joy Sills, AAA travel agent in New Orleans, said airfare and hotel prices decreased this year in Mexico, including in the popular destination Cancun.

Last-minute prices for an all-inclusive trip to Cancun for five nights, including airfare and transfer, is around $500 per person, Sills said.

“The economy is definitely affecting us,” said Siman Normand, Accent Travel Services Inc. travel SPRING BREAK, see page 15 photos courtesy of The Associated Press

Opinion ................... 16 Classifieds ............... 18

Inside: Read about how the violence has already affected trips, page 6.

7:20 a.m.

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Noon 3:20 p.m.

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Weather

Sports ........................ 7

Broadcasts

Index

[Pictured Above] Various students spend their spring breaks at South Padre Island in Texas.

TODAY RAIN

77

‘For four-year institutions, [funding] should be across the Colorado Robertson board.’

SG president

LAW CENTER

Weiss: cuts threatening to school’s momentum

By Joy Lukachick Staff Writer

The Law Center chancellor expressed concern Tuesday for looming budget cuts, saying a $2 million cut could adversely affect the progress for the Law Center’s future.

Chancellor Jack Weiss outlined the main areas the Paul M. Hebert Law Center will ‘We’re now have to cut if Gov. Jindal prolooking Bobby posed budget cuts into ... the to higher educapass the legispossibility tion lature in July.

“When you of a volunhave a budget cut tary faculty of this magnitude, furlough.’ it is definitely threatening to the momentum of the Jack Weiss Weiss Law School chancellor school,” said.

Weiss said his goals for cutting the school’s budget are similar to LSU System President John Lombardi’s goal to “not adversely affect the core academic issues.” Weiss said he wants to maintain motivation for faculty and maintain scholarships LAW CENTER, see page 15

THURSDAY T-STORMS

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THE DAILY REVEILLE

Nation & World

PAGE 2

WORLD NEWS

on the web

LSUREVEILLE.COM

Afghan TV station falls under gov. crackdown

TUESDAY’S POLL RESULTS Have you ever been summoned for jury duty?

YouTube blocked in China; official declares video fake

98 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN THE POLL.

TODAY’S QUESTION:

Has the economy affected your spring break plans?

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2009

BEIJING (AP) — A video that appears to show police fatally beating a Tibetan protester was a fake concocted by supporters of the Dalai Lama, China said Tuesday — the same day the video-sharing network YouTube said its service had been blocked in China. The video has been posted on YouTube in recent days. A spokesman for Google, which owns YouTube, said he couldn’t comment on the Chinese government’s reason for the block. “We are looking into it and working to ensure that the service is restored as soon as possible,” spokesman Scott Rubin said in an e-mail to The Associated Press.

KABUL (AP) — The manager of an Afghan television network who refused to censor images of women dancing in short skirts and plunging necklines was arrested in what appeared to be a new sign of the government’s struggle to define the role of Islam in a country once led by extremists. The government has previously censured television stations and taken others to court, but the arrest of Emrose TV’s Fahim Khodamani on Monday was the first for airing overly salacious content, the Afghan deputy attorney general said Tuesday. The debate over television in this conservative Muslim country heated up after U.S.-led forces toppled the Taliban in 2001.

GO TO LSUREVEILLE.COM TO CAST YOUR VOTE

Obama: plan ‘inseparable’ from US recovery

TODAY

wednesday, march 25, 2009

bcm dinner & tnt worship Every Thursday night. Dinner (free) at 7:15pm.

TNT Worship Service at 8:00pm. The BCM is at the corner of Highland & Chimes. All LSU students invited! lsubcm.org campus housing contract renewal-residence halls Residents who renewed on Tuesday can invite one roommate (3-5pm).

Residents can reserve a different room in same hall and can invite one roommate. get noticed forever in the 2008-2009 gumbo!

March 27th is the deadline to reserve your place in LSU history by getting into the Gumbo yearbook. Your organization has a story to tell. Share it by calling Andrew or Melissa at 578.6090 and getting the details you need to get noticed & leave a legacy. side walk chalk art festival go yo www.lsu.edu/union to obtain an application to participate in competition on March 28. Win one of 4 $100 cash awards!

T.H.i.n.k Open mic night 7:00pm Friday, March 27 African American Cultaral Center Greek 101 Interested in an NPHC Greek Organization?

Wednesday, March 25 @ 7pm in the Cotillion Ballroom Bsu community meeting at 5:30 in the AACC

upcoming events

the eta kappa chapter of alpha kappa alpha sorority Presenting Mr. AKA Pageant “A League of extraordinary men” Sunday, March 29, 2009 7:08pm in the Cox Auditorium. the eta kappa chapter of alpha kappa alpha sorority Presenting “A Lifetime of AKAmplishments” AKA Week 2009 March 29-April 4, 2009

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama said Tuesday night his attempts to lead the nation out of economic turmoil are beginning to yield results, and toned down his criticism of bonuses to executives at bailed-out AIG. At the second primetime news conference of his presidency, Obama also cast his budget — now under review in Congress — as essential if the economy is to recover.

The tax and spending plan “is inseparable from this recovery because it is what lays the foundation for a secure and lasting prosperity,” he said.

Briefly reviewing the steps his administration has RON EDMONDS / The Associated Press taken to date, he said teachers and others have jobs today because of the economic stimulus measure President Barack Obama listens to a question during a news that Congress passed, and the nation is “beginning conference Tuesday in the White House in Washington, D.C. to see signs of increased sales and stabilized housing prices for the first time in a long time.” At the same time, he said full-fledged recovery is months away, and he added, “It will take patience.” The news conference came at a pivotal, early moment in Obama’s young presidency, with Democrats in Congress readying budget proposals that NEW ORLEANS (AP) — U.S. Sen. David Vitter will largely determine how much of his first-term didn’t pose a security threat when the Louisiana agenda will be passed, Treasury Secretary Timo- Republican set off a security alarm at Washington thy Geithner churning out near-daily proposals to Dulles International Airport earlier this month, the solve the nation’s economic crisis and the admin- Transportation Security Administration said Tuesistration struggling with public and congressional day. A statement issued by TSA said Vitter triggered outrage over bonuses paid to executives of bailed- a door alarm but didn’t enter a restricted area of out AIG. Additionally, Obama departs next week the airport. A TSA spokesman said the agency has for his first European trip as commander in chief, closed its review of the incident, but he wouldn’t with the global economy a major focus. elaborate on the statement.

TSA: Vitter not security threat at airport

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS

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

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

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PAGE 3

ENVIRONMENT

Project turns food waste into compost, saves money Collection at 459 Commons ends Fri.

By Peter Hubbs Contributing Writer

Leftover dining hall food previously dumped in trash cans found a new use this semester — one that saves the University money.

Students from the Exploring Campus Sustainability course took food waste from the 459 Commons and turned it into compost for University landscaping to conserve costs spent on soil and fertilizer, said Alisha Andrews, horticulture senior.

These students created six projects that intend to make the University more “green” to save money, Andrews said.

The composting project collects pre-consumer waste, such as potato peelings and kitchen scraps, along with post-consumer waste, such as students’ leftover food from the 459 Commons Monday through Friday, Andrews said.

“On average, we collect between 200 to 500 pounds of preand post-consumer waste a day,” Andrews said.

Students then bring this waste to the Callegari Center on Nicholson Drive and separate it into the pre-consumer, post-consumer and mixed piles for study, Andrews said.

The sorting shows which type or mixture of wastes produces the most nutritious compost, Andrews said.

Collection at the 459 Commons ends this week, but the students will continue to measure temperatures and decomposition rates of the piles for several weeks, Andrews said.

The project will end when this semester finishes, but Andrews said she hopes this project will become permanent and help create future sustainability courses through its results.

“I definitely see this project helping future courses because it’s hard to reject hard data you can see,” Andrews said. “We’re proving our idea because you can see our progress.”

Students also created a proposal for a student-run farm through this course, said Andrew Loyd, horticulture junior.

Students intend to grow produce on the farm that can be used for salad bars and maybe cooked in the cafeterias, Loyd said.

Students have faced problems with this idea, though, because of lack of space, Andrews said.

“To have a farm, you need land,” Loyd said. “We can get all of these awesome ideas, but it all comes down to getting money and getting land.”

Stephanie Elwood, psychology freshman, said students intended to put the farm at Hill farm.

“Hill farm is what is left of the horticulture and agriculture departments’ land,” Elwood said.

“They started off with 40 acres in the ‘40s, but now they’re down to just four acres.”

The Lod Cook Alumni Center’s need for a parking lot threatens this land, so the location has not been decided, Elwood said.

“We’ve been looking for something at bike-riding distance from campus, like somewhere near the LA house,” Elwood said.

“But we’ve really been concentrating on why the farm would be a good idea because we have no control over where it goes.”

Elwood expects a proposal to be made for the farm by the end of the semester.

The other four projects students created include a publicity

ECONOMY

Stimulus argument creates partisan battle for Jindal Governor, Legislature relationship rocky

By Nate Monroe Contributing Writer

lsureveille.com

The fight over accepting federal stimulus dollars aimed at expanding unemployment benefits is another chapter in what many political observers characterize as Gov. Bobby Jindal’s rocky relationship with the state LegislaLog on to ture. see Bob In a letter Mann sent to Sen. discuss Mary LanJindal’s drieu’s, D-La., relationship office last with the We d n e s d a y, Legislature.

Douglas Small, deputy assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Labor, specified Louisiana would not be required to make a permanent change in state law by accepting the federal dollars expanding unemployment benefits — allaying one of Jindal’s primary concerns about accepting the $98 million.

“As a result, if a state eventually decides to repeal or modify any of these provisions, it may do

so, and it will not be required to return any incentive payments,” Small wrote.

Jindal based his reluctance on the interpretation that taking the $98 million would force businesses to pay higher unemployment taxes once the federal money runs out in a few years.

State Sen. Eric Lafleur, DVille Platte, said while Jindal’s concern about what the state will be obligated to do in the future was legitimate, “you won’t find anyone who had the same interpretation they had.”

JINDAL, see page 14

KIM FOSTER / The Daily Reveille

Matthew Moerschbaecher, oceanography and coastal sciences doctoral student, picks up waste Tuesday from the 459 Commons to take to a local compost pile.

group for student involvement in sustainability efforts, a proposal to use local food vendors’ produce in the cafeteria, a group to connect departments for the creation of sustainability curriculum and a separate group for the compost study that determines

the efficiency of the composting system and the ability to involve other sources’ food wastes, Loyd said.

Contact Peter Hubbs at phubbs@lsureveille.com

THE DAILY REVEILLE

PAGE 4

Campus Crime Briefs lsureveille.com

UNIVERSITY STUDENT ARRESTED FOR SIMPLE BATTERY AT GROOVIN’ ON THE GROUNDS A University student was arrested for simple battery, theft and disturbing the peace by intoxication during the University’s Groovin’ on the Grounds concert event on the Parade Ground on March 21 at Log on about 8 p.m. to see a Officers map of reported to the where parking lot near the crimes Thomas Boyd Hall after a call took place. about a possible fight in progress there. When officers arrived, a parking official told them a drunk man had approached him and began screaming expletives and

taunting him. The man then hit the parking official’s baseball cap off his head, Tabor said.

The parking official told the officers the man returned sometime later, continued to scream and then stole his baseball cap.

Officers found and arrested Michael E. Tymchak, 20, of 3125 Laurel Drive, Baton Rouge, based on description given by the victim.

Tymchak was booked in East Baton Rouge Parish Prison.

WOMAN ARRESTED FOR INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE A woman unaffiliated with the University was arrested on March 21 at about 8:30 p.m. for possession of marijuana and intent to distribute Xanax and Lortab.

Melissa R. Rogers, 30, of 1471 Daniel Webster Drive, Apt. 2, Baton Rouge, was arrested after an officer saw her turn into on-coming traffic on Skip Bertman Drive. The officer

stopped Rogers for the traffic violation and could smell burnt marijuana coming from the vehicle, Tabor said.

Rogers gave the officer consent to search the vehicle, and the officer found a pill bottle filled with seven generic Lortab pills and 14 generic Xanax pills. The officer also found 1.2 grams of marijuana and a smoking pipe, Tabor said.

Rogers was arrested for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, possession with intent to distribute Schedule III drugs, possession with intent to distribute Schedule IV drugs and improper lane usage. She was booked in East Baton Rouge Parish Prison.

UNIVERSITY STUDENT ARRESTED FOR ALCOHOL POSSESSION AT GROOVIN’ ON THE GROUNDS A University student was arrested for underage public possession of alcohol on March 21 at about 7:30 p.m.

Officers saw Lauren E. Adamson, 20, of 3166 Denton Place, Roswell, Ga., while patrolling the University’s Groovin’ on the Grounds concert event on the Parade Ground.

Adamson looked intoxicated and was carrying a red plastic cup, Tabor said.

Officers confronted Adamson and found beer in the cup she

carried. Officers identified Adamson as underage, and she was arrested for possession of alcohol.

Adamson was issued a misdemeanor summons and released.

MAN ARRESTED FOR HIT AND RUN A man unaffiliated with the University was arrested for a hit and run two days after a fender bender near Skip Bertman Drive.

Deverene Dillon, 49, of 1257 West Garfield Drive, Baton Rouge, turned himself in to LSUPD after he left the scene of a fender bender he caused near Skip Bertman and Nicholson drives. Officers were called to the scene on March 17 at about 1:30 p.m., where the person he hit told officers Dillon’s license plate number, Tabor said.

Dillon called LSUPD on March 18 and told officers he wanted to talk about the accident.

Dillon was issued a misdemeanor summons on March 19 and released.

STUDENT ARRESTED FOR MARIJUANA POSSESSION A University student was arrested for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia on March 17 at about 12:30 a.m.

An officer patrolling near the intersection of East Parker and South

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2009 Stadium drives saw a car run a stop sign. After stopping the vehicle, the officer noticed the smell of burnt marijuana on the passenger, said LSU Police Department spokesman Sgt. Blake Tabor.

After a consented search of the vehicle, the officer found a small bag filled with 4.2 grams of marijuana and two smoking pipes, belonging to the 18-year-old passenger, Brett Jude Busby, of 5037 Pike Drive, Metairie, La. Busby was issued a misdemeanor summons and released. The driver was issued a traffic citation.

STUDENT ARRESTED FOR MARIJUANA POSSESSION A University student was arrested for marijuana possession at about 9 p.m. on March 19.

Officers went to Jackson Hall after they received a complaint about the smell of marijuana coming from one of the rooms. Officers found the room and asked the resident, Jordan Paul Zeller, 19, of 101 Autumn Creek, Madisonville, La., for consent to search the room. He agreed, and officers eventually found 4.5 grams of marijuana and a smoking pipe, Tabor said.

Zeller was arrested for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. He was issued a misdemeanor summons and released.

MOVIES

Baton Rouge a popular attraction with filmmakers Commission’s database looks to expand

By Ryan Buxton Contributing Writer

University students spend plenty of time in Baton Rouge’s popular haunts like Tigerland or its sports stadiums. But many of them have probably never visited the city’s more uncommon spots, like an alien lair or the house where Ike Turner grew up.

Those are two examples of fictional places in Baton Rouge — all part of the area’s expanding film production business. Whether filming takes place at a real location or in a studio’s fabricated one, the Red Stick is attracting moviemakers of all kinds to do their work here and boost the local economy.

One way for filmmakers to find the perfect setting is the

Baton Rouge Film Commission’s location database — a directory of many places willing to host movie productions.

Katie Harvey, project coordinator at the Film Commission, said it catalogs all types of locations because they must visually respond to any script.

“Last week we had a call to find a place that is a lair for aliens,” Harvey said. “It was supposed to be an underground bunker. We used a sugar mill that was dark with dripping pipes.”

The Baton Rouge Film Commission is currently looking to expand its database and is calling for

submissions. Any location that is unique and could be multipurpose is great, Harvey said.

Most on-campus locations are featured in the database, including the Memorial Tower, the Quad and Tiger Stadium.

“One of the only elements of LSU we’re missing is dorm rooms because students are hesitant to share their space,” Harvey said.

The Baton Rouge Film Commission’s database features nearly 40 plantations, which Harvey said are popular for films looking to embrace the Louisiana ambiance.

But most productions look for locations that can pass for a place

outside Louisiana.

“Restaurants like Tsunami are popular,” Harvey said. “You can cheat a restaurant like that for another city pretty easily.”

Lisa Calhoun, local location scout, said most of the time clients are looking for settings that don’t look like Louisiana.

That’s because of the attractive tax credits the state provides filmmakers. The financial incentives bring productions to Louisiana even if the story is not set here.

State law allows out-of-state film producers to earn a 25 percent tax credit on their qualified Louisiana based production and 10

percent on labor costs.

Film work would go to other FILM, see page 14

THE DAILY REVEILLE

wednesday, march 25, 2009

BATON ROUGE COMMUNITY

Va. university inspires BRAC Officials aim to copy Richmond’s success

By Joy Lukachick Staff Writer

One of the highlights from the Baton Rouge Area Chamber’s annual canvas trip was observing how one of the universities near Richmond, Va., helps develop the downtown area, according to Baton Rouge Downtown Development District officials.

Davis Rhorer, Downtown Development District executive director, described Virginia Commonwealth University’s contribution to the city’s success as “inspiring.”

About 140 people from

different organizations in Baton Rouge, including the Downtown Development District and University Chancellor Michael Martin, attended this year’s canvas workshop hosted by BRAC and the Office of the Mayor-President.

The theme for BRAC’s 5th annual trip was “Learn, Unlearn and Relearn.” The trip began Sunday and ended Tuesday.

The workshop costs $2,100 per participant and aimed to continue moving Baton Rouge forward by observing Richmond’s success to learn how these accomplishments can be applied in the Baton Rouge area, according to a BRAC news release.

Some of the main goals of the trip were to look at Richmond’s success in its education system,

regional cooperation and Riverfront development, urban restoration and recruiting international businesses.

Large areas of downtown Richmond once faced high crime, but the city improved safety measures, in turn creating a great entertainment district and increased residential opportunities in the area, according to a BRAC news release.

“The residential component is their real secret for downtown success,” Rhorer said.

Rhorer said Richmond has student housing downtown for the university, which has about 30,000 students. The school is now a part of downtown, he said.

The Downtown Development District would like to market housing that is affordable for all, including LSU students, Rhorer said. This plan is incorporated into the Plan Baton Rouge Phase Two, he said.

Plan Baton Rouge Phase Two is going to be presented to the public Monday at the Old State Capitol, and the team will present the final draft for specific proposals to the downtown area, Rhorer said.

The workshop included studying all aspects of the city and looking at the approach Richmond takes to market to visitors, Rhorer said. The trip has allowed key members of the Baton Rouge community to study the good and bad components of another successful city, he said.

Richmond was ranked in Forbes Magazine as one of the top 10 “Best Places for Business and Careers,” according to a BRAC news release.

KIM FOSTER / The Daily Reveille

A man fishes on the banks of the Mississippi River last spring near the bridge that connects East and West Baton Rouge parishes.

Contact Joy Lukachick at jlukachick@lsureveille.com

PAGE 5

THE DAILY REVEILLE

PAGE 6

WORLD

Wednesday, march 25, 2009

NATION

Violence in Mexico Bargain hunters shopping affecting vacations for groceries at auctions Student group cancels mission trip

By Xerxes A. Wilson Contributing Writer

Rising violence in Mexico has caused some University student groups to cancel spring break trips across the border.

The upswing in drug-related violence has prompted the U.S. State Department to issue a travel alert for citizens traveling into Mexico.

The State Department warned of violent crimes taking place in daylight hours in crowded places.

Reports of this violence has caused The Refuge, a student religious organization, to cancel its mission trip to the border town of Acuna, Mexico.

The Refuge takes the trip annually to provide free medical care and evangelize to impoverished citizens of the town. But this spring break, the risk of potential violence was too great.

“There were reports of deaths around [Acuna], so we are not going to get in‘Being volved in that,” said Sarah American, Borne, adminisI think it trative assistant to the college puts a little pastor at the bit of a Chapel on the Campus. “We target didn’t want to on our take any chancback’ es and bring 90 students if it Patrick Radecker was going to be civil engineering junior so dangerous.”

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced on Tuesday it will send 100 additional U.S. customs agents, as well as provide an additional $700 million to “do everything we can to prevent the violence in Mexico from spilling over across the border,” according to a news release.

While these violent crimes are primarily directed at members of drug trafficking organizations, U.S. citizens have been among victims of homicide and kidnapping in the border region, according to the State Department travel alert.

The prospect of being targeted by the violence caused civil engineering junior Patrick Radecker to cancel a spring break rock climbing trip to Mexico after reading about the violence.

“Mexico wasn’t the safest in the first place, but we were going to be passing through with thousands of dollars of gear, and let alone on being white kids, it just seemed like a bad idea,” Radecker said. “Being American, I think it puts a little bit of a target on our back.”

Borne said having such a large group played a part in assessing the risk involved with the trip.

“If we were not taking such a big group, I wouldn’t think it would be such a problem,” Borne said.

“It’s easy to lose someone. We just

didn’t want to take the chance.”

The Refuge has scheduled a mission trip in conjunction with Campus Crusade to a college campus in Bolivia during spring break but isn’t counting out the prospect of returning to Mexico next year, Borne said.

Britteny Kelley, kinesiology senior, said she is disappointed about not going to Mexico but is looking forward to a trip to Bolivia.

“It is kind of sad because ... hundreds of Mexicans go through the free medical clinic,” Kelley said. “Bolivia is kind of different ...

We are going to meet students and practice English with them and tell them we love Jesus.”

Contact Xerxes A. Wilson at xwilson@lsureveille.com

By Michael Rubinkam The Associated Press

DALLAS, Pa. (AP) — Out of toilet paper? Need to pick up a few things for dinner? Take a number and start bidding.

Many bargain hunters these days are trading supermarket aisles for the auction circuit in search of discounts on groceries. Past the sell-by date? Bidders are happy to ignore that detail if they’re getting a good deal.

As consumers seek relief from the recession and spiraling food prices, grocery auctions are gaining in popularity as an easy way to cut costs. The sales operate like regular auctions, but with bidders vying for dry goods and frozen foods. Some auctioneers accept food stamps.

When Kirk Williams held his first grocery auction in rural Pennsylvania last month, nearly 300 people showed up. Astonished by the turnout, he’s scheduling auctions at locations throughout northeastern Pennsylvania.

“Right now, people don’t have a lot of spare pocket change,” said Williams, 50, operator of Col. Kirk’s Auction Gallery near Bloomsburg, Pa. “They’re looking to save money.”

Rich Harris, 28, who was recently laid off from his welding job, showed up at Williams’ auction in Dallas earlier this month looking for meat for his freezer and snacks for his kids.

With his wife pregnant with their third child, “I’m basically trying to expand my dollar right now,” he said. “The deals, they

seem to be fairly good.”

Grocery sales make sense for auctioneers, too. Sales of baseball cards, estate jewelry and other auction staples have “fallen off a cliff,” Williams said. He hopes to average about $12,000 in sales per auction, which would net him a profit of about $1,000.

The popularity of the auctions — which sell leftover or damaged goods from supermarkets, distribution centers and restaurant suppliers — comes at a time when people are stretching their grocery budgets by using more coupons, buying inferior cuts of meat, and choosing store brands.

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

THE DAILY REVEILLE

Sports

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2009

The Last Dance

PAGE 7

BASEBALL

Mainieri dissatisfied with effort in 4-3 win

By Andy Schwehm Sports Contributor

Lady Tigers lose to Cardinals, 62-52

By Rachel Whittaker Sports Writer

lsureveille.com

The atmosphere was electric during the No. 6 seed LSU women’s basketball team’s NCAA tournament second-round game against No. 3 Louisville on Tuesday night.

But missing too many Log on free throws and to see losing the rephotos of bounding battle the Lady hurt LSU Tigers’ down the game stretch as against the Lady Louisville.

Tigers’ season ended with a 62-52 loss to the Cardinals.

“They made free throws,

photos by MAGGIE BOWLES / The Daily Reveille

[Top] LSU women’s basketball coach Van Chancellor (center) and his staff look on during the Lady Tigers’ 62-52 loss Tuesday against Louisville in the second round of the NCAA tournament. [Above left] Freshman Taylor Turnbow (left) and sophomore guard Latear Eason (right) watch as the game ends. [Above right] Junior guard Allison Hightower shoots over four Cardinal defenders.

“Escape” isn’t exactly the word the LSU baseball team wanted to use when referring to Tuesday night’s game against Harvard.

But that’s what happened, as the Tigers (18-5) barely pulled out a 4-3 victory against the Crimson (2-12).

“There ‘We won weren’t a lot of positive things the game out there tosaid because we night,” LSU coach Mainieri. had super Paul “We didn’t put forth a very relief great effort out pitching.’ there, which I need to take Paul Mainieri r e s p o n s i b i l LSU baseball coach ity for because I’m the coach.

We were fortunate to win the game.”

Mainieri inserted freshman third baseman Tyler Hanover for senior third baseman Derek Helenihi with the Tigers trailing, 3-2, with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the fifth inning on a hunch that the freshman would deliver.

The hunch worked as Hanover came through with a two-RBI single to put the Tigers’ up 4-3 on their way to the HARVARD, see page 13

LOUISVILLE, see page 13

FOOTBALL

Jasper front-runner to replace David Punter vacancy still up for grabs

By Rob Landry Sports Contributor

Replacing players is a fact of life in the sports world, especially in college football.

But when it comes to replacing a school’s all-time leading scorer, the task becomes even more daunting.

LSU is in that exact predicament this spring, attempting to

replace kicker Colt David.

David’s 363 career points as a kicker — not including his fake field goal touchdown run in 2007 against South Carolina — are the most by an individual player in LSU history. It is also 352 more than the combined total points of the three kickers vying for his vacated position.

But junior kicker Josh Jasper said David’s impact on the program was deeper than just kicking.

“The records just naturally happened,” Jasper said. “But

[David] was more of a team player. He made me a much better kicker by forcing me to get reps at practice even though he was the starting kicker.”

Jasper, junior Andrew Crutchfield and redshirt freshman Drew Alleman are all in contention for the starting job. The only one to have scored points in a game is Jasper, who was 2-for-2 on field goals last season and 5-for-5 on extra points. The other two have yet to attempt a kick with points on the line.

“Josh Jasper is the leader

right now,” said LSU coach Les Miles. “He’s a guy who is very capable, and I think we’ll be fine there.”

Miles said Jasper is expected to handle the place kicking duties as well as kickoffs.

MAGGIE BOWLES

/ The Daily Reveille

KICKER, see page 11

COLT DAVID’S CAREER •54-for-72 FGs, 162 points •201-for-204 PATs, 201 points

Former LSU kicker Colt David kicks a field goal Oct. 25 during the Tigers’ 52-38 loss to Georgia in Tiger Stadium.

PAGE 8

THE DAILY REVEILLE

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2009

SOFTBALL

Tigers rebound, split doubleheader with Ole Miss Young paces LSU in 5-2 victory

By David Helman Sports Writer

Few things cool down a hot streak like a split with the Southeastern Conference’s 10th-place team.

The No. 17 LSU softball team took its five-game winning streak and five-run-per-game average to Oxford, Miss., on Tuesday night and came out of a doubleheader against Ole Miss with a split and just seven combined runs.

“I’m still not happy ... We should have won this series,” said LSU coach Yvette Girouard. “It just shows you that you can’t just roll off the bus and expect to win games.”

The Tigers’ bats had been going off with the consistency Girouard wanted up until their first meeting with the Rebels (13-17, 2-11). LSU (21-7, 8-3) combined for 43 hits — an average of 8.6 — in its five previous wins, but accounted for just four in its opening 3-2 loss to Ole Miss.

“We’ve had a terrible time with [Ole Miss pitcher Becky Nye],” Girouard said. “She’s beaten us the last three times we’ve played. I don’t know what

it is.” in the win after not getting a hit in LSU’s low offensive pro- her first outing. duction — four hits, two runs Freshman shortstop Juliana — allowed the Rebels to take the Santos also earned an RBI when night’s first game into extra in- her third-inning single scored nings. A two-run home run from junior outfielder Kirsten ShortLSU freshman infielder Ashley ridge.

Langoni gave the Tigers a 2-0 “They’re good softball playlead in the bottom of the seventh ers, and that’s why we recruited inning, but the Rebels rallied to tie them,” Girouard said. “Hopefully the score and extend the game.

[Young] started to break out a LSU junior pitcher Cody Tra- little bit in the second game tohan (6-2) pitched night.” a no-hitter up until Ole Miss the rally but ended tried to stage anup with three runs other rally with and three hits afruns in the sixth ter 10 innings. An and seventh inOle Miss base hit nings, but the off Trahan gave Rebels couldn’t the Rebels the win overcome LSU’s Yvette Girouard to start the evefour-run cushion.

LSU softball coach ning.

Freshman pitcher “We had that Brittany Mack game won in the seventh inning, (7-1) limited the Rebels’ comeand we gave it away,” Girouard back by forcing a groundout to said. “This is a young team, and end the game. sometimes you just have to learn Mack pitched a complete it the hard way.” game, allowing six hits and two The Tigers found their of- runs with four strikeouts. fense in the night’s second game “We’ve got to really work on — a fact Girouard credited to not allowing leadoff walks,” Gifacing “a different pitcher.” LSU rouard said. “But [Mack] had a capitalized off a two-run, two-hit lot of control tonight, and I liked third inning and a two-run, two- what I saw from her.” hit seventh inning on the way to a 5-2 win.

Contact David Helman at Freshman infielder Anissa dhelman@lsureveille.com Young went 2-for-4 for three RBI

‘‘

‘I’m still not happy ... We should have won this series.’

ERIN ARLEDGE / The Daily Reveille

LSU freshman Ashley Langoni hits a foul ball Feb. 20 before her game-winning hit in the top of the eighth inning during the Tigers’, 3-2, win against Northern Iowa.

wednesday, march 25, 2009

THE DAILY REVEILLE

PAGE 9

FOOTBALL

Tigers stacked at running back, shaky at FB Dugas could fill Johnson’s void

By Amos Morale Sports Contributor

One thing is uncertain about LSU’s running backs this spring.

“The main thing in our realm is the fullback,” said senior running back Charles Scott. “We know who the tailbacks are. We know how the rotation is. We know we all are going to get our carries. The main thing is we’ve got to find a fullback.”

The Tigers’ running backs rushed for more than 2,000 yards and 24 touchdowns last season behind the blocking of Quinn Johnson.

But Johnson’s eligibility is done, and now the Tigers are using this spring to find someone to fill the void he left.

“Quinn had some big shoes to fill,” Scott said. “But I think [Richard] Dugas can do that. He’s making big steps towards that.”

Dugas, a junior from Lincoln,

Neb., is lining up at fullback this spring and has impressed his teammates.

“He’s looking real good out there at fullback,” said junior running back Richard Murphy.

Dugas is a converted lineman, and his teammates are impressed with his transition to the new position.

“The only two people who could do it are him and T-Bob [Hebert] because they are so athletic,” said sophomore lineman Will Blackwell. “Dugas is one of those special guys who can probably play just about anywhere.”

Dugas said running backs coach Larry Porter approached him during drills and asked if he wanted to try out for fullback.

“I told him I’d be down,” Dugas said. “Anyway I can get on the field and help the team out.”

He said the positions are similar with the exception of running and catching the ball.

“It’s kind of the same but kind of different,” Dugas said. “You might catch the ball, you might run the ball, but a lot of the technique

is the same. You got to get low and get under those linebackers coming full speed, but now I have a little more time to read the defense.”

As far as running backs are concerned, Scott said the position is more experienced.

“We’ve got three or four guys that have been around and know the system,” Scott said.

Scott rushed for 1,174 and 18 touchdowns last season, and senior Keiland Williams rushed for 417 yards and two touchdowns.

Scott said he’s been focused on becoming a better pass blocker.

“That is what I’m working real hard on right now,” Scott said.

Murphy averaged more than four yards per carry, and sophomore Stevan Ridley saw a limited number of snaps but averaged 7.7 yards per carry. Ridley is out for the spring with a knee injury.

The running backs also have to adjust to a new offensive line.

Center Brett Helms and lineman Herman Johnson left a void in the offensive line that sophomores Josh Dworaczyk, Blackwell and Hebert are hoping to fill.

MAGGIE BOWLES / The Daily Reveille

Senior running back Charles Scott (32) takes a handoff March 17 from freshman quarterback Russell Shepard (10) as freshman quarterback Chris Garrett (14) looks on.

“The coaching staff really found some guys to fill those shoes,” Murphy said. “I’m very confident in the offensive line. You got to be confident in the offense

line and the fullbacks to run the ball.”

Contact Amos Morale at amorale@lsureveille.com

WOMEN’S TENNIS

Minnis goes for 250th victory of career against Oregon Tonight’s Centenary matchup canceled

By Sean Isabella Sports Contributor

LSU women’s tennis coach Tony Minnis said he expects his team to refrain from looking ahead to Friday’s Southeastern Conference home showdown against No. 2 Georgia.

That’s because the No. 21 Lady Tigers (10-4, 1-2 SEC) host Oregon (7-8) today at 3 p.m at W.T. “Dub” Robinson Stadium. And a victory could mean a milestone for Minnis.

A win against the Ducks would give Minnis his 250th career win.

A doubleheader was scheduled for today, with Centenary visiting Baton Rouge for a 7 p.m. matchup, but that was canceled on Monday because Centenary was down to only three women on its roster. The game will not be rescheduled.

“This team has been around long enough to know that you don’t take anybody lightly,” Minnis said.

“I would fully expect them to come out fully prepared, ready to get after them.”

While Oregon has recently struggled, losing five straight matches, they are no stranger to SEC competition.

The Ducks lost to then-No. 14 Arkansas, 4-0, in late January and were just defeated by then-No. 16 Alabama, 5-2, on Monday.

“The SEC is really tough,” said Oregon coach Paul Reber. “We made this road trip because one, I wanted to come out and play some different schools, some different conferences and two, I’ve known Tony [Minnis] for a while.”

Reber said his team will match up well against an LSU team that boasts the No. 14 doubles tandem in LSU seniors Megan Falcon and Mykala Hedberg. Oregon will counter with No. 39 Ana Cecilia Olivos and Pavlina Smatova.

“That’s part of the reason we’re here,” Reber said. “We want to play some teams we’re not super familiar with so we can challenge ourselves and not continually play the same teams over and over.”

Hedberg, an Oxnard, Calif., native, got off to a slow start this spring, losing four of her first six singles matches.

She has since rebounded and

rides a four-match win streak into today.

Minnis said he has been impressed with the recent play of Hedberg.

“She’s emerging [as a leader], especially these last weeks,” he said.

“She’s really stepped up in all aspects of her game both on and off the court, knock on wood.”

Minnis said in the beginning of the fall season that Hedberg could emerge as one of the nation’s best players if her singles play reached its potential.

Statistically, singles competition has held her from reaching this feat.

Hedberg enters today with a

career singles record of 58-67, compared to a 24-3 doubles record this season.

“Some people are [better at singles than doubles],” Minnis said.

“It’s not really that unusual.”

Minnis said he expects big

things from Hedberg down the stretch because she is peaking at the right time.

Contact Sean Isabella at sisabella@lsureveille.com

PAGE 10

THE DAILY REVEILLE

wednesday, march 25, 2009

TRACK AND FIELD

Recruiting international athletes a challenging process Shaver misses meet to seek new talent

By Rowan Kavner Sports Contributor

Many college teams recruit athletes outside Louisiana to field the best team, but it’s rare to find a college sports team consisting of multiple international athletes.

LSU’s track and field teams have representatives from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Saudi Arabia, Zimbabwe and the Bahamas, along with players from around the U.S. Recruiting is a difficult process in track and field — a sport that runs continuously from the indoor season in January until the end of the outdoor season in June.

LSU coach Dennis Shaver had to miss the home meet the weekend before the 2009 NCAA Indoor Championships on March 13 and 14 to recruit.

“We do a lot of evaluating and choose to go to meets to evaluate talent where there are very large meets and meets that involve more than just one local area,” Shaver said. “I go to Lubbock [Texas], and that was the Junior College National Championships where I got to see a great many of the best junior college athletes throughout the entire United States.”

The process is a little different and not quite as simple when it comes to recruiting athletes outside the U.S. “Over the years, you develop relationships with coaches that understand what you’re looking for,” Shaver said. “Maybe you have a contact in Jamaica or in Trinidad that when they see somebody that they think could help us, and they feel would benefit from coming to the United States — they oftentimes contact me, and then we go forward from there.”

Among the foreign LSU athletes is sophomore sprinter Gabriel Mvumvure, who came to the U.S. from Zimbabwe.

“I met some coaches from different schools,” Mvumvure said. “I just kind of kept in touch with the LSU coaches — I really loved LSU. When I started running fast and ran the times I wanted, that’s when they said, ‘Yeah, we can take you.’ It was a hard process, especially for me getting the visa and coming over.”

The history of the school and its skilled track and field athletes remain vital aspects of Baton Rouge’s pull.

LSU’s strongest aspect has been its phenomenal sprinters. Trinidad and Tobago native Richard Thompson was the 2008 NCAA Men’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year.

Sprinter Muna Lee was the 100-meter dash champion in the 2008 Olympic trials. Hurdler Lolo Jones was the

2008 World Indoor Champion and a three-time USA Indoor Champion.

“I heard about LSU [and its history], because athletes before me that came to LSU always come down during the summertime for the Jamaica Trials,” said junior sprinter Samantha Henry. “I knew they had a good tradition of sprinters.”

Henry’s native Jamaica has its own championships, through which she got in touch with LSU. “We have the boys’ and girls’ championships, and it’s like a high school national for all the high schools in Jamaica,” Henry said.

“That’s where [LSU] coach [Mark] Elliott came and saw me.”

Sophomore sprinter Kenyanna Wilson, an Arizona native, said LSU’s history in the sport drew her to compete for the Lady Tigers.

“You look at the Olympians they had, you look at the national champions they had — those numbers and names speak for themselves,” she said.

Shaver also stressed education and performance in the classroom is important when finding athletes.

“You have to find out, no matter where they’re from, if they have an interest in getting a college degree,” Shaver said.

BENJAMIN OLIVER HICKS / The Daily Reveille

Contact Rowan Kavner at rkavner@lsureveille.com

LSU track and field coach Dennis Shaver coaches his team during spring practice.

Shaver missed a home meet the weekend before the NCAA Indoor Championships this year to recruit, a particularly difficult process in track and field.

wednesday, march 25, 2009

THE DAILY REVEILLE

PAGE 11

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Coast Guard coach commits suicide while on leave Body found in car, killed by gunshot

By Dave Collens The Associated Press

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — The women’s basketball coach at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy who committed suicide earlier this month had been put on paid leave three days before his death amid an investigation by federal prosecutors, a school official said.

Alex Simonka, 51, who was also director of the school’s athletic association, was found dead in his car at the New London academy on March 14. The state medical examiner ruled he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

Rear Adm. J. Scott Burhoe, the academy’s superintendent, said in statement that the Connecticut U.S. attorney’s office has been investigating the Coast Guard Academy Athletic Association for several months.

The nature of the investigation

KATE GARDINER / The Associated Press

Coast Guard women’s basketball coach Alex Simonka meets with his team during a game in a 2007 file photo. Officials say the body of 52-year-old Simonka was found March 14 in his car after a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

is unclear. Neither academy officials nor a spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office would comment.

“After an interview with Mr. Alex Simonka, certain information was revealed that warranted placing him on administrative leave with pay pending the outcome of that

investigation,” Burhoe said in the statement first provided to The Day of New London on Monday.

Burhoe referred other questions to federal prosecutors. Tom Carson, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office, said Tuesday he could neither confirm nor deny an investigation of

Simonka or the athletic association.

The unincorporated association raises money for the academy’s sports teams and spends about $1 million a year, said Petty Officer Ryan Doss, an academy spokesman.

Half the money for the academy’s intercollegiate athletic program comes from the association, while the other half comes from federal government appropriations.

The organization pays for assistant coaches’ salaries, athletic equipment repairs, teams’ travel costs, printing expenses, sports awards and other costs, Doss said. Revenues come from donations, ticket sales and merchandising, he said.

Simonka, who was not paid for his work as the association’s director, was also the academy’s athletics business manager. He lived in the town of Ledyard with his wife and daughter, Doss said.

Simonka had served the Coast

Guard and the academy for more than 30 years in various positions, both as an officer and a civilian employee, Burhoe said. He graduated from the academy in 1979, retired from active duty in 1999 and coached the women’s basketball team for the past 16 years.

He was a three-sport athlete at the academy. He led the basketball team to its first NCAA tournament in 1978-79, and he still holds the football record for three touchdown receptions in a single game, according to his obituary in The Day. “We are all deeply hurt by this tragedy,” Burhoe said last week.

“Those who knew Alex best saw his passion for helping others, and his interest in developing and inspiring future Coast Guard leaders.”

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

KICKER, from page 7 Punter Brady Dalfrey’s graduation left another vacant spot on special teams. Last season, LSU averaged 40.3 yards per punt, which ranked fifth in the Southeastern Conference.

Jasper is the only kicker on the roster who has attempted a punt in a game. He attempted four punts in 2008, averaging 43.0 yards per kick.

Junior Derek Helton, a transfer from Fort Scott Community College in Fort Scott, Kan., will contend for the starting position and may be the holder on field goals. Helton averaged 36.1 yards per punt in 2008, with his longest traveling 68 yards.

“He has good hands,” Jasper said. “We work constantly through the day, and he has progressed tremendously. Right now, I’m real confident when he catches the ball.”

LSU used a tactic called the sky kick on kickoffs last season. The sky kick is not designed to put the ball in the end zone for a touchback, but instead get maximum hang time for the coverage team to get downfield. Using that strategy, LSU finished fifth in the SEC in kickoff coverage.

“I think we’ll use it [this season] because it might give return teams a difficult time returning,” Miles said.

LSU retains all its kick returners from last season. The Tigers finished last in the SEC in kickoff returning, averaging just 19.5 yards per return.

Seniors Trindon Holliday and Keiland Williams should anchor the kick return game for the second straight season. In 2008, Holliday has averaged 22.6 yards per return.

“The team will have speed,” Miles said. “And at times we may see Holliday and [sophomore cornerback Ron] Brooks back there.”

The punt returner duties will once again be split between Holliday and junior Chad Jones. Holliday fielded 21 punts, averaging 13.3 yards per return and one touchdown.

Jones averaged 6.6 yards on 16 returns in 2008.

Contact Rob Landry at rlandry@lsureveille.com

Pluckers wing bar Trivia at 8. $4 34 oz Mother Plucker Mugs.

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

Mellow Mushroom pizza Bakers Trivia and Karaoke Night 5-10pm: $5 Domestic Pitchers, $6 Abita Pitchers

9-10:30pm V for Vendetta 12:00-1:30pm Mr. Smith Goes to Washington 3:00-3:30pm The Manship Show 7-8:30pm Air Force One

PAGE 12

THE DAILY REVEILLE

wednesday, march 25, 2009

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2009

THE DAILY REVEILLE

turnovers.

“We were really concerned and we didn’t,” said LSU coach about Louisville’s press,” ChanVan Chancellor. “They had 12 cellor said. “We got them to quit second-chance points, and I pressing, and they didn’t get thought we had to limit them many points off turnovers.” to six. We’ve been a hot and Louisville coach Jeff Walz cold free throw shooting team. said LSU was definitely one of When we make them, we con- the best teams the Cardinals have tinue to make them, and when we faced all season. miss them, we continue to miss “It was an absolute battle,” them.”

Walz said. “It was a great enviThe Lady ronment. [ChanTigers were outcellor] did an rebounded by 14, outstanding job 39-25, during the preparing for our game, and they press. They were shot just 5-ofby far the team 12 from the free that’s been best throw line in the prepared to play second half. us.”

LSU senior In the second forward Kristen half, Louisville Morris said givbuilt a six point ing Louisville lead, 39-33, but Van Chancellor too many offen- LSU women’s basketball coach LSU answered sive rebounds and with a 7-0 run easy points was a and Hightower’s clinching factor in the loss.

20th points of the night on a one“We lost the game at the line handed shot to go back up by 1 and on the boards,” Morris said. with about 12 minutes left.

“We didn’t turn the ball over a “I wasn’t trying to take over lot, but not winning the rebound or anything like that, just stay agbattle was what lost it for us.” gressive and if the shot was there, LSU was fired up early against I was going to take it,” Hightowthe Cardinals, and there were six er said. “[Louisville] did a pretty ties and three lead changes in the good job on the box-and-one.” first half. LSU never led by more LSU would lead once more, than five points, and Louisville 42-41, after a layup by freshman was never ahead by more than forward LaSondra Barrett, who four points en route to a 33-29 finished with 7 points.

Louisville halftime lead.

The Lady Tigers fell behind The Lady Tigers committed by nine points with 2:55 left. The only seven turnovers throughout closest LSU would get was seven the game and forced 13 Cardinal points in the last two minutes,

LOUISVILLE, from page 7

‘‘

‘This team had five times it could have given in, but they did a remarkable job of keeping confidence up.’

but two free throws by Louisville freshman guard Becky Burke and a jumper by Louisville senior forward Angel McCoughtry put the game away.

McCoughtry, projected by many to be the first pick in April’s WNBA draft, finished the night with a game-high 28 points.

Questionable officiating fired up both teams throughout the game. Both had four fouls just four minutes into the game and finished the half with 10 apiece.

Chancellor said now that the Lady Tigers’ season is over, he will relish in what they have accomplished with so many new faces.

“This team had five times it could have given in, but they did a remarkable job of keeping confidence up,” he said. “When I look at what these kids have done, it’s been unbelievable. We played three freshmen who have never been under this kind of pressure, and Kristen Morris has been the glue that held this team together.”

Now that her season is over, Morris said she sees a very bright future for the Lady Tigers.

“I am sad, but I want to make sure my teammates remember to work hard,” Morris said. “The next season starts right now, and they have a chance to be really good next year. I am very thankful for the opportunity I had to play here.”

Contact Rachel Whittaker at rwhittaker@lsureveille.com

PAGE 13

The Crimson got their first run of the game in the top of victory in front of a season-low the second when shortstop Sean 3,537 fans.

O’Hara scored on a wild pitch by “Thank God I brought in LSU senior Ryan Byrd.

Tyler Hanover off the bench,” Byrd lasted only 4 1/3 inMainieri said. “He came in and nings, giving up three runs, one played with spunk.” earned, on six hits while striking The Tigers had trouble man- out six in his second start of the ufacturing runs early in the game, season. as Harvard southpaw Will KeuIt was the relief effort from per kept LSU’s offense at bay. senior Nolan Cain, sophomore Keuper (0-2) Jordan Nicholentered the game son, junior Paul with a 15.19 ERA Bertuccini and in 5.1 innings freshman Matty pitched but had a Ott that led the solid outing, goTigers to the vicing 4 1/3 innings tory. and giving up four The four playruns, three earned, ers combined for Paul Mainieri in his first start of 4 2/3 innings of LSU baseball coach the season. relief work, giv“It had nothing up no earned ing to do with him,” said LSU runs while striking out five. junior outfielder Jared Mitchell.

“We won the game because “We came out here and gave our we had super relief pitching,” poorest effort of the season as a Mainieri said. team.”

No. 4 LSU will finish its The Tigers got the first run midweek series against the Crimof the game in the bottom of the son tonight. first when Mitchell scored on an LSU freshman Chris Matulis RBI single by junior catcher Sean will get the start on the mound for Ochinko. the Tigers.

Mitchell got his NCAA-leadMatulis (3-0) has looked iming 20th steal of the season ear- pressive so far in his freshman lier after leading off the bottom campaign with a 2.49 ERA in of the first with a double.

21.2 innings while adding on 19 “Coach is giving me the strikeouts. green light,” Mitchell said. “I feel a little more comfortable on the bases this year, and I have more maturity of knowing what I can Contact Andy Schwehm at and can’t do out there, and it’s aschwehm@lsureveille.com helping me out.”

HARVARD, from page 7

‘‘

‘There weren’t a lot of positive things out there tonight ...

We were fortunate.’

THE DAILY REVEILLE

PAGE 14

the money — has swirled since he announced his intention to reject Lafleur said it was always that portion of the stimulus funds. clear to him the state would have Lafleur is pushing for a resothe ability to repeal the law in two lution to notify the federal governor three years time when the feder- ment Louisiana intends to take the al money runs out. $98 million.

The letter from the Bob Mann, Labor Department mass communicaconfirmed that in tion professor and writing, he said. former communi“I feel comcation director for fortable with myKathleen Blanco, self knowing we said Jindal “found could change the himself out on a Kirby Goidel law two years limb” while he from now, three director of public policy research was deriding the years from now,” for the Manship School of Mass stimulus on a naLafleur said. tional platform, Communication It’s still unand he needed clear whether Jindal will accept to turn some part of the stimulus the money, as he still has fears down to gain credibility with his that doing so may result in higher conservative base. taxes.

Kirby Goidel, director of pub“Our position remains the lic policy research for the Manship same. We’re certainly not going to School of Mass Communication, take federal dollars if they cause said it was also part of a political a tax increase on Louisiana busi- calculation — timed to increase nesses,” Jindal said in an inter- interest in his national speech — view with The Associated Press. and that the federal money’s impact on the state budget was never A ROCKY RELATIONSHIP a primary concern.

Talk of overriding the His new role as a representagovernor — should he not accept tive for the national Republican

JINDAL, from page 3

‘‘

‘[Jindal] may win the battles, but there will be more criticism.’

FILM, from page 4

states without Louisiana’s tax credits, according to Kevin Murphy, director of studio operations at Raleigh Studios in Baton Rouge.

“The incentive brings filmmakers here and fosters filmmakers locally,” Murphy said.

Gov. Bobby Jindal supports extending these entertainment tax credits for at least two more years, an issue that will be discussed among state legislators this spring, according to a Times-Picayune article.

Calhoun said when searching for a location, the most important thing is finding a place that fits the story’s needs.

She is currently scouting for a film called “The King of Rhythm, The Ike Turner Story,” which requires locations to fit a certain time period.

“It’s retro,” Calhoun said. “We need an old house. Power lines are okay, but I don’t want streetlights.

And the bane of retro films is the cable box on telephone poles.”

Another concern is what property owners will allow to be filmed on their land.

“For ‘The King of Rhythm,’ there is a scene where Jimi Hendrix is walking outside, stoned and cussing like a sailor,” Calhoun said. “I know we can’t shoot something like that at a BREC park, so I have to find something else.”

The University also has rules about what can be filmed here.

Before anything is shot on campus, the administration must first review the script and deem it acceptable.

“LSU has pretty strict guidelines in script content before they allow filming on campus,” Harvey said.

While on-location filming is important, some movies require or prefer a studio setting, which can be converted into any type of set. To serve those needs, Baton Rouge has Raleigh Studios, which provides sound stages for a more

Party, Goidel said, has made him a more partisan figure — a transformation exacerbated by the fight over the federal stimulus dollars, which, both Goidel and Mann acknowledged, is an issue that has been breaking down party lines in the Legislature.

Lafleur didn’t know whether there was enough support in the Legislature to potentially override Jindal’s decision.

“He may win the battles,” mass communication and political science professor Goidel said.

“But there will be more criticism.”

It’s part of a long-term political problem, Mann said, that began when Jindal vetoed a legislative pay raise last year — a “flagrant betrayal of trust” to many legislators — and continued through the new year when he decided to endorse Lee Domingue, a candidate for the special election to replace the District 16 Senate seat vacated by Bill Cassidy. Jindal promised legislators he would stay out of local races like District 16, where all three candidates are Republicans.

If Domingue doesn’t win, Mann said legislators will be less

controlled environment.

“For every dollar spent, Other services available to [Baton Rouge] gets about $6 back,” filmmakers at Raleigh Studios in- Murphy said. “Money for hotels, clude a production company, trans- space rental, paying employees portation service, payroll company and taxes from these expenses are and tools for postall brought into the production. The local economy.” studio provides the Calhoun said resources to comas long as Louisipletely produce ana remains coma film from start petitive with tax to finish, Murphy credits, filmmaksaid. “The Abers will continue duction of Jesse to work here for Kevin Murphy Bookman,” an upone important reacoming film, has Raleigh Studios director of studio son — food and already done that.

Southern hospitaloperations “‘The Abducity. tion of Jesse Bookman’ was cast “People come here because of locally, financed here, filmed in money, but they leave saying, ‘EvBaton Rouge, and all the post-pro- eryone was so nice, and boy, did duction was done in Baton Rouge,” we eat well,’” Calhoun said.

Murphy said.

Productions like that one are Contact Ryan Buxton at important to Baton Rouge’s economy. rbuxton@lsureveille.com

‘‘

‘For every dollar spent, [Baton Rouge] bets about $6 back.’

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2009

photo courtesy of THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Gov. Bobby Jindal speaks on Saturday in Farmerville about Foster Farms’ purchase of the Pilgrim’s Pride chicken processing complex.

afraid to publicly criticize him in the future.

Mann was unsure if Jindal would eventually accept the money. He said Jindal is torn: Jindal could quietly signal to the legislature to push the money through or ultimately reject it to avoid the

appearance of caving to the Legislature.

“I don’t think he’ll back off on it now,” Goidel said.

Contact Nate Monroe at nmonroe@lsureveille.com

wednesday, march 25, 2009 SPRING BREAK, from page 1 agent. “Last year [we booked] more cruises and more all-inclusive trips than Florida.”

Normand said the Baton Rouge-based agency has fewer requests for destination vacations to the beaches in Mexico this year. For 2009, the travel agency reported 50 percent of spring breakers are headed somewhere outside the U.S., while the other half is headed to Florida.

Louisiana college students will usually travel by car to Florida, Normand said. The price for an airline ticket is between $300 and $400 for a flight to Florida from New Orleans, making it a much cheaper option to drive from Louisiana.

“Most kids are going to Gulf Shores and Florida beaches because they’re so much less expensive than exotic vacations,” said Melanie Williams, Gulf South Travel consultant.

Williams said most of her clients aren’t leaving the country.

U.S. WARNS TRAVELERS The U.S. Department of State issued a travel warning on Feb. 20 for all citizens crossing the border to Mexico.

“The greatest increase in violence has occurred near the U.S. border,” the travel alert said.

“U.S. citizens traveling throughout Mexico should exercise caution in unfamiliar areas and be aware of their surroundings at all times.”

Robberies, homicides, petty thefts and carjackings were listed

LAW CENTER, from page 1 for students.

“We feel like there are two major components of the program,” Weiss said. “And they are faculty and students.”

The current state budget for the Law Center is almost $10 million, and the cuts will decrease the budget by about 19 percent next fiscal year.

Half of the Law Center’s funds comes from the state, and the other half comes from tuition, Weiss said.

Tuition was $11,700 for last year’s in-state freshmen for the semester. In fall 2009, the incoming freshman class will pay $12,700 for the semester, while the following freshmen will pay $13,700, Weiss said. The plan to increase tuition by $1,000 each year was approved by the legislature in 2008 and will continue through the 2011 academic year.

“I don’t want to say never ... because it’s hard to predict the future,” he said. “But it is certainly my intention to stick with that program.”

Some of the ways Weiss plans to cut the school’s budget are suspending distinguished foreign visitor’s programs, suspending the publication of the Law Center’s magazine, LSU Law, reducing hard copy books for the library, the hours the library is open and cutting back travel for students and faculty.

“What concerns me most about the budget cuts is the potential for loss of momentum,” Weiss said.

When the budget was first proposed, Weiss said it appeared the Law Center might be able to avoid staff layoffs by furloughing virtually

THE DAILY REVEILLE as some of the major threats that occurred in northern Mexico last year. The warning cautioned citizens traveling along the Mexican border and cited injuries and violent attacks occurring in cities across Mexico.

The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, a national anti-sexual assault organization, advertised public safety tips nationally for students traveling during spring break.

The organization notifies college students of safety issues every year before spring break, but there’s more emphasis this year after the State Department’s warning, said Lynn Parrish, RAINN spokesperson.

“College age women are four times more likely to be sexually assaulted,” Parrish said.

When college students go on spring break, they often become less aware of the surroundings and get wrapped into a “vacation mentality,” Parrish said. Students shouldn’t let their guard down, she said.

“Always trust your instincts,” Parrish said. “If the situation seems unsafe, get out.”

Prices have decreased at destination resorts in Mexico because of all the rumors, Sills said.

“The Mexican situation is mostly around the border,” Sills said. “There are no problems around the resort areas.”

STA Travel, an agency targeting college-aged students, is promoting cheap rates at South Padre Island, Texas. The travel agency advertised seven nights starting at $199 per person, based on

four-person rooms at a resort on the island near the Mexican border. Other destinations, including Cancun, have offers starting at $699.

The State Department’s warnings have affected the spring break market, Williams said. The travel agency has tried to relieve customers’ fears by assuring customers the resorts are safe, she said.

Riveria Maya, just south of Cancun, is still a popular place for spring breakers to go, said Cynthia Swain, Pearsons Travel World travel agent.

Swain said she hasn’t seen a decrease at the agency for requests to areas in Mexico.

everyone in the building. Weiss said he met with the faculty and asked if they would favor a furlough plan, which they approved.

But the LSU System has advised the Law Center that furloughs are not permissible for academic staff, Weiss said.

“We’re going to have to find the money to cut that would have been involved in faculty furlough,” he said. “We’re now looking into ... the possibility of a voluntary faculty furlough.”

Weiss said he will have to lay off a number of staff members. He has already started to have conversations with particular staff members about possible lay-offs.

“I want to give those individuals as much advance notice as I can,” Weiss said.

One area Weiss said will not be affected by the cuts is the Clinical

Legal Education Program that began in fall 2008. The program’s funding is on this year’s budget, he said.

The Law Center is moving ahead with plans to open the bids for renovating the clinical building this week, he said.

The clinical program is a good example of how he will not let the budget cuts adversely affect the core education mission of the law school, Weiss said. Building the clinical program is a top priority, he said.

“We are going to survive,” he said. “But will we be able — with this level of financial hit — to continue on the upward projection I feel we are on now?”

LOOKING AT FLORIDA The number of visitors in Florida fell in 2008 by 2.3 percent, meaning about 82.5 million people visited the Sunshine State in 2008, according to preliminary reports from the state’s official tourism marketing corporation, Visit Florida.

“March is our third-highest revenue month of the year,” said Dan Rowe, Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau executive director. “A lot [of revenue] is related to spring break.”

While June and July are the biggest months for the beaches, March brings large crowds to the beaches in Panama City, Rowe said. And the beaches were crowded with college-aged kids during the past two weeks of March, he said.

The Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau will

Contact Joy Lukachick at jlukachick@lsureveille.com

PAGE 15

not have the complete number of visitors in the area until midApril. But the hotel bookings this year are similar to last year’s crowd, Rowe said.

For the past weeks, occupancy at some of the Panama City hotels were reported full, said Dana Lynn, Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau spokesperson.

Before the spring break season began, locals expressed concern about the economy affecting the market, Rowe said.

“2009 is such an interesting time with the economy being what it is,” he said, explaining the travel industry is in “uncharted territory.”

But Panama City is an iconic spring break destination, and the city is having another good year during spring break, Rowe said.

Kyle Rordam, undeclared freshman, said he’s spending his spring break in Panama City. He said he’s spending $436 for six nights on the beach. “[Panama City] is closer ... and it’s cheaper than going to Cancun,” he said.

Contact Joy Lukachick at jlukachick@lsureveille.com

FORMULA, from page 1 students to sit back and let the state fund every other university 60 percent and only fund this university 56 percent — and pass the cost on to us and our families.”

Robertson said every fouryear institution should be funded at the same level — in this case, 60 percent — otherwise the funding level could force the University to increase tuition and student fees, among other options. He said the formula is unfair to current and prospective LSU students.

If the budget request was changed to pay 60 percent of the University’s total funding, instead of 56 percent, it would cost the state an extra $20 million — or roughly $700 per student.

Whether the performancebased funding formula will help or hurt the University won’t be known until the Board of Regents decides on a final draft of the formula and on the percentage the state will pay.

“The only people that can make this right is the Legislature if the Board of Regents doesn’t make that adjustment,” Robertson said.

Contact Kyle Bove at kbove@lsureveille.com

THE DAILY REVEILLE

Opinion

PAGE 16

OUR VIEW

WEDNESday, MARCH 25, 2009

Funding formula should be clear to taxpayers, students Student Government President Colorado Robertson is unhappy with a complicated formula under consideration by the state Board of Regents.

It’s unclear whether Robertson’s discontent is justified.

The officials who make this

University and other institutions in the state work need to be more transparent in their decisions and in the steps that lead to those decisions.

That’s something students and taxpayers of this state deserve.

This formula would set how much total funding a university

would receive based on the level of research, graduation rates and its ability to produce graduates in highdemand professional fields.

But the formula is complex — so complicated that we’re not sure everyone involved completely understands it.

We don’t expect every student and every Louisiana taxpayer to comprehend what’s going on.

But not everyone affected by this formula has a college degree.

And not every taxpayer can analyze mathematical equations and reach logical conclusions involving a state

budget.

What we expect is for the higher-ups in the University, System and state to be clear and palpable.

Contact the Editorial Board at editor@lsureveille.com

MURDA, HE WROTE

America’s beef industry still a jungle, needs reform

AIX-EN-PROVENCE, FRANCE — A cold war is being waged between the U.S. and the European Union. The weapons of choice?

Beef and cheese.

Since the late ’80s, a sore spot has existed in trade relations between the two communities, stemming from a ban of U.S. imported beef treated with hormones. Since then, the U.S. has retaliated with various tariffs on European imports.

The latest tariff, put in place by the Bush Administration, targets Roquefort cheese — a revered French blue cheese known for its strong taste — with a 300 percent added cost.

But earlier this month, the Obama administration put a hold on the tariff expansion amid discussions with the EU’s trade director, who said progress has been made on lifting the ban.

Critics claim the ban — which

the World Trade Organization condemned in 1998 — was a protectionist measure meant to bolster European meat prices.

Of course, the controversy over growth hormones in cattle is not the first the American beef industry has endured.

Any discussion of the beef production in the U.S. inevitably began in 1906 when Upton Sinclair published “The Jungle” — a scathing portrayal of the destitution of meat factory workers’ lives and the filthy process they oversaw. As a result of Sinclair’s muckraking, a wave of food safety regulations were put in place by an angry and disgusted public.

Still — more than a century later — health and safety issues persist in the increasingly industrialized agrobusiness. It has become increasingly centralized, with 80 to 85 percent of production being controlled by just four companies. After merging with IBP in 2001, chicken

giant Tyson Foods became the largest of these multinational corporations, commanding a 27 percent market share.

Seeking its profits through high volume and low costs, criticism of the industry extends to multiple levMark Macmurdo els. As the film “Fast Food NaColumnist tion” portrays, many meat packing employees are immigrant workers — some of whom claimed to have been exploited.

The breakneck speed of the cutting line has been blamed for making work in beef-processing one of the most dangerous occupations in America. Industry turnover rates are incredibly high, and many walkoffs have been staged by employees protesting poor conditions and sagging wages.

Then there have been the outbreaks of disease and bacteria, displaying what critics say is a poorly managed industry.

The treatment of livestock in particular was brought under public scrutiny in 2007 when the Humane Society released an undercover tape showing sick and injured cows being moved with forklifts and shocked with cattle prods — clear violations of federal law.

The result was the nation’s largest beef recall in history. Still, inspectors claim they are stretched too thin and that companies track their movements, among other ploys, during their inspections.

Maybe if the American public could see first-hand how the food got to the table, they would demand stricter regulations.

It seems that, despite the numerous flashes of beef industry impropriety in the media, Americans keep their heads down. Even common sense approaches, like

requiring video surveillance of meat processing, are easily defeated by beef industry lobbyists.

In France the beef industry is also moving toward highly centralized beef processing by large companies. This trend directly threatens the French tradition of steak tartare — a plate of ground beef consumed raw. It highlights a part of the culture that is incompatible with meat from the industrialized beef business.

Perhaps with an engaged public, adequate resources for inspectors, common sense laws and confidence, such a dish could catch on in America.

Until then, I’ll just stick with a hamburger.

Mark Macmurdo is a twenty-twoyear-old economics and history senior from Baton Rouge.

Contact Mark Macmurdo at mmacmurdo@lsureveille.com

NIETZSCHE IS DEAD

Read with caution — blogs are destroying cities

It’s a well-documented trend that bloggers are becoming increasingly powerful.

These Web-warriors, whose personal thoughts and opinions are posted online and viewed by increasing numbers of political junkies, are considered by many media critics to be the new wave of journalism.

Some bloggers, like the Atlantic’s Andrew Sullivan, are well-established and respected journalists who have support and write under the names of prestigious papers or enterprises. Some write for increasingly visible and influential Internetbased organizations, including Politico.com.

Some are just average Joes with opinions, computers and the fortune of an audience.

But whatever the type of blogger, it’s becoming virtually impossible to deny their influence is increasing.

A recent extreme example is

the city of Salisbury, Maryland. In her final “state-of-the city” speech, Salisbury mayor Barrie Parsons Tilghman lamented what she perceived to be the negative effects that bloggers have on her city’s political climate.

Tilghman apparently believed a group of “suspicious, mean-spirited people focused on the negative” has been unduly influencing the way the city is being run, according to the Maryland Daily Record. Tilghman said citizens are afraid to run for public office because “it’s not worth chancing the scorn of the bloggers.”

Whether or not Tilghman’s lament is justified is largely irrelevant.

Bloggers are becoming more and more powerful, and sooner or later the question must be asked: Are blogs beneficial to the political discourse?

The answer is, as it usually is, complicated – yes, but with a great

THE DAILY REVEILLE Editorial Board

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

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

deal of qualification.

First, as previously stated, bloggers can come from any and every part of the spectrum of respectability and reputation. Although it’s true you don’t need press credentials to make astute analysis of the news, they serve as an identity marker for credible sources.

There’s a reason only select writers have Matthew their names atAlbright tached to prestiColumnist gious organizations – they’re good at what they do.

Sullivan writes for the Atlantic because he is a practiced, professional columnist, with a finely-honed sense and skill for rhetoric and argument.

Furthermore, writers associated with major organizations are generally dedicated entirely to observing

and analyzing the news and the political atmosphere – consequently, they are better informed and better able to provide context than a blogger who writes in his or her spare time.

Second, it is essential that blogs not be your sole source of information intake. Just as your body needs a balanced diet to function properly, a politically conscious diet can corroborate the facts and stories a blog refers to with other, more directly journalistic media. Blogs, by their very nature, provide a biased recounting of events, so make sure your facts are straight before digesting the information contained in them.

Third, it’s vital that a blogger’s popularity – the number of hits per page – not function as a measurement of his or her worth as a writer or an analyst. A writer’s popularity is by no means directly proportional to his skill – it’s more likely because

EDITORIAL POLICIES & PROCEDURES The Daily Reveille (USPS 145-800) is written, edited and produced solely by students of Louisiana State University. The Daily Reveille is an independent entity within the Manship School of Mass Communication. Signed opinions are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the editor, paper or University. Letters submitted for publication should be sent via e-mail to opinion@lsureveille.com or delivered to B-26 Hodges Hall. They must be 400 words or less. Letters must have a contact phone number so the opinion editor can verify the author. The phone number won’t be printed. The Daily Reveille reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for space consideration without changing the original intent. The Daily Reveille also reserves the right to reject any letter without notification of the author.

Writers must include their full names and phone numbers. The Daily Reveille’s editor-in-chief, hired every semester by the Louisiana State University Media Board, has final authority on all editorial decisions.

of an ability to write what a certain group of people wants to hear, which is definitely not conducive to a reasoned, logical analysis.

Finally, it’s important to keep a blogger’s importance in perspective.

In the final analysis, a blogger is at best a well-informed and eloquent person giving his opinion – his word is not law, nor should his criticism of a public figure be accepted without debate.

If you follow all these rules, you can make the most of a future full of bloggers.

And your city won’t be destroyed, because you’ll know how to survive them.

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

Contact Matthew Albright at malbright@lsureveille.com

QUOTE OF THE DAY “Self defense is not a blank check.”

Yasser Arafat president of the Palensteinian authority Aug. 24, 1929 - Nov. 11, 2004

THE DAILY REVEILLE

Opinion

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2009

JUXTAPOSED NOTIONS

PAGE 17

Iraqi shoe thrower’s prison sentence too harsh

During former President George W. Bush’s visit to Baghdad last December — a visit made to bid farewell, converse with Prime Minister Nuri al-Muliki and mark greater security in Iraq after years of bloodshed — an Iraqi reporter lost his temper and hurled his shoes at Bush.

The reporter, identified as Muntadar al-Zaidi, apparently screamed, “This is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, dog!” as he hurled one shoe at him, then the other before the authorities intervened.

Throwing a shoe at someone is considered an act of supreme disrespect in the Middle East. The American equivalent would be, roughly, spitting at someone.

The action has symbolic significance and was not meant to cause bodily harm. Zaidi merely threw his shoes to express contempt.

Coupled with the widely

negative opinion of Bush, this has caused the incident to become the butt of political jokes across America.

The repercussions have been unforgiving as far as Zaidi’s future is concerned. Much to Iraqi outrage, Zaidi was originally sentenced to 15 years in prison for his stint.

Since then, his sentence has been trimmed back to three years.

Many feel this is still too harsh, even though Zaidi was lucky to not be subjected to worse treatment.

Still, public sentiment is on Zaidi’s side, and many feel the punishment was shockingly harsh for the crime.

Even Bush found the incident amusing, rather than a cause for alarm.

“I don’t know what the guy’s cause was. I didn’t feel the least bit threatened by it,” Bush said.

This is not to say the reporter should be released without

consequence. A slap on Zaidi’s wrist would suffice. Namely, he should be fined for disrupting public order and perhaps detained for a few days.

This isn’t to say the reporter should be honored for unruly behavior. While Linnie Leavines there are many that share ZaiColumnist di’s sentiments and others that merely support his actions as a freedom of expression, his actions were an embarrassment for his people.

In addition to minor legal repercussion, it would be appropriate for Zaidi to catch heat from his employers. Iraqi journalists need to set higher standards for public behavior in order to maintain a collectively positive image.

But jail time for shoe flinging is too extreme a punishment.

It is possible the charges have resulted from a polarization of feelings toward the former president.

While many side with the reporter, other Iraqis, such as the Prime Minister, have nothing but praise for Bush.

“You have stood by Iraq and the Iraqi people for a very long time, starting with getting rid of the dictatorship,” he said after the shoethrowing incident.

If the Prime Minister believes sentencing Zaidi to jail is necessary to politically appease the U.S., he apparently hasn’t heard the jokes generated at the incident’s expense.

Others — including Ahmed al-Massoudi, a spokesman for the parliamentary bloc loyal to antiAmerican Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sad — felt that Bush’s visit was a “show of force.”

Massoudi never commented directly on whether he thought the fiasco was justified, but it is likely he, and others like him, condone the incident as a legitimate form of retaliation against perceived hostility.

Essentially, given the context, this incident is more of a case of bad manners than actual assault, and it needs to be treated as such.

While truly aggressive action and public misconduct should never be condoned, Zaidi’s humorous assault is hardly threatening enough to warrant jail time.

Slap him on the wrist and send him on his way.

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

Contact Linnie Leavines at lleavines@lsureveille.com

BURNS AFTER READING

Republicans should focus on spending, not earmarks Trying to explain earmarks to Republican diplomats must be like Oscar Nunez from “The Office” giving financial advice to Michael Scott: “Your mommy and daddy give you $10 to open up a lemonade stand. So you go out and you buy cups and you buy lemons and you buy sugar. And now you find out that it only costs you $9.”

The question is: What should you do with the extra dollar? If you’re a good little kid, you’d give that dollar back.

But let’s assume your mommy and daddy are abusive spend thrifts who would use that dollar to buy crack from your crazy Uncle Sam. The answer should become much clearer now — find a way to spend that dollar.

President Barack Obama signed the Omnibus spending bill into law March 11. Congressional Republicans, including Sen. John McCain,

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

ECO@LSU presents ‘Climate Change and La.’ “Like all great universities, LSU continues to work to address global climate change. Finally I can breathe a sigh of relief.” These are the words of Chancellor Martin.

ECO@LSU has long asked the University to acknowledge its role in educating the community about the seriousness of climate change, and during the last “Chats with the Chancellor,” he did just that. Martin noted the science was conclusive, and that it was indeed the role of an institution of higher education to clear up the misunderstanding surrounding climate change.

R-Ariz., have criticized Obama for reneging on his campaign promises by signing the omnibus bill, which contains nearly 9,000 earmarks.

Yet the overall total of earmarks under scrutiny makes up less than 2 percent of the legislation’s aggregate cost. To rebuke this alleged pork barrel spending, representatives need to have a rational understanding of what earmarks are.

An earmark can loosely be defined as a congressional provision that directs approved funds to be spent on specific projects or that directs specific exemptions from taxes or mandated fees. Congressional leadership and appropriators determine the total level of congressional spending before any member has a chance to propose any alterations or amendments. These requests are merely suggestions to apportion parts of that spending for certain items in their district or state.

As the Flagship university for this state, it is our role to address the threats that climate change pose to our coast. Louisiana will be hit hardest if we do not act now to mitigate the effects of climate change. Hurricanes pick up more energy as they travel over warmer waters. Between rising seas and subsiding land, our state is disappearing at a staggering rate.

As part of the ongoing ResLife Energy Competition, ECO has scheduled a presentation called “Climate Change and Louisiana” to be presented by the Gulf Restoration Network.

Come to Dodson Auditorium tonight at 8 p.m. to find out what climate change means to our home state and what you can do to help.

Jordan Bantuelle biology senior, co-president of ECO@LSU

When a request makes it into the budget, it deducts funds out of what is available to the executive branch and various bureaucrats and targets it for projects the people and their representatives request.

If a congressman does Scott Burns not submit fundColumnist ing requests for his district, the money doesn’t magically disappear or go toward paying down the national debt. It’s simply spent elsewhere.

To eliminate all earmarks would further consolidate power in the overly powerful executive branch without saving the taxpayer a dime.

Further, designating how taxpayer money is distributed provides a level of transparency and account-

ability over federal dollars that is currently lacking.

If earmarks were indeed the impetus behind government spending, then all the hoopla would be completely warranted.

But that isn’t the case. Addressing Congress from the house floor, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, spoke out against its distorted view of earmarks. Paul urged Congress to deflect focus away from earmarks and toward the real crisis of unsustainable federal spending.

Instead, Paul argued that Congress should assign all federal spending so there’s at least a tinge of oversight in the process. This also allows for resources to be sanctioned more effectively so taxpayers can — at least to some extent — benefit from their investments.

It’s obvious many of the earmarks in the omnibus spending bill were unwarranted. And most cer-

tainly any frivolous spending is detrimental.

Earmark privileges certainly shouldn’t be abused to help elected officials gain political clout nor should they put a strain on our collective piggy banks. Elected officials shouldn’t chastise targeted spending simply for the chance to grandstand on topics they don’t fully understand.

If Republicans want to facilitate change, they need to direct their outcry toward the real problem. The financial landscape of our political system is bursting into flames. But Republicans can’t see the fiery forest if they’re too focused on the trees.

Scott Burns is a 19-year-old political science and business sophomore from Baton Rouge.

Contact Scott Burns at sburns@lsureveille.com

BEST AND WITTIEST

cartoon courtesy of KING FEATURES SYNDICATE

HELP WANTED

PAGE 18

PLACE YOUR AD TODAY Got something to sell? Want to make an announcement? Need to find an apartment or roommate?

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

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STUDENT & SUMMER WORK Local BR company expanding Fast! **$15.00 Base/appt** Flexible Schedules No experience nec Customer sales/ svc Ages 17+ Apply NOW:225-927-3066 www.collegestudentwork.com PLUCKERS Now Hiring Delivery Drivers Earn $8-$16/ Hr Apply at 4225 Nicholson AQUATICS COORDIN ATOR /PT The Paula G. Manship YMCA seeks Aquatics Coordinator P/T, 30 hr/wk, flex schedule M-F w/occasional weekends.

Responsible for the quality control of all aquatic programs, focusing on swim lessons and the swim team. Individual must be comfortable managing co-workers and interacting with the membership. Lifeguard certification required and swim lesson instructor or equivalent. Certification classes available.

Flexible schedule, Mon-Fri and some weekends as needed.

Apply in person or submit resume to: Anthony Iracki Aquatics Director (225)767-9622 airacki@ymcabatonrouge.org GREAT HOURS! GREAT PAY! Texas Roadhouse is currently hiring servers and hosts. Make money at a fun restaurant!

Come by 10360 N. Mall Dr, M-T, between 2 and 4 pm for an interview. Hope to see you soon! 225.293.0144 FUN SUMMER JOB. Foxy’s F i t n e s s C e n t e r is now hiring for Kids Camp, Swim Te a c h e r s & Pool staf f.

Call 225.296.8000 GET PAID CASH AND REWARDS for taking

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2009

online surveys. www. CashToSpend.com

Don”t miss out on this great deal!

225.757.7455

FOR SALE FOR RENT FOR S ALE: Studio Apt. 900 Sq. Ft. Fenced Yard 1535 Nicholson Dr. $114,860 985.859.3292 TIGER MANOR CONDOMINIUMS. U N I T S R E A D Y F O R S P R I N G & F ALL 2009!! Brand new 1, 2, and 3 bedroom units for sale s t a r ting at $124,900. Ask about our Guaranteed Buy -Back Program!! 3000 July St. 225-346-5055 www.tigermanor.com Location. Location.

Location... Star t Living. $139,900- 3330 WILL ARD CONDO! High demand 2BR 2BA Views of LSU clock tower on private balcony! Gated!

225.937.4003 Engle Realty BuyBTR.com WHY RENT! 1400 sq ft home 5 miles from campus. 3bdrm, 2bath. Fireplace. New roof. Appliances included. $139,900.

FOR RENT- ARLINGTON TR ACE 1300 sq ft living area 2 bed, 2.5 bath Apprx. 3 Miles South of LSU Gated Community $1300.00 monthly 225.819.2616 CONDO FOR RENT 3 bdr 2 baths BRIGHTSIDE APT.#1204 900 Dean Lee Dr. Baton Rouge La. Gated, Pool, Sand BB, Res.park $1500.00 per Mth 504-382-8655 504.382.8655 SUBLEASE NOW Tiger Plaza apartment near LSU, available for sublease now!!!

Utilities and furniture included!!! Great price Contact at ldiga1@lsu.edu or call 347.424.5140 APT FOR RENT 2 bedroom Apt in Tiger

THE DAILY REVEILLE

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2009 Plaza $455/person or best offer.

618.319.0054

female partner to play w/. Call me.

337.274.2979

and live music. If interested email me Selena_M1212@yahoo.com.

TIGER MANOR CONDOMINIUMS. U N I T S R E A D Y F O R S P R I N G & F ALL 2009! Brand new 1, 2, & 3 bedrooms available.

R e s e r v e y o u r u n i t t o d a y ! Wa l k t o c l a s s !

3000 July St. 225-346-5055. www . t i g e r manor.com Location. Location. Location... Star t Living.

L SU GUY Looking for love in all the wrong places.

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

Tigerlovin22@gmail.com

I WANT TO BE YOUR DERIVATIVE so I can lie tangent to your curves. Nerdy ndn chick seeking an intelligent and attractive conversationalist. Ladies only, please—I’m tired of natural logs approaching the asymptote. sheenyinabottle@hotmail.com

WALK TO L SU One BR $425 881 Violet.

McDaniel Prop. 225.388.9858

GIRL NEEDED FOR girl needed for laundry and creation of tasty ice cream treats hungrymandirtylaundry@yahoo.com

SUMMER GROVE CONDOS Reserve your unit now for Summer/Fall ’09.

2bed/2 bath - $1,200 2bed/2.5 bath - $1,300 3bed/3.5 bath - $1,650 See our website for more details! www.deanflores.com Dean Flores Real Estate 9191 Siegen Lane Ste 4-B Baton Rouge, LA 70810 225.767.2227 WALK TO L SU 1 and 2 BR FLATS and TH, pool, laundry center. University View Apartments on West Parker. Call Hannah 767-2678. NO PETS. SAFE LOC. NEAR L SU 1BR, 1BA, ALL UTILS., CBL+WIFI INCL. BUS RT. $950/ mo +dep. BRYAN 225.235.3607 ROOMMATES ROOM IN GOOD house. W&D, alarm, etc.

No lease needed. $260 + shared utilities. $250 dep. 225.921.1209 F E M A L E R O O M M AT E Seeking to share nice 2 br apt near campus, w/other female. $375/mo.

225.892.8901 PERSONALS ! GUITARIS T WANTED ! New Band seeking young electric guitarist with influences such as...

U2... Coldplay... Fray... Blue October...

Practice space preferred, but not necessary.

Call Josh @ (318) 458-9766 I NEED A FRECKLY REDHEAD GIRL I am in love with redheads and their freckles, and I just can’t seem to find any; it’s a problem! I have a great sense of humor, and I’m pretty intelligent and caring. So if there are any freckled redhead girls out there who like to meet a muscular Italian guy, email me at TheGoon6@hotmail.com BASSIS T LOOKING FOR BAND 19 Years Old 6 Years Experience Experience In Many Different Genres Want To Start Giging ASAP Easy Going phil_guitreau@yahoo.com 225.614.4032 LIKE TO GET LOS T ON ROADTRIPS? Single guy looking for a fine honey to get lost taking a roadtrip, i have no clue how to read a map, so come get lost with me...cloupe2@lsu.edu D E N I M D A N D E S I R E S D ATE Looking for a girl who’s not scared of a little denim. I’ll be at Reggie’s in my jean jacket and dark denims on the stage, sippin on a cranberry vodka.

Love it or leave it baby 504.256.7534 R AWR! Did you see star wars? Did you like Chewbacca? Did you appreciate his height, hairiness, and loyalty? If so, I may be your man! ABSOLUTELY NO Y-CHROMOSOMES! I can be reached at hairybenjamin@gmail.com, P. S. This is a serious Ad!!!

I LIKE DR. PEPPER (SEXY) I’ve recently discovered my love for HALO. Looking for a

*TIRED OF BEING HEAR T BROKEN* Smart, shy, Independant LSU Junior girl looking to hang out with a nice, smart, sensible, cute guy for friendship or possibly dating. damselindistress86@gmail.com SEEKING CHARITABLE, outdoor loving individual. Must love animals and the occasional hiking or camping trip. Drop me a message at HighpointingForAmerica.org STIMULUS LOVE PACKAGE! Single, outgoing, very attractive, brown LSU grad lady seeking to meet interracially/Internationally a mature, handsome male student, Grad/ or non student (26-38) for coffee, museum dates

SEARCHING 4 SOULMATE 20yo Asian guy seeking masculine guy 18-23 to date.

Races open. I’m a sweetheart! tigerboy1988@gmail.com MISCELLANEOUS GET A FREE BONE SCAN at the Wellness Fair on Wednesday, March 25 TRAVEL WWW.ONGULFSHORES.COM Forget Mexico. Beautiful white sand beaches of Gulf Shores is waiting for you. Small or large groups from 2-60. Beach front houses & some with pools. Spring break bargains for as little as $153 per person. rentinfo@elkinsapts.com 812.339.2859 or 251.948.5695.

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wednesday, march 25, 2009