The Daily Reveille - February 26, 2015

Reveille The Daily

thursday, february 26, 2015 Volume 119 · No. 97

‘This kind of cut is of such magnitude it will have a long-term and generational effect on the education we offer.’

THE DAILY REVEILLE ARCHIVES

F. King Alexander LSU President University prepares to have its state funding slashed nearly in half

BY Rose Velazquez rvelazquez@lsureveille.com Nearly half the University’s state funding hinges on tomorrow’s preliminary budget announcement from Gov. Bobby Jindal.

Roughly $110 million of the University’s budget comes from the state, but the higher education budget reduction proposed by Jindal could drop this number to $58 million, cutting almost half the University’s state funding, said LSU President F. King Alexander.

Pending Jindal’s official

announcement tomorrow, higher education faces a $383 million reduction, according to LSU Budget Hub. With the possibility of the proposed budget cut reducing the roughly 13.5 percent of the University’s revenue coming from the state to 6 percent, University administration must decide sooner rather than later whether to reduce the number of courses offered during the fall semester. Because financial aid is contingent on course selection, which opens in March, the decision cannot wait for the April

see preparation, page 6

State budget shortfalls not new to Louisiana legislators

BY William Taylor Potter wpotter@lsureveille.com Legislators knew the budget shortfall was coming, and it’s happened before.

Higher education faced a 30 percent budget cut in 2008, said LSU President F. King Alexander. The upcoming cut will likely be between 42 to 45 percent of the higher education budget.

No one factor caused the budget shortfall. Constitutional protections, using one-time money, oil and Gov. Bobby Jindal’s pledge to not raise taxes all played a part in creating the deficit.

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“We knew last year when we passed the state budget that we were passing a budget that was going to lead us into a billion dollar shortfall,” said Rep. Brett Geymann, R-Lake Charles, a member of the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget. “That was not a responsible thing for us to do. That’s my biggest frustration with this.”

The Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget is the committee tasked with approving budgetary matters.

“We knew we were going to be short,”

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Local trivia moderator to speak at LSU TEDx event ton Rouge nightlife. Hatfield’s roving trivia events appear in restaurants and bars around the city, all with him at the mic dishing out both the sometimes not so obvious questions.

Hatfield’s presentation at TEDxLSU will focus on the power of community. His quiz nights work to draw people together and work to solve problems, even if those problems include figuring out which country’s native dish is goulash.

Building to be used as model dorm room, meeting place The building beside the University bookstore used to be a house for the University president years ago but has now been transformed by Facility Services into a tour center for the Department of Residential Life.

Assistant Director of Facility Services Tammy Millican said the house’s exterior renovations are complete, but the University will work to renovate the inside of the building over the next year. She said the

RYAN LACHNEY Deputy Production Editor SIDNEYROSE REYNEN Opinion Editor

CAMPUS BRIEFS

The worldwide conference series TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is returning for its third year at the University.

A one-day-only event, TEDxLSU’s 2015 session will feature a variety of Baton Rouge’s influential citizens, including scientists, humanitarians and musicians.

One of the twelve speakers is Michael Hatfield, whose website MonkeyBR and his trivia series “Let’s Get Quizzical” have worked their way into Ba-

JENNIFER VANCE Production Editor

house was one of the original buildings on campus, and dates back to around 1930.

Inside the house will be a model dorm room for Residential Life tours and a meeting place for future students and their families.

Residential Life hosts tours Monday through Friday starting from the lobby of Grace King hall, but will eventually move the starting point to the former president’s house.

ZOE GEAUTHREAUX Photo Editor MARYLEE WILLIAMS Radio Director SAM ACCARDO Advertising Buisness Manager PAIGE ROBERTS Marketing Manager

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

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES The Daily Reveille (USPS 145-800) is written, edited and produced solely by students of Louisiana State University.

The Daily Reveille is an independent entity within the Manship School of Mass Communication. A single issue of The Daily Reveille is free. To purchase additional copies for 25 cents, please contact the Office of Student Media in B-39 Hodges Hall. The Daily Reveille is published daily during the fall and spring semesters and semi-weekly during the summer semester, except during holidays and final exams.

Second-class copies postage paid at Baton Rouge, La., 70803. Annual weekly mailed subscriptions are $125, semester weekly mailed subscriptions are $75. Non-mailed student rates are $4 each regular semester, $2 during the summer; one copy per person, additional copies 25 cents each.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Daily Reveille, B-39 Hodges Hall, LSU, Baton Rouge, La., 70803.

The Daily Reveille

Thursday, February 26, 2015

page 3

budget cuts

Former and present Board members await cuts’ consequences BY carrie grace henderson chenderson@lsureveille.com The 16-member LSU Board of Supervisors that manages and oversees the LSU System possesses no constitutional power to mitigate Gov. Bobby Jindal’s proposed higher education budget cuts.

But LSU President F. King Alexander is banking on Board members to minimize cuts to the system’s roughly $475 million spending plan.

Alexander said he and five Board members contacted Jindal after his January brief on the financial situation.

“Five of our very influential board members and I went to see the governor to talk about the dire straits of this potential hit and what can we do to mitigate it and how can we work together to make sure that we’re not funding the wrong things,” Alexander said. “[T]his state spends a lot of money on funding the wrong things.”

Current and past Board members outlined spending reductions, including faculty layoffs, furloughs, a diminished student experience, building maintenance issues and increased TOPS spending. Current supervisors expressed hope issues will be resolved, but former supervisors were less optimistic.

Previous Cuts Former Board member Alvin Kimble, who chaired the Finance Committee during similar cuts,

called the situation a catch-22.

He represented the 6th congressional district from July 2006 to June 2012.

“The problem is all you can spend is what the state gives and what the tuition brings in,” Kimble said. “And so when they cut your budget, all you can do is look to cut employees, cut services.”

The Daily Reveille previously reported that the University’s operating budget is 85 percent personnel and 15 percent equipment, according to Jane Cassidy, vice provost for human resources and facilities management.

“Right now, we’re in a place where we can provide the type of education that we want to provide our students. There’s not much left before we start cutting into that,” Cassidy said.

As a Board member, Kimble said furloughs and notice of potential furloughs were common.

In 2009, under then-Chancellor Michael Martin, the University rescinded a plan to furlough 1,700 employees.

Kimble said budget consequences go beyond faculty.

“We’ve got so much deferred maintenance on buildings ... It’s just frightening the way that the buildings at LSU are deteriorating,” he said.

Kimble said tuition increases cause the legislature to put more money into TOPS funding.

Budget cuts are responsible for the University’s condition.

Kimble said. One cut includes a 54.3 percent state funds per

student decrease between fiscal year 2008-09 to 2014-15.

Once Jindal’s proposed budget bill becomes a reality, the Board will have a more defined role.

As the governing body, it authorizes all major fiscal decisions within the system, said Board Chair Ann Duplessis, District 2 state senator from 2002 to 2010.

The Board, which will allocate state funding and attempt to close budget shortfalls, has not expressed concrete plans.

Opposing views Some former members are critical of the Board’s less-thanproactive approach.

Former Board member Tony Falterman said members are afraid of the potential repercussions of opposing Jindal’s office.

“Whatever the governor wants, they’re going to rubber stamp,” Falterman said. “They’re scared to death of him.”

All 16 members were appointed or reappointed by Jindal.

Falterman, who attended Nicholls State University before tranferring to LSU, said the cuts will be tough for the flagship campus, but more difficult for smaller schools under the Board, like LSU-Eunice or LSU-Alexandria.

“I couldn’t afford to live on campus or afford LSU, and that was the best thing that ever happened to me,” Falterman said, Smaller campuses turn out doctors and lawyers, Falterman said, but may not be able to take

the brunt of a fiscal shortfall.

Despite concerns over future cuts, Board members remain optimistic even while facing up to a 42 to 45 percent reduction.

Board member Blake Chatelain, a University alumnus, has two sons at the University and two who are alumni.

“I think the entire board is very engaged in having conversations with our community and our elected officials about the challenges ahead,” Chatelain said. “And stressing how we need to work through these minimal cuts, if any, to higher ed.”

Board member and University alumnus Stanley Jacobs said as a parent and grandfather, he would feel comfortable sending his grandchildren to the University even as it faces this potentially “devastating” situation.

Jacobs said the Board could do more awaiting the announcement.

“We’re just waiting to see what is going to happen, what is going to be presented to the legislature and presumably at that time, we’re going to hopefully become proactive,” Jacobs said.

Jacobs, past appointed to the Board by governors Mike Foster, Kathleen Blanco and most recently by Jindal, said tuition hikes are becoming more difficult for students.

“I’m in my 15th year, and when I first went on the Board, the state was paying 75 percent of the funding for the tuition and the student was paying 25,” Jacobs said. “Where now the

student is paying is 75 and the state is paying 25. That’s difficult for the students.”

Waiting for the Call Duplessis said in a statement that Alexander and his team have contacted the Board and other systems.

It would be detrimental to make a statement before all the facts are in, namely the official magnitude of proposed cuts, Duplessis said.

“Once you expose what the options and opportunities are to resolve the issues, then you don’t have to go back because something new popped up,” she said.

Board member and past chair Bobby Yarborough said in an email to The Daily Reveille that the Board is looking to improve student experiences and run more efficiently.

“Our leadership continues to work toward achieving more autonomy from the state to conduct our business while ... being held accountable for quality and outcomes,” Yarborough’s email said.

Board members Scott Angelle and Rolfe McCollister declined to comment. Members Scott Ballard, J. Stephen Perry, Garret “Hank” Danos, Raymond Lasseigne, Jim McCrery, James Moore Jr., Ronald Anderson, Jack Lawton Jr., Lee Mallett and Brandon Crain did not respond to requests for comment at the time of press.

Rose Velazquez contributed to this report.

University leans on fundraising associations leading up to budget cuts BY amanda capritto acapritto@lsureveille.com President and CEO of the University’s Alumni Association Cliff Vannoy said there may be a long-term solution to the state deficit — one that won’t harm the University’s budget.

The most obvious solution to the budget cuts is to use the $7 billion in tax credits, discounts and giveaways the state uses as “just-in-case” money to help the business industry, Vannoy said.

“If you have a $1.6 billion shortfall, I think it’s high time we look at what we’re doing on the giveaway program and cut that back,” Vannoy said. “That way we can fill that hole, and, rather than cutting people’s jobs and gutting higher education, we should find a way to use some of the revenues we already have ... on the table.”

For every dollar generated by the state, the University generates $5.08 more in economic activity, he said.

Vannoy said it doesn’t seem logical that the shortfall is so big for an institution with such a significant revenue.

He said the LSU community needs to tell legislators they want something done about the cuts, even if it requires rolling back the tax credits.

University President F. King Alexander called on the University’s major fundraising organizations — the Alumni Association, Tiger Athletic Foundation and LSU Foundation — to seek budget cut solutions and rally their members to support the University.

Collectively, the three organizations raised about $425 million during the 2013-14 fiscal year, $330 million of which came from the LSU Foundation, according to the LSU Foundation website.

Comprised of more than 600,000 alumni, works with the University to fund developments and improve student life.

In February, the Alumni Association created a grassroots campaign, Tiger Advocates, encouraging the LSU community to fight budget cuts. Its goal is to serve as a loud and collective voice of University to communicate with legislators and ensure LSU remains a top university.

Vannoy said students are crucial in saving University funding.

The Alumni Association’s greatest fear, Vannoy said, is members may stop donating.

Some members will help the University and donate more, but others might stop because of hits from the cuts.

“That’s a difficult situation to be in,” Vannoy said. “When you

have a 40 percent budget cut for a fine institution like LSU, then we’re going to become less and less competitive with the rest of the state and Southeastern Conference. Everybody wants to support a winner, and LSU is a big-time winner in the state of Louisiana.”

Vannoy said he wants students, faculty, alumni, University sports fans and parents to join Tiger Advocates because they have a stake in the University and understand how vital the threatened funds are.

Sara Crow, director of communications and donor relations at the LSU Foundation, said in a statement about the foundation, “Our donors’ generosity is critical to sustaining excellence at LSU, which is why our focus remains supporting LSU through philanthropy. Every day, our team works in close collaboration with LSU to pair the university’s priorities with donors’ passions.”

The LSU Foundation declined further comment.

Vannoy said the Alumni Association, in addition to working with the LSU Foundation to raise awareness about Tiger Advocates, works with Student Government and Alexander to spread the word to students.

“The more people our

legislators see against the cuts, the less willing they’ll be to approve them,” Vannoy said.

Rose Velazquez contributed to this report.

FEBRUARY

EVENT CALENDAR

26

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015 12:00 PM 6:30 PM 9:00 PM 11:00 PM

Charity Hospital of New Orleans - West Baton Rouge Museum Rewind - Superior Grill DJ Monkey - The Station Sports Bar and Grill Spanish Moon Presents: 80s Toons Night - The Spanish Moon Cat's Ass Karaoke - George's Place Revolution! The Atlantic World Reborn - Capitol Park Museum Jamie Baldridge - Baton Rouge Gallery for Contemporary Art

ALL DAY

A World of Dreams - Louisiana Art and Science Museum and Planetarium An American in Venice: James McNeill Whistler and His Legacy LSU Museum of Art Brave Steps: The Louisiana Native Guard - West Baton Rouge Museum

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

page 4 past, from page 1 Geymann said. “We saw this coming and did nothing about it.”

Protections Most state agencies are protected from budget cuts by Louisiana’s constitution, leaving health care and higher education for the taking, Geymann said. After new amendments passed in November, certain portions of health care are shielded from cuts.

There has never been an amendment protecting higher education on the ballot, Geymann said.

“They are basically exposed to a large portion of cuts whenever we’re faced with cutting,” Geymann said. “So what you’ll see when we have to make these cuts, mainly health care and higher education will absorb most of those cuts.”

Health care and higher education are also two of the most expensive agencies to operate, Geymann said.

Of the state’s $25 billion budget, only about $8-9 billion is part of the general fund, where higher education gets its money. About $2-3 billion is left unprotected by the constitution, Geymann said.

“Now, if you take the $2-3 billion that’s available to be cut and you look at a $1.6 billion shortfall, you can see what kind of situation we’ve gotten ourselves into,” Geymann said. “It’s not promising at all.”

Higher education is typically not one of the state’s priorities, said economics professor James Richardson, but universities are able to generate some of their own funds.

“We also have the ability to help ourselves more than most other state agencies,” Richardson said. “There are only so many things the state does, and you look at certain things. And higher education is not always one that comes to the top.”

A few ideas have been floated that could save more funding for higher education, said University director of external affairs Jason Droddy. One is an amendment providing for a dedication to hospitals.

“Basically, in exchange for hospitals paying a fee, they get to protect their base budget, which would be a great thing for higher education,” Droddy said.

The amendment would allow hospitals to pay a fee to the state in exchange for a portion of their budgets being safe from cuts, he said.

That idea is still a few steps away from fruition, but it remains a possibility, Droddy said.

He said another issue involved the state transportation fund. A bill passed right before the recession sends revenues from the tax on vehicle sales to the general fund. However, once revenues hit a certain mark, the money starts going to the transportation trust fund.

“Our money comes out of the general fund, so that’s less

for us,” Droddy said. “So we’re watching that transportation issue as well.”

Other States Alabama is one of the few states with higher education protection, Droddy said. As a result, the University of Alabama experienced unprecedented growth. From 2006 to 2014, total enrollment grew by about 12,000 students, according to its website. LSU grew by less 1,000 during the same period, excluding online students, according to the University 14th Day Enrollment Reports.

Other states, such as Florida, keep higher education systems small, Richardson said.

The State University System of Florida represents 12 public universities compared with Louisiana’s 18.

“I think they made a decision to focus a little more on only a few,” Richardson said. “We have not been able to make that decision. In fact, we’ve made the other decision to be very expansive of our institutions. It takes money, obviously.”

Not all states have been so fortunate. If current trends continue, Colorado will no longer fund higher education by 2025, Alexander said. Iowa, Michigan and Minnesota will follow in 2029, 2030 and 2032, respectively.

Alexander said higher education funds started decreasing around 1980, and higher education nationwide has been sliding ever since.

In a nation where higher education is suffering, Louisiana is still near the bottom. Funding for the state’s flagship university already ranks 46th in the nation, receiving $110 million from the state, Alexander said.

“Next year, that reduction would put us at about $58 million, so almost half of the funding,” Alexander said. “We get about 13.5 percent of all of our revenues from the state right now on our main campus.

This would knock us to about 6 percent.”

Louisiana also ranks eighth in the nation in tuition increases since 2008, according to Inside Higher Ed. Richardson said the tuition increases compensate for the lack of state funding.

“That was replacing money the state had given us in the past,” Richardson said. “We really couldn’t improve the institution.”

One-Time Money For the past decade, the governor’s office has used one-time funds to pay for recurring expenses, Geymann said. The onetime money comes from outlets like sold assets or lawsuit settlements.

When the budget was approved, legislators knew some one-time revenue funds, like tax amnesty and Medicaid trust fund money, would not be there, he said.

“We were losing several sources of funding that we knew were going away,” Geymann said. “We chose to do nothing about it.”

The Daily Reveille

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Javier Fernández / The Daily Reveille

Gov. Bobby Jindal, along with LSU President F. King Alexander and agency representatives, break ground on the new Center for River Studies — the first of three buildings to make up the Water Campus — on Feb. 11.

Governors use one-time funds so they won’t have to make unpopular political decisions to cut expenses or raise taxes, he said.

“We rely on that one-time source of revenue, and what happens the next year is we have the same problem again,” Geymann said. “We have relied on the use of one-time revenue, accounting tricks, shuffling money around, different gimmicks where we can technically be balanced, but, in reality, we’re not.”

The one-time money has been used to cover operating expenses like salaries, travel and retirement, which have to be paid for every year, Geymann said. This led to the expected billion dollar shortfall, which has grown due to oil prices.

The falling oil prices added another $400-600 million to the deficit, Geymann said.

Now the deficit is closer to $1.6 billion.

“Neither one of those numbers are encouraging,” Geymann said. “They’re both trouble, and they both are difficult to deal with, but it certainly is worse now because of the price in oil.”

The combination of oil prices and bad budgeting is an issue the state faced before in 2008, Richardson said.

Oil prices fell from about $120 per barrel to $60-70 per barrel from 2008-2010, and income taxes were cut by close to $800 million, Richardson said. Combined with the national recession, the state lost about $3 billion in revenues.

Oil prices are a factor in the current situation, but the initial budget is still the reason behind the bulk of the problem, Geymann said. Oil just darkened an already bleak situation.

“A large portion of what we’re looking at was preventable,” Geymann said. “We certainly could not have predicted the drop in the price of oil. Even in a perfect environment, we would be facing some tough decisions because of that.”

Jindal’s Pledge As of 2014, Jindal was one of

14 governors who had taken the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, according to Americans for Tax Reform. The pledge advocates against tax increases under any circumstance.

If taxes aren’t being raised, expenditures will have to be cut, Richardson said, though it’s not as simple as it sounds.

“There’s only so much waste you can cut,” Richardson said.

“What you see as waste might not be what I see as waste, and what I see as waste might not be your waste. You have to accept the politics of that.”

Geymann said citizens have indicated they are against tax increases. To compensate, the state has to find other ways to raise revenue.

The Jindal administration has focused on economic growth to increase revenue, Geymann said. While higher education has been cut, Louisiana has given out more than $11 billion in subsidies to corporations, more than any other state, according to Inside Higher Ed. This plan of attack hasn’t had the desired effect, Geymann said.

“I think this administration has relied and hoped that the incoming growth would grow us out of this shortfall, but it just hasn’t happened,” Geymann said. “It may in the future if we have an economic boom.

Then maybe we’ll grow out of this problem.”

The last major period of economic growth stemmed from the Hurricane Katrina and Rita recovery periods, Geymann said.

During that time, higher education was funded at the Southern Regional Average, Geymann said. Teachers also received raises as a result of the economic boom.

“We were able to do some wonderful things that needed to be done but mainly because we have that phenomenal growth from the recovery,” Geymann said. “That’s really the only thing we have looking at as where we can get out of this hole is by looking at the exemptions we can take away, increasing fees, and some kind of economic recovery.”

Jindal’s pledge makes it more difficult to raise revenue, Richardson said.

“To be honest, he’s tied his own hands because of his pledge,” Richardson said. “I think that’s the choice he’s made. I think it’s a silly choice, but that’s his choice, not mine.”

The Future The next governor and legislative body have a tough task ahead of them, Geymann said.

They’ll have look at what they do well and where they need to improve.

“If we’re going to deal with this, we’re going to have to have some courage, and we’re going to have to make some tough political decisions,” Geymann said. “If we don’t, we can potentially destroy education and healthcare in the state as we know it.”

Richardson said he expects to see multiple solutions to the issue, though many of them may not be beneficial in the long run.

“It’ll be a strange thing. It’ll put a lot of pressure on everybody,” Richardson said. “I think it’s a matter of waiting one more year and hoping the new governor will come in with a different attitude.”

Jindal’s office did not respond to two requests for comment.

Rose Velazquez contributed to this report.

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The Daily Reveille

page 5

Faces OF THE Cuts How important is higher education to Louisiana’s government officials?

David Susko anthropology and geology senior

Mit Patel

‘Not at all ...

They are more concerned with getting re-elected and satisfying the friends that help to put them where they are.’

‘I don’t think it’s that important to them because they don’t give us enough money for more opportunities.’

electrical engineering freshman

Victoria Donze

‘I think it’s something that’s important but being forgotten and ignored right now.’

kinesiology sophomore

How would you describe the state of higher education in Louisiana?

How do you think the University will be affected by upcoming budget cuts?

‘I think some of the humanities will be cut, and that will affect my education.’

‘Important.’

Zhané Williams

Rebecca Doell

kinesiology sophomore

anthropology sophomore

‘Unfortunate.’

Jordan Ball

Sammie Jackson

physics senior

English sophomore

‘It’s all right but could be better.’

William Cameron Firnberg

Margaret Manning

marketing senior

mass communication sophomore

‘I’m not sure if they really care about it very much.’

‘It needs improvement.’

Linda Phan

Riley Katz

Courtney Thomas

kinesiology senior

mass communication sophomore

pre-nursing freshman

Katrina Aalgaard marketing junior

‘I think they want the citizens of Louisiana to be welleducated and well-rounded ...

I never see very much pressure on them to care about it.’

‘It’s dwindling.’

Hannah Jones

Tanner White

mechanical engineering freshman

mechanical engineering junior

‘I think that, if people are smart and are able to, they will leave, go to a different state and get a better education.’

‘The University will be greatly affected, especially departments like the arts or mass communication because they aren’t as strongly focused.’

‘I think it won’t hit as hard here because of all the money coming from sports and other places.’

‘It’s going to have a terribly negative effect. Everyone’s going to have to cut back on even the most basic things.

We’re all going to suffer from it.’

page 6 preparation, from page 1 legislative session, Alexander said.

“This kind of cut is of such magnitude that it will have a long-term and generational effect on the education we offer, on our graduates — what they do — on students that won’t come or go home, on faculty who don’t show up or faculty who leave with their federal research grants and research opportunities that they utilize with students, on our service to the state,” Alexander said.

Due to the drop in oil prices and Louisiana’s energy industry dependence, state revenue was hit with a $400 to $600 million loss, said Rep. Brett Geymann, R-Lake Charles.

The state is faced with a $1.6 billion budget deficit.

When state leadership looks for discretionary funding to cut, higher education and health care represent approximately $2.5 billion left unprotected by the Louisiana state constitution, said Jason Droddy, University executive director of policy and external affairs.

If there was more commitment to building a strong university system in Louisiana, the state would not be so dependent on energy, and the budget would not be as negatively affected by the oil industry’s downturn, said Michael Martin, former University chancellor.

The Worst-Case Scenario Beyond the main campus, the University belongs to the LSU System — a network of higher education institutions and research facilities under Alexander’s leadership.

If Jindal’s budget plan confirms the budget reduction is as large as projected, LSU Shreveport, LSU Alexandria, LSU Eunice, the LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, the LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport, the Paul M. Hebert Law Center, the LSU AgCenter and its parish extensions, the Pennington Biomedical Research Center and University main campus will feel the effects.

Alexander said this could be the largest higher education budget reduction in 50 years.

“Our area regional campuses — [Alexandria, Eunice and Shreveport] — they have no idea how they’re going to get out of something that bad,” Alexander said. “Pennington has no idea how to get out of something this bad.”

Droddy said tomorrow’s announcement will be the worstcase scenario for higher education. Because of preliminary budget regulations, one-time money, like property sales, will not be included in Jindal’s announcement.

On April 8, a higher education budget presentation will be made to the House Appropriations Committee, describing how the funding presented in tomorrow’s preliminary budget will be used, Droddy said.

The legislative session will begin on April 13, when the state legislature will deliberate on

one-time money, which may be able to cover some of the losses to higher education.

The Daily Reveille said. “So this yapping about inefficiency, you don’t start at the bottom on there and start saying, ‘Oh, all those institutions are inefficient.’ They cut us, I don’t even know where we’d fall below that.”

During the 2008-09 recession, higher education was hit with about a 30 percent reduction, but the budget plan for the upcoming year could result in a 42 to 45 percent reduction, Alexander said.

The Consequences Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Stuart Bell said this cut could delay students’ graduation because the University will not be able to offer as many course sections, and class sizes will increase, decreasing individual student attention.

“We have some programs that are close to 100 to one, 100 students to every one faculty mem- Previous Cuts ber, and that’s just not sustainMartin said he faced repeated able,” Bell said. “That’s not the budget cuts during his four years model that a flagship university as chancellor from 2008 to 2012, needs to be operating at.” and the midyear cuts hit the UniUniversity alumnus and po- versity hardest. He was forced to litical commentator James Car- eliminate academic programs, ville said he including mulsaw every- ‘I think we in public higher tiple foreign lanone from his education have got to stymie guage programs, brothers and this slide and this devaluing and the school sisters to his off a number of students and the next laid most sucof non-academic cessful col- generation of students, and faculty and staff leagues and quit relying on them to pay members. current and for the baby boomers as they The Univerformer Tusity lost valuget older.’ lane Univerable individuals sity students who couldn’t be F. KING ALEXANDER, graduate replaced or had LSU President from the Unito be replaced versity. by more junior His whole life he wanted his people where possible, Mardaughter, now a junior in high tin said. However, Student Life school, to attend his alma mater, and Enrollment improved stuhe said, but with concerns over dent retention, protecting the the quality of the education she University from more dire would receive, these days, he is financial effects. not sure if the University is the Even though student tuition right place for her. and fees rose, Martin said keep“An LSU degree is, you know, ing students on campus to pay tubecause of the actions that we’ve ition and complete degrees kept taken, is just not going to be the University afloat. worth as much as it used to, and Bell said the University alit’s something that we’ve got to ready took many of the immeconsider,” Carville said. “There’s diate plans of action considered a price for all of this, and it’s the young people in this state that are going to pay it.”

The University is more indispensable to Louisiana than any other state university to its home state, and the size of this budget reduction will have consequences not only for students, but for the Louisiana economy, Carville said.

When he attended the University, he said the education he received and the faculty he was able to work with gave him “a real window in the world,” but he now worries the education will be under par with other flagship schools.

“I don’t think the governor, the legislature or the Board [of Supervisors] has any idea of how talented our students are and how much this University means to the state,” Carville said. “I really don’t. Some legislators do I’m sure. Some Board members do, but my observation is a whole lot of them don’t have the foggiest idea.”

Many legislators believe there is room to cut higher education because of inefficient spending, Alexander said.

Of the 50 flagship schools throughout the country, he said the University ranks 46th in spending per student.

“You take all our money and spend it on a student we rank fourth from the bottom already before any cuts,” Alexander

Thursday, February 26, 2015 to combat a budget reduction.

The more the state cuts higher education, the harder it is not to have a negative impact on students and the state economy.

Martin said the efforts of the student body and student leadership were vital to combating cuts.

He took the Student Government president and vice president with him to speak with the governor and present a petition with signatures collected from University students, as well as other students throughout the state.

Another important element was the formation of the Flagship Coalition, a group of powerful Louisiana higher education supporters — all University boosters — who put their reputation on the line to advocate for higher education, Martin said.

The Next Steps Alexander said the University is in the first phase of reaching out to deans to find where there might be room to cut, but the steps moving forward are always changing because the budget is developing.

The University will try to protect instruction first, but the student services surrounding instruction, such as tutoring, advising and counseling, will be the first affected by the reduction, Alexander said.

“Understand though, that for four years in a row, we’ve already gone through this, so we can’t save the dollar we’ve already saved if you will,” Bell said. “We’ve saved a lot of dollars that wouldn’t have hard impacts, but even those had hard impacts.”

Alexander said students can get involved by allying with

Student Government, with whom he will be working closely. He encouraged students, parents and alumni to join the Tiger Advocates — an advocacy group formed by the Alumni Association and SG to campaign against the budget reduction.

Carville said the major reason the University has continued to face financial abuse at the hands of state leadership is the University community’s unwillingness to speak up.

“You know, in any abusive relationship, and it is an abusive relationship between state government and the University,” Carville said, “It not only takes the person doing the abusing, but it takes the consent of the person being abused. And this University is in an abusive relationship with the government of this state, and it’s been for a long time.”

Alexander said he is working with legislators to find solutions to lessen the blow.

Alexander’s proposed solutions are a pension reform and seeking more autonomies from the state, but it took the University three years to gain control of its risk management and procurement.

Though about 6 percent of the state recipients are in the University pension plans, students contribute 22 percent of the statewide funds, Alexander said.

“I think we in public higher education have got to stymie this slide and this devaluing of students and the next generation of students, and quit relying on them to pay for the baby boomers as they get older,” Alexander said.

William Taylor Potter contributed to this report.

Thursday, February 26, 2015 SOFTBALL

Sports

page 7 GYMNASTICS

Softball attempts to continue road success

Gymnastics recruiting process rigorous, expansive

Team coming off sweep in California

Coaches take few days off during recruiting

BY MORGAN PREWITT mprewitt@lsureveille.com One lesson every team has to learn is how to play on the road. The disruption of game day routines and different atmospheres can throw off a team’s chemistry, but the best teams are able to fight through adversity and use road trips to become stronger.

So far, so good for LSU softball.

After winning its first 11 games in Tiger Park, the No. 7 Tigers (16-0) flourished in their first road test last weekend, sweeping the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Palm Springs. Veterans and newcomers alike overcame road challenges by embracing one another and understanding their roles within the team.

“Road trips always bring a great opportunity for team bonding because you spend so much time together,” said sophomore outfielder Bailey Landry. “It’s one of my favorite parts, being on the road with each other and just having those memories you get to keep.”

The Tigers came together, outscoring their opponents 38-6 through their five games in the Classic, including three wins by mercy rule.

The Tigers won in a variety of ways by embracing their individual strengths, whether it be speed or power hitting.

In the Tigers’ Thursday doubleheader against San Diego State and Cal State — Fullerton, sophomore infielder Sahvanna Jaquish and freshman pitcher Allie Walljasper sparked the LSU offense with a grand slam apiece on the day.

LSU’s lineup exploded early against Nebraska and Northwestern on Saturday, scoring 10 runs in the first inning against the Cornhuskers (6-9) and eight runs in the second against the Wildcats (4-9).

In the weekend’s marquee matchup against No. 15 Arizona (11-3), the Tigers avenged last year’s defeat in the NCAA Tucson Regional Final with a 4-3 victory.

see ROAD TRIP, page 11

BY CHRISTIAN BOUTWELL cboutwell@lsureveille.com

GIRL POWER

photos by EMILY BRAUNER / The Daily Reveille

[Top] LSU sophomore all-arounder Shae Zamardi strikes a pose after a bars routine on Jan. 23 during the Tigers’ 197.350-192.725 victory against Missouri at the PMAC. [Bottom] LSU senior outfielder A.J. Andrews (6) celebrates with junior catcher Kellsi Kloss (77) after running home on Feb. 7 during the Tigers’ 10-0 victory against Tennessee State at Tiger Park.

LSU softball, gymnastics major parts of LSU sports world LIFE OF BRIAN BRIAN PELLERIN Columnist Who run the world? Girls.

I assume Beyoncé wasn’t referring to the LSU sports world, but this quote is just as applicable in Baton Rouge.

Last Friday, fans of the LSU gymnastics team truly packed the PMAC for only the second time since I’ve been a student — the other being the men’s basketball game against Kentucky on Feb. 10.

More than 12,000 people attended the top-three matchup between thenNo. 3 LSU and then-No. 2 Florida. The Tigers won the meet 197.950-197.425.

If you were there, you don’t need me to tell you how hyped the place was throughout the meet, especially once it became apparent LSU was going to win.

With the victory, LSU moved up to No. 2 and will stay near the top the rest of the way. On Friday, the Tigers head to Tuscaloosa for another big conference matchup against No. 5 Alabama.

Individually, it’s Rheagan Courville, Jessie Jordan and Ashleigh Gnat putting together great all-around scores with the rest of the lineup carrying plenty of weight in its respective events. Senior Llominicia Hall is a superstar on floor while freshman Erin Macadaeg is blossoming into the same on beam.

This team has top-end talent, depth

see POWER, page 11

The No. 2 LSU gymnastics team’s 2015 season actually began in 2007, when the program began to scout its current seniors: Jessie Jordan from Houston, Texas; Lloimincia Hall from Dallas, Texas; Rheagan Courville from Baton Rouge and Britney Ranzy from Chesapeake, Virginia.

Assistant coach Jay Clark has been a part at LSU for three years and didn’t take part in the formation of this year’s squad. But he currently holds the program to a high standard during his turn as recruiting coordinator.

“Our recruiting process is pretty long and extensive,” Clark said. “We start looking at them around eighth grade.

At this point, it has gotten progressively younger and younger over the last several years.”

Clark believes the program must be grounded in a high level of experience and exposure which could begin prematurely for certain gymnasts.

The former Georgia head coach stays very busy with a giant field of performers to examine, looking across the map for the next great star.

“We are watching invitationals,” Clark said. “[I am] going out on the road and pulling scores off of the Internet. I have a lot of coaches who are at these events to keep in contact and tip me off to these [prospects].”

The Tigers experienced sustained success in recent years, giving the program the chances to explore possibilities with each performer.

Their selection varies in comparison to most collegiate programs because the team must assess what pieces it needs add to become a successful and cohesive unit.

“It’s like putting a puzzle together,” Clark said. “There isn’t one specific style or one thing that we look for. We are looking for overall balance. We are looking for the best all-arounders that we can find. But after that, it is about identifying where your strengths and weaknesses

see RECRUITING, page 11

The Daily Reveille

page 8

Thursday, February 26, 2015

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Lady Tigers try to end road losing streak in Oxford, Mississippi

BY STANTON VIGNES svignes@lsureveille.com The LSU women’s basketball team is looking to end a two-game road losing streak when it travels to Oxford, Mississippi to play Ole Miss tonight at 6 p.m. on SEC Network Plus.

It is LSU’s (15-11, 9-5 Southeastern Conference) second matchup this season against Ole Miss (16-11, 6-8 SEC).

The Lady Tigers prevailed in their first meeting, walloping the Rebels by 29 points on Jan. 29.

Ole Miss enters the game riding a two-game win streak after beating Auburn and No. 13 Kentucky. It previously had been on a seven-game skid before beating Auburn on the road. Ole Miss may also have emotional sentiment, as it is the team’s senior night and final home game.

LSU coach Nikki Caldwell said her team can’t count past accomplishments and hopes to win in the future.

“We have to make sure that our team stays in the moment,” Caldwell said. “We can’t go back and relive the game that we played last month because Ole Miss is a different basketball team, and so are we. We’ve got to focus in on the things

that we do well and execute our game plan both on the offensive and defensive end but also understand that there is going to be a lot of emotions being that it is senior night for Ole Miss.”

After defeating Georgia by a convincing 12-point margin on Feb. 19 at the PMAC, LSU traveled to face an offensively challenged Arkansas team, which ranks 11th in the SEC in field goal percentage. It allowed the Razorbacks to shoot 45 percent from the field and lost by 22 points.

The loss dropped LSU to fifth in the SEC standings and allowed No. 11 Mississippi State and No. 12 Texas A&M to take a one-game lead to be tied for the third seed in the SEC Tournament.

Senior forward Sheila Boykin said the loss didn’t sit well with her and her teammates, and they began working immediately after the game to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

“After the game, before we found out we had to stay in Arkansas that night, we were watching that game,” Boykin said. “It probably wasn’t even two hours after the game, and we were watching film. We looked at the film and were

like, ‘This isn’t us. We have to get better.’ We will move on. It’s just focusing on the inefficiencies that went on in that game.”

The Ole Miss roster boasts senior forward Tia Faleru, the SEC’s best rebounder and a top-five scorer in the conference with 14.9 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. In their last matchup, the Lady Tigers held Faleru to five points on 2-of-9 shooting and seven rebounds.

To complete the season sweep of Ole Miss, Caldwell said the Lady Tigers will need to finish plays close to the rim and control the area around it on defense.

“We have to make sure that we are taking great shots and that we are putting our players in the position to score the basketball,” Caldwell said. “Paint points are going to be a focus for us because we want to score there. We also have got to knock down the mid-range jump shots.

We did a nice job the last time we played them, because our defensive effort was very good.

We have to make sure that we are taking that same type of mentality on the road that we play with here at home.”

You can reach Stanton Vignes on Twitter @stanvignes_TDR.

RAEGAN LABAT / The Daily Reveille

LSU senior guard DeShawn Harden (24) shoots the ball during the Lady Tigers’ 51-39 victory against Alabama on Feb. 8 at the PMAC.

Team looks to make moves during home stretch

BY STANTON VIGNES svignes@lsureveille.com The LSU women’s basketball team is on the bubble in more ways than one, and the home stretch is in sight. The Lady Tigers (15-11, 9-5 Southeastern Conference) will look to finish the season strong as it approaches its final two regular season games at Ole Miss and against No. 12 Texas A&M at the PMAC. LSU will attempt to rebound from a disappointing loss in Arkansas Sunday and finish the year with at least 10 wins in the conference with the second highest combined Rating Percentage Index in the NCAA. LSU is currently ranked fifth in the SEC standings and has secured a bye for the first round if the season ends today. It currently leads No. 13 Kentucky by one game in the standings.

LSU coach Nikki Caldwell said her team is aware of what is on the line as they prepare for the final stretch of its schedule.

Though, the road to get there has been full of land mines.

“We know what is at stake,” Caldwell said. “We know that the seeding in the SEC Tournament is at stake for us. Our body of work in the SEC, when you are already at nine wins, that is something that we are very proud of because this is such a

competitive conference. Year in and year out, this conference should get eight teams in the NCAA Tournament.”

If the Lady Tigers can finish the season by defeating one of their next two opponents, they will likely remain the fifth seed, with Kentucky playing No. 2 South Carolina to end the year.

Because they play No. 12 Texas A&M, one game ahead of LSU and tied for third with No. 11 Mississippi State, a win against them at the PMAC to end the year could allow the Lady Tigers to crack the top-four and get a double bye for the SEC Tournament.

Senior guard DaShawn Harden said her team must capitalize on its opportunities by taking control of its own destiny and not allowing opponents to dictate what happens to them.

“Coach [Caldwell] talks about how you don’t want to be that team’s stepping stone to get to where they want to get. So you make that team your stepping stone to get where you want,” Harden said. “We’ve talked about [the seeding], but we try not to talk about it. Of course you want to be in the top-3 teams. But we’ve just got to beat Ole Miss, and we’ve got to beat Texas A&M. And that’s pretty much all we’re talking about.”

Getting into the NCAA Tournament could be possible for the

Lady Tigers. According ESPN analyst Charlie Creme’s bracketology, LSU is considered an 11th seed in the Spokane region and one of the “Last Four In” that are on the bubble.

After Caldwell called out her bench following the Lady Tigers’ blowout loss to then-No. 1 South Carolina, the reserves have stepped up, despite a recent loss to Arkansas. They scored four points in the South Carolina game but have combined to score 37 in their last two contests.

LSU will need a complete team effort to reach the NCAA Tournament, and senior forward Sheila Boykin said the bench is imperative for LSU’s success heading into the last portion of the season.

“I think it’s just common for people in general in every sport that if they’re not starting they feel like they’re not important,” Boykin said. “But at the end of the day, who’s going to hold it down if a starter goes down or is not on their A-game? Who’s going to come in and either elevate or maintain what’s going on in the game? When I wasn’t starting I always had this mentality that I’m going to go in this game and do everything that I can to maintain or elevate the team.”

RAEGAN LABAT / The Daily Reveille

You can reach Stanton Vignes on Twitter @stanvignes_TDR.

LSU head coach Nikki Caldwell yells courtside during the Lady Tigers’ 51-39 victory against Alabama on Feb. 8 at the PMAC.

The Daily Reveille

Thursday, February 26, 2015

page 9

men’s basketball

Quarterman enjoys defensive role

BY David Gray dgray@lsureveille.com

Emily Brauner / The Daily Reveille

LSU sophomore guard Tim Quarterman (55) celebrates after a play during the Tigers’ 71-69 loss against Kentucky on Feb. 10 at the PMAC.

In the shadow of the Campanile Since 1941

LSU sophomore guard Tim Quarterman had one thing on his mind when his team squared off against Auburn, Ala. on Tuesday — stop No. 1.

No. 1 was Auburn senior guard KT Harrell, the Southeastern Conference’s leading scorer and 3-point shooter who torched LSU at the PMAC three weeks ago with five 3-pointers and a game-high 28 points.

Quarterman was determined to stop Harrell this time around.

“I had to go over every screen, and I just had to stay attached to him and make sure I didn’t lose him out there on the floor,” Quarterman said. “I had to make sure I wasn’t ball-watching and just stay alert and just stay close to him.”

Quarterman’s defense of Harrell was instrumental in LSU’s 84-61 thumping of Auburn. With 6-foot-6-inch Quarterman shadowing his every move, Harrell missed four of six 3-point attempts and scored only 14 points, half of what he had against LSU in the first meeting and his lowest output in nine games.

While some players shy away from guarding high-volume scorers such as Harrell, Quarterman never has.

“I always took pride in my defense growing up,” Quarterman said. “I never like when people score on me. I try to go into every game trying to get stops no matter who I’m guarding.”

Quarterman’s pride on the defensive end began when he was a child and flourished while playing for the Atlanta Celtics, an Association of American Universities squad in Georgia that has produced NBA stars like Dwight Howard and Josh Smith.

In the last decade, AAU basketball has become known for its extensive focus on offensive production rather than defensive prowess.

But Quarterman was always the odd-man out.

“I always wanted to shut down the best player, and that was the case when I was coming up in AAU,” Quarterman said. “I started guarding the best player on the circuit. If we were playing against a top-10 player, I wanted to guard him because that’s what I wanted to be. I wanted to be a top-10 player.”

Although Quarterman wasn’t nationally a top-10 player coming out of Johnson High School in Gainesville, Georgia, he was the 80th recruit in ESPN’s Class of 2013 rankings and No. 2 in his home state.

But 180 pounds stretched over a 6-foot-6-inch frame would be a problem for the rangy Quarterman at the next level, and LSU coach Johnny Jones said he knew the former Georgia Class AAA Player of the Year would have to adapt.

Quarterman has gained 7 pounds since arriving on campus last season, but Jones said the lengthy defender is stronger than his frame suggests.

“Although he is still wiry, he is much stronger than he was a year ago,” Jones said. “He is able to handle some of pressure put on him from an opponent defensively and trying to engage with him and able to make plays.”

LSU sophomore forward Jarell Martin, another member of the 2013 class, goes against Quarterman on a daily basis but admits he still struggles trying to score with the scrappy defender in his face.

“Before practice, we play one-on-one a lot, and it’s hard for

LSU. EDU/ILOVEME

me to score on him sometimes,” Martin said. “Tim is a great defensive player. He does a great job of slowing people down and not letting them get off to a good start. With his length and quickness, it’s real hard to score on somebody like that.”

Jones has repeatedly said Quarterman was the team’s best perimeter defender last year. But this year, Quarterman’s offense has caught up.

The sophomore point guard averages 11.5 points and 3.7 assists in 33.1 minutes per game.

In his last five games, he’s dished out 30 assists against just 13 turnovers.

Despite Quarterman’s offensive explosion this season, he’d still rather shut down the other team’s best player, like he did against Auburn on Tuesday.

“I just don’t want to labeled as a player that can only do one thing,” Quarterman said. “I want to be a complete player.”

You can reach David Gray on Twitter @dgray_TDR.

Raegan Labat / The Daily Reveille

LSU sophomore guard Tim Quarterman (55) plays defense during the Tigers’ 71-60 victory against Alabama on Feb. 7 at the PMAC.

#LSUILOVEME

Just be yourself. Let people see the real, imperfect, flawed, quirky, weird, beautiful and magical person that you are.

Raegan Labat / The Daily Reveille

LSU sophomore guard Tim Quarterman (55) dribbles the ball down the court on Saturday during the Tigers’ 70-63 victory against Florida at the PMAC.

page 10

Risk of injuries too high for Derrick Rose’s return THE CUBAN CANNON TOMMY ROMANACH Deputy Sports Editor Enough is enough, Derrick Rose. It’s time to retire.

There’s a point in any athlete’s career when contracts and promises don’t matter anymore, and Rose has reached it.

It’s time to put down the basketball, hold a heartfelt retirement press conference and accept the TV analyst job waiting for him.

Don’t just ask me — ask any doctor you know.

History repeated itself for what seems like the 10,000th time in the last three years Tuesday night when it was announced that Rose had a torn meniscus in his right knee and would undergo season-ending surgery. NBA fans, especially those of Rose’s Chicago Bulls, took a collective sigh.

The trials began in the first game of the 2012 NBA playoffs when Rose, the star of a No. 1 seed Bulls team, tore his ACL in his left knee. Rose missed the rest of the postseason as well as the entire 2012-13 season, and he didn’t look the same when he returned 18 months later.

The damage continued only a month into his return when Rose tore the meniscus in his right knee for the first time.

Another immediate surgery, another season lost.

The Bulls, meanwhile, began to become accustomed and equipped to life without the star point guard. Coach Tom Thibodeau and center Joakim Noah established a defense-first persona with the team, leading to playoff appearances in both of the team’s Rose-less seasons.

The addition of veteran center Pau Gasol and the emergence of guard/forward Jimmy Butler only made the team stronger this season, making Rose’s return even sweeter.

Leading up to the injury, Rose was playing the best basketball since 2012, and the Bulls were perhaps the favorite to win the Eastern Conference.

In one Marc Stein tweet, all was lost.

But basketball is no longer the primary concern.

Our focus must now shift to a 26-year-old man with the legs of a senior citizen, desperately in need of a new profession. A man who probably feels obligated to play for his hometown, no matter what it does to his longterm future.

I love watching the NBA, but when I watched Rose this year, I cringed. I could only think that someone with a family is risking his own health with every drive. This latest injury puts him at the point of no return.

Rose doesn’t owe anyone anything. His health, or lack thereof, trumps the time left on his contract, and the Bulls know this. Chicago players, coaches and fans must realize the risks are simply too high and let him go.

Most importantly, Rose must realize this. There are bigger things in life than games and trophies — things that stay with you after your career is over.

For the next five years, Rose might regret calling it quits so early. For the 50 years after, he’ll realize the wisdom.

The Daily Reveille

Thursday, February 26, 2015

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Crawfish Boil 2/28

Doors open at 1 1-3 $2 Longnecks courtesy of THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Hot Crawfish at 3,4,5 and 6

The Daily Reveille

Thursday, February 26, 2015 ROAD TRIP, from page 7 “It was a special thing,” said sophomore infielder Constance Quinn. “Just the whole morning — getting up and prepping for it ... It is just another game, but it means a lot coming back from last year.

[It was the] last loss of the season, but like [LSU coach Beth Torina] told us, ‘It won’t be your first loss.’ Going into that game fully focused, ready and alert — it was the best experience.”

For the five California natives on LSU’s roster, the more than 1,700-mile road trip offered a rare opportunity to

EMILY BRAUNER / The Daily Reveille

LSU senior utility player Dylan Supak (11) runs to second base on Feb. 7 during the Tigers’ 10-0 victory against Tennessee State at Tiger Park.

POWER, from page 7 and a good balance of youth and experience. It has the makings of the program’s first team national champion as long as the Tigers perform the way they’re capable of.

But the gymnastics team isn’t the only group of ladies making its mark in the LSU sports world.

The LSU softball team is rolling through its early season schedule to the tune of a program-best 16-0 and beginning to look like a national title contender as well.

In those 16 games, the Tigers have “mercy-ruled” six teams and picked up three wins against top-25 teams, and their pitchers have thrown seven shutouts. Powerful hitting and superb pitching depth make for a lethal dynamic.

The old saying “chicks dig the long ball” holds true with this team. Sophomore infielder Sahvanna Jaquish and junior infielder Bianka Bell are both tied for the team lead and both rank second in the conference with six home runs this season.

But maybe the biggest strength of the team is on the mound.

play in front of friends and family.

Highland, California, native Jaquish said after LSU’s win against Louisiana Tech on Feb. 17 that she was excited to see her family and friends.

For Walljasper, a trip home was the best first road trip she could ask for. She shined in California, notching 16 strikeouts while allowing only three walks and two earned runs in 11 innings pitched.

“It was awesome,” Walljasper said. “It was probably one of the best trips I will go on. For my first time going out of town, being in California at home was a really cool experience and having all my family watch me play.”

LSU must continue handling the pressure of playing top teams on the road when they travel to face the defending national champion Florida in a little more than two weeks.

Despite the Tigers’ early success, LSU coach Beth Torina stressed the importance of continuing to push for constant improvement.

“We still haven’t seen our best game yet,” Torina said.

“We still haven’t seen us hitting on all fronts. We slapped it well a couple games. We hit power a couple games.

We’ve pitched well a couple games. We’ve defended well, but I don’t know that we have put it all together at the same time.”

You can reach Morgan Prewitt on Twitter @kmprewitt_TDR. Allie Walljasper, Baylee Corbello, Carley Hoover and Kelsee Selman have become one of the best pitching staffs in the conference with a 1.03 ERA and 12 complete games.

The softball team ventured to California last weekend for the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic and came away with five wins, three shutouts and a ranked victory against thenNo. 13 Arizona. The successful weekend launched the undefeated Tigers to No. 7 in the polls, including one first place vote.

The softball team won’t finish undefeated and will likely cool off, but maybe it won’t. I can’t tell you because I can’t read the future. What I can tell you is this team is for real and is just as good as any in the conference and maybe the country.

So next time you go to label LSU a baseball school during the spring, don’t forget about your softball and gymnastics overlords. It’s their world. We’re just living in it.

Brian Pellerin is a 21-yearold mass communication junior from Kenner, Louisiana.

You can reach him on Twitter @Pellerin_TDR.

page 11

RECRUITING, from page 7 are, trying to fill those gaps.”

Clark and other coaches plan out events to attend throughout the year as part of the “puzzle piecing” process for potential gymnasts. He said the Tiger coaches attend the Junior Olympic National Championships every year and the U.S. Elite National Championships.

The Tigers must assemble a team from all regions of the nation who compete against each other on nationally-recognized championship stages.

LSU has only four gymnasts on its roster from its home state.

“We have to recruit nationally,” Clark said. “Actually, it is unusual for any team in the South to have this many in their home state. In general, with the exception to Florida and North Carolina, the Southeast does not produce high level gymnastic talent. That can always change.”

The Tigers execute a large portion of their recruiting in Texas, California, Ohio, Michigan and Indiana.

Coaches believe it’s much easier to stay inside the U.S. to find the kind of talent the program needs.

However, the Tigers’ current lineup has two international gymnasts, and recruiting can be a complicated process.

“There is a lot more ‘red tape’ and bureaucratic stuff we have to do when you recruit internationally,” Clark said. “We have two now that are from out of the country in [sophomore] Shae [Zamardi] and [junior] Jessica [Savona]. Those types have to be in a pretty special talent.”

Clark’s recruiting operation is a never-ending cycle of

RAEGAN LABAT / The Daily Reveille

LSU freshman all-arounder Myia Hambrick performs her routine Jan. 9 during the Tigers’ 197.125-193.300 against Iowa at the PMAC. watching and monitoring the progression of gymnasts throughout the globe. Never having an off day is just a requirement in finding the best performers in the country.

“So, we will finish a competition Friday night, and we are on an airplane early Saturday morning,” Clark said. “This happens throughout the season.

Every Tuesday or Wednesday through the fall, I was in a gym watching kids train. And whenever our day off from training during the season is, I am usually out somewhere, watching.”

You can reach tian Boutwell on @CBoutwell_TDR.

ChrisTwitter

The Daily Reveille

page 12

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Future Alumni, LSU Needs to Hear Your

LOUDEST ROAR! LSU Alumni Association is asking Tiger Nation to get involved NOW to help stop the proposed deep budget cuts to higher education and protect LSU’s future.

It is critically important for future alumni to stay educated on upcoming legislation that will impact higher education, and becoming a Tiger Advocate is the way to stay informed and make your voice heard. There is NO COST for signing up. By registering, you join a network of Tigers who are committed to keeping LSU strong and successful.

x Geau s! r e g i T WHY SHOULD YOU BECOME A TIGER ADVOCATE? > Help support your future and the futures of 44,000 of your fellow gifted future alumni.

> Support university parish extension offices throughout the state who spread the wealth of LSU research.

> Keep vital research going to address our state’s most pressing problems.

Cuts could result in a loss of $152 million in grants.

> Aid LSU in continuing to produce alumni community leaders throughout the state.

> Honor LSU’s record high 69% graduation rate – the only state university above 50%.

> Endorse that for every $1 put in by the state, LSU generates another $5.08 in economic activity.

> Keep Louisiana’s workforce strong by keeping Louisiana’s best and brightest at LSU.

> SHOW YOUR LOVE FOR LSU

WHAT DOES BECOMING A TIGER ADVOCATE MEAN? > You will receive email notifications at critical times when your voice needs to be heard in the state legislature.

> Your legislators represent YOU. Show them you care about LSU, and they will too.

> With just a click or call, your legislators will know the LSU Tiger Nation is closely monitoring legislative decisions that impact the future of LSU.

SIGNING UP IS QUICK. VISIT WWW.LSUALUMNI.ORG/TIGERADVOCATES AND LET US HEAR YOU ROAR!

Entertainment

Thursday, February 26, 2015

the fading line Mid City Dance Project and Manship Theatre collaborate to celebrate Black History Month through dance

BY GRETA JINES gjines@lsureveille.com

When February rolls around, thoughts of Valentine’s Day and Mardi Gras rise. But February is also Black History Month, and one local collaboration is putting an artistic spin on the celebration.

Mid City Dance Project, Inc. and the Manship Theatre have come together to produce an interpretive dance experience titled “The Fading Line: A Commemoration of the 1953 Baton Rouge Bus Boycott.”

The 40-member performance, including both adults and children, tells the story of the first bus boycott in the nation during the Civil Rights Movement.

The show’s creator and project director Renee Chatelain said the first public performance was in 2005, but Manship Theatre is bringing the event back for its 10th anniversary.

“We just retell the story because I feel like this preceded Brown v. Board of Education,” Chatelain said. “This preceded Selma — all of the things we’ve studied — and no one really tells the story.”

Chatelain also said most of the show’s performers have relatives who participated in the boycott, which makes it even more of a legacy piece. see FADING, page 15

page 13 THEATER

Tonywinning play to show at Union Theater

BY KAYLA RANDALL krandall@lsureveille.com

RAEGAN LABAT / The Daily Reveille

Performers rehearse an interpretive dance routine Feb. 20 that will be shown in the upcoming production of ‘The Fading Line: A Commemoration of the 1953 Baton Rouge Bus Boycott.’

The Student Union Theater is gearing up for lost boys, mermaids, crocodiles and a cast who never wants to grow up.

Touted as “the Neverland you never knew,” the Union Theater will present the five-time Tony award-winning play “Peter and the Starcatcher,” the prequel to “Peter Pan.” “Peter and the Starcatcher” explores the story of Peter Pan before the tights, as an abused orphan who can’t remember his name. The backstory reveals why Peter never wants to grow up, the origin of the animosity between him and Captain Hook, the history of Neverland and the Lost Boys and more.

Union Theater assistant director Terry Serio researched the production, and based on the show’s successful reviews and accolades, decided it would be a charming choice for the theater to present for the tour’s Baton Rouge stop.

“It’s a smaller Broadway show, and I think it will play beautifully on our stage,” Serio said. “How can anyone resist the fanciful version of Peter Pan’s backstory and it’s infectious spirit?”

A production so designdriven doesn’t come without its

see PETER, page 15

FASHION

Baton Rouge Fashion Week creator to showcase local talent

BY MICHAEL TARVER mtarver@lsureveille.com Entertainment professionals often wear many hats, such as writer, producer or designer, but Brandon Campbell seems to rotate roles daily — most recently with his work in the Baton Rouge fashion industry.

Oneofakind Baton Rouge Fashion Week’s founder and producer, Brandon Campbell, said his professional career started when he was a student at the University of Iowa, where he started laying the foundation for his career in live production.

He began producing various events, like the school’s homecoming show and back-to-school parties. Campbell even started his own television show on campus. Before he graduated, he worked professionally at The Daily Iowan and the Iowa City

Press-Citizen, focusing mostly on entertainment pieces and features.

From there, Campbell elevated his work to acquire jobs at Nickelodeon in New York City and later at Fox News Channel, where he produced obituary packages for celebrities.

“I had a hunger for entertainment,” Campbell said. “From New York, I moved to L.A. with the dream of wanting to be a producer.”

At 25, Campbell said he had his mind set on what he wanted to do with his career, and producing almost any type of entertainment show was what he strived to do.

One of his mentors at Nickelodeon took him under her wing and became an inspiration to him because she was also AfricanAmerican and a producer since a young age. He said he set his mark to model his career in the

same way she did and become a young, professional producer.

Campbell eventually worked his way up to work for E! Entertainment and Style Network as a social producer, and he continued to climb the ladder, learning more about fashion along the way.

Live events were especially appealing to Campbell, and they became his passion and eventually, his bread and butter. He brought that passion to World Wrestling Entertainment with his position as a writer and producer for “Friday Night Smackdown” and WWE.com.

Amid the various projects Campbell was working on, a spark of inspiration came to him, and he decided to bring a fashion week to his hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas. He ended up moving back to Arkansas with

see FASHION WEEK, page 15

HALEY ROWE-KADOW / The Daily Reveille

Brandon Campbell, founder of Baton Rouge Fashion Week, volunteers his time Wednesday to read to fifth graders at the Country Day School of Baton Rouge.

The Daily Reveille

page 14 FASHION

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Baton Rouge Fashion Week brings ‘natural’ show to La. BARE show will feature fresh-faced models

BY MEG RYAN mryan@lsureveille.com Brandon Campbell brought Baton Rouge its first fashion week last year and received enough success to bring it back this year — but this time, it’s larger.

Oneofakind Baton Rouge Fashion Week added a third show to accompany the For Kids By Kids and Big Night fashion shows. The BARE fashion show on Feb. 27 will be the first “natural” fashion show in Louisiana with no makeup on the models, and the clothing will have a natural aesthetic.

BRFW Public Relations Coordinator Glynna Mayers said Campbell, the show’s creator and founder, came up with the idea for the BARE show last year while working on his other fashion week in Little Rock, Arkansas.

“He really was looking for an innovative, new type of show,” Mayers said.

She said the BARE show brings something different to BRFW that the other two do not. For Kids By Kids will be a show to display children’s clothing, and Big

JAVIER FERNÁNDEZ / The Daily Reveille

Mass communication junior Laeh Alexander will model for the 2015 BRFW BARE fashion show on Feb. 27.

Night will showcase more avant-garde fashion.

BARE will include more casual fashion. Mayers said the BRFW team chose designers for this specific show by their ability to delve into natural-yet-edgy designs.

Designer of Cupani Fashion Lacie Cupani is from Arkansas but decided to present at BRFW because of past positive experiences in the city. She said she enjoys

being around the culture and the locals’ positive dispositions.

For the BARE show, Cupani will show her “Sensuality” collection. She said this collection displays the natural beauty of the body. It also includes inspiration from a recent trip to Dubai, where the city’s nature became a creative outlet for her.

She will also be presenting in Big Night with her

collection “Simply the Best.”

Mayers said when looking for models, she focused on fresh talent who wanted to have the opportunity to work in the fashion industry but don’t get as much experience living in Baton Rouge as they would in New York City or Los Angeles. Many models walking in the BARE show will also be participating in Big Night.

Model and mass communication junior Laeh Alexander said this is her second year at BRFW and that she will be walking in both shows.

She said she’s wanted to model since she was a little girl, and working at BRFW is a great place to network. She finds it rewarding to walk in the shows, she said.

With the BARE show, Alexander said the idea appealed to her because of how different it was.

“A lot of times the media tends to stereotype models, like they have to look a certain way in order to walk the runway or do catalog photo shoots,” Alexander said.

“I think that this is just a great opportunity to showcase that ‘Hey, I can look like this and still model and do what I want to do [with my

Oneofakind Baton Rouge Fashion Week What: BARE fashion show When: Feb. 27 Where: Shaw Center for the Arts Time: Doors open at 7 p.m., show starts at 8 p.m. appearance].’”

Mayers agreed this show brings a different type of program to BRFW attendees. She said it will cater to everyone — those who enjoy fashion and those not as fashion-savvy. She said the event is beneficial for Baton Rouge residents who don’t get such big fashion events regularly in the city.

“The BARE show brings a different element [and] perspective on fashion. It’s outside that side of the realm of what people perceive to be high fashion and what fashion shows would be,” Mayers said.

Doors for the BARE show will open at 7 p.m. and the show will begin at 8 p.m.

You can reach Meg Ryan on Twitter @The_MegRyan.

Thursday, February 26, 2015 PETER, from page 13 challenges. Serio said putting on a production like this will be hard work for the Union technical crew. The crew has one day to prep the stage, which requires stripping all of the lights above the stage and curtains on the stage, and hang the correct lights for the show, which the “Peter and the Starcatcher” team sends in advance. All this and more requires about 50 local technical crew members to load things in, prepare for the performance and load out, resulting in an 18-hour day for the team.

From the actors’ side of the production, it isn’t much easier.

Bryan Welnicki, who plays Peter Pan, is one of 12 actors playing many of the more than 100 roles in the play.

“This is a creation unlike most things anyone has ever seen on the stage,” Welnicki said. “It’s Monty Python meets Peter Pan, and what we bring to the table is

FADING, from page 13 This year’s performance is slightly different than in past years and will hopefully add another dynamic to the show. It still encompasses video, dance and oral histories, but this year, Chatelain is working with New Venture Theatre’s artistic director, Greg Williams Jr., to add monologues to provide more depth and bring the story forward — similar to The Laramie Project.

“It’s kind of amazing that 50, well 60 years later now, it’s still an open wound in a lot of ways,” Chatelain said. “People are more vocal about it. It’s not so much of the Jim Crow South, but in some ways it is, so it’s important to tell

FASHION WEEK, from page 13 the sole purpose of focusing on fashion and an event to help ignite the scene in Little Rock.

Campbell said the fashion week exploded. After its third year, he started getting inquiries about doing the same thing in different, often smaller cities.

Eventually, he connected with Visit Baton Rouge CEO Paul Arrigo and began to visit and research the city as a possible location for his second fashion week.

“I always had a love for the area, and it reminded me a lot of home,” Campbell said. “The people were nice, creative and cultured, as well.”

Laying the groundwork for another fashion week, Campbell said he later partnered with Capitol Park Museum, which became a major influence.

Together, Visit Baton Rouge and Capitol Park Museum helped and inspired Campbell to continue the necessary work needed to create the fashion week. Sharing the vision about what the show could do for the city was immensely important to him.

That vision is one inspiration and a sense of passion for one’s work, as well as “doing it now,” Campbell said. “...It doesn’t have to be a big

The Daily Reveille

page 15

other as a cast. I’ve never been more in love with a cast in my entire life.”

The role is not only physically demanding but mentally demanding as well. To perform every night, Welnicki prepares in a number of ways.

“To get into character, I have a pretty emo playlist that I listen to,” Welnicki said. “I wrote notes, drew pictures and analyzed text.

I tried to understand his character as an outsider, and then I was able to step into him.”

Welnicki encourages everyone who believes in magic and loves these characters to see the show. He said the amount of support the show has received from younger generations is overwhelming. Through the show, people of all generations are being reintroduced to these beloved characters and seeing them in a different light.

“People should come if they love testing the limits of their imagination,” Welnicki said. “If you watched all the Oscar-nomi-

nated movies, if you love theater and if you just want to share a magical experience with someone, it’s great.”

“Peter and the Starcatcher”

premieres at the Student Union Theater at 7:30 p.m. on March 3.

the story.”

The performers have only been performing for a couple of weeks, but they’re picking up on the dance routine. Chatelain considers dance her language and said she felt it was important to let it speak.

“A lot of people think about dance in a way like, here’s some pretty movement or some abstract movement,” Chatelain said. “Dance can really tell a story and be compelling and express emotions as well as factual events.”

The storytelling process is intensified by the attention and detail of both the costume and music selections. Each costume looks as if it’s from the era and some

are vintage. Chatelain has turned away certain costumes made of material not popular during the time.

The music selection for the show’s bus scene is a piece by ’50s blues musician Little Walter, released the same year as the boycott. This scene sets the stage for a typical bus ride through the city — with the white section in the front.

The production’s full performances will be held in March at the Manship Theatre, but the crew will bring a portion of its show to the West Baton Rouge Museum on Feb. 28 as part of its Black History Month celebration. Those in attendance will be treated to the performance’s narrative, videos and

oral histories.

“In the West Baton Rouge Museum, they do a really great job of Black History Month,” Chatelain said. “We’ve performed there before, this particular piece, and we’re excited to do it again.”

Jeannie Luckett, the museum’s education curator, said she’s excited to finally bring the performance back to the museum after several years, and it’s entirely free. “[Free admission] allows audiences of all ages and means to enjoy the performance,” Luckett said. “Not only can they enjoy the art aspect of it, but the beautiful and powerful message of our history, where we came from and the progress we’ve made.”

Both Luckett and Chatelain said the story is important to be aware of and understand how it’s shaped the history of Baton Rouge, while it’s a decent and entertaining way to spend the afternoon.

“The performance honors the brave citizens of the time who stepped out there not knowing what the result might be,” Chatelain said. “Not knowing if they would be endangered or not because of what had happened historically, and they still took a stand on it.”

The show’s full performance will be held at the Manship Theatre March 17 and 18 at 7:30 p.m.

city. This world is smaller and is shrinking,” Campbell said. “You might have a diamond in your own back yard, but sometimes it takes someone to come down on it for you to really see it and take pride in your area.”

Though this vision includes highlighting small areas, Campbell said he does not want to mimic New York Fashion Week or other larger city’s events. He wants to bring a new angle and energy to the show.

Additionally, he said his other vision is to provide an opportunity to showcase emerging designers who don’t necessarily have the resources to promote their pieces and give them the chance to make their work known.

While he was living in Los Angeles, Campbell said he saw countless designers promoting their work through small-scale events in bars and clubs because they didn’t have the resources to be featured in the city’s fashion week.

“There is a lot of desire for something new and openness to creativity in the Baton Rouge fashion scene,” Campbell said.

“And now, people are seeing the potential in their city and the great things that could come of the scene.”

Looking at last year’s fashion

week, the people in attendance were dressed in their formal wear and lingering, connecting with others long after the events had ended. Campbell said he uses this to his advantage.

“I don’t look at the numbers,” Campbell said. “I look at how people are responding after the shows ... To me, that’s how you measure success.”

Campbell said one of the most exciting events of this year’s fashion week that attendees should look forward to is the Bare Fashion Show, an all-natural show where the models refrain from wearing any makeup, offering a provocative and distinct show experience “We have some things that we’re about to show that fashion shows have never shown in Louisiana,” Campbell said. “It is going to be unbelievable, and I believe people will be talking about it.”

Additionally, Campbell said Balloonatic Fashions and Christopher Youngstar are examples of what makes Baton Rouge Fashion Week one-of-a-kind. Both artists will present at the Big Night on Feb. 28, and he said they are the sure definition of what “fashionment” is: A great blend of creativity, showmanship, talent and skills.

As one of the week’s first

events, Campbell visited Country Day School of Baton Rouge and read a children’s book to a small group of students.

He was joined by fashion week staff and models who were dispersed throughout the school reading their favorite tales.

Before reading, Campbell told his group of students how he recalled “big people” coming to his

school to read or speak with him and his fellow classmates. Since then, he decided he would do the same if in a position to influence young people.

“You can make an impact on people’s lives that will last forever,” Campbell told the students.

employing 12 actors to tell this giant story and every single part of the stage is a part of that storytelling.”

Welnicki said every actor is merely in service of the stage, and once the show starts, they rarely leave it. He plays Peter Pan, but he also plays a door and a staircase. He said he believes the production, as well as the show itself, has a great message, opening people’s eyes to the power of human beings and what they’re capable of.

Upon receiving the role, Welnicki and the rest of the cast had to undergo two weeks of intensive rehearsal for 10 hours a day in New York. Because the role is so physically intense, Welnicki had to get in great shape, doing yoga, cardio and circuit training.

He gives credit to the cast for helping him get through the challenge of rehearsals.

“The rehearsal process was fast and furious,” Welnicki said.

“It was a lot of work, and we all really bonded and helped each

photo courtesy of SCOTT SUCHMAN

‘Peter and the Starcatcher’ is a Tony Award-winning play that is a prequel to the traditional Peter Pan story. It premieres at the Union Theater on March 3.

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Opinion

page 16

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Students, leaders must rally against critical budget cuts THE DAILY REVEILLE EDITORIAL BOARD editor@lsureveille.com The LSU System as we know it is about to change forever.

The SI session for your history class may be no more.

The tutor who helps you make sense of your calculus homework may no longer be available to you, and the professor you’ve known since the fall semester of your freshman year may be packing up his or her office within months.

And if your parents, grandparents, aunts or uncles studied under the stately oaks, their diploma may hang on the walls of offices you may never reach.

Since state budget cuts slammed the University in 2008, administrators have combed through the operating budget trying to scrape together what’s left to sustain the 155-year-old school. Midyear reductions haven’t helped.

As the University awaits Gov. Bobby Jindal’s budget cut announcement Friday, no one is expecting good news for Louisiana’s flagship institution. This crippling round will whittle the University to its core.

Outgoing seniors may think this isn’t their problem, but these budget cuts don’t just mean hikes in student fees and a drop in faculty.

When future employers look at former students’ degrees, they’ll be less impressed with the school that awarded them. Never mind applying to

THE DAILY REVEILLE ARCHIVES

graduate programs, such as law school or medical school.

If the cuts are as expected, a degree from LSU simply will not be the same academic achievement it once was.

These cuts will force students to choose other schools — maybe Southeastern Conference counterparts like the University of Alabama, a state school with government protections for its funding.

Even as a Republican state, Alabama managed to enroll about 12,000 more students from 2006 to 2014, according to its website. Republican Gov.

Robert Bentley made higher education a priority, but in the Bayou State, higher education remains on the back burner.

Let’s be clear: Jindal’s not completely to blame. His constituents went to the voting booths, and this was the result.

It came down to higher education and health care, and health care won.

Higher education is also one of the only budget areas left unprotected by Louisiana’s constitution — left even more exposed following a November constitutional amendment to further securing health care

funding.

Still, the legislative body and the LSU Board of Supervisors haven’t stood up for students.

The 16-member board repeatedly approves trimmed down budget proposals for the LSU System. The businessmen and public servants handpicked by Jindal have not fought the cuts — they’ve sat in leather chairs, taking orders from the man who appointed them.

The Board is supposed to advocate for students, taxpayers, faculty, staff and all who benefit from the land grant

University.

Some students may not be able to finish their majors if classes are cut with the new reduced budget. LSU AgCenter extension centers may shut down. Valuable research at other system schools, such as LSU Shreveport and LSU Alexandria, may be cut off.

But as the LSU System braces for tomorrow’s announcement and struggles to stand back up in the wake of cuts, the greatest enemy of the University will not be Jindal or the Board of Supervisors.

It will be student apathy.

Before we breach the steps of the Capitol shouting for change, create another baseless, claimless Facebook page, or organize an ill-attended, poorly planned protest, we need to understand the complicated nature of a decades-old problem and approach it with intelligent solutions, not political bluster or a feeble attempt to get likes or retweets.

We have a commitment to our school and an obligation to our futures to speak up to power, educate ourselves on the issues and affect change where we can.

Despite the amount of blood the University is about to lose, there remains enough life in us to make sure it doesn’t happen again to students.

We may not have as much funding as University administrations of old, but we still have all the spirit, vitality and ingenuity we need to solve the problem that threatens our existence.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Writers need more nuanced perspectives on religion In analyzing Cody Sibley’s “Religion and its bigotry out-dated, harmful to modern society,” I scarcely know where to begin. His argument — that religion is detrimental to modern society and we would be wise to be to become atheists — manages to bastardize history, epistemology, biblical criticism, and the study of religion, an impressive feat given the length of the article. As tempting as the bait may be, my goal is not to refute Sibley’s argument, as any student of history and religion could accomplish

this easily. However, I do wish to impress upon the editors of this fine publication how crucial it is to publish content that is intelligent and informed, especially in regards to topics as complex, important, terrifying, and beautiful as religion.

Consider this your readership’s cry for nuance.

It is unnecessary to publish such inflammatory and elementary commentary on religion in the modern age. The relationship between religion and modernity is a topic worthy of discussion; in fact it is crucial if

The Daily Reveille Editorial Board

Chandler Rome Erin Hebert Rebecca Docter Fernanda Zamudio-Suarez Quint Forgey SidneyRose Reynen

Editor in Chief Co-Managing Editor Co-Managing Editor News Editor Deputy News Editor Opinion Editor

we are to solve some of the problems facing our world. Unfortunately, Sibley’s reductionist rant attempts to answer the wrong questions. Rather than “Is religion good?” or “Do we need religion in modern society?” the writer could have asked “What aspect of religion is useful? Or toxic?” or “ What does the relationship between religion and modernity say about us?” Exploring these questions, along with improving his grasp on history and its relationship to religion at a given time, might lead to a stimulating, engaging, and

honest discussion on campus about the triumphs and horrors of religion.

Having read plenty critical examinations of religion, and having written a few as well, I understand the difficulties of examining the nuances of religion while budgeting words.

Sibley’s piece, however, is hardly an attempt to critically examine anything. Rather, it reads like a series of 4chan comments spliced together into a narrow-minded argument.

I would recommend, should Sibley continue to write about

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-39 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 Student Media Board, has final authority on all editorial decisions.

religion, that he read a few books, and not the Bible or the Quran, as he has demonstrated he has no clue how to analyze them. Perhaps his editors could encourage a more nuanced perspective in the young journalist because such a black and white worldview is not only fallacious; it’s boring. Sibley’s argument adds little to thoughtful conversations about religion, but would be effective as an example of why we should teach religious literacy in schools.

Hannah Roberts

Quote of the Day

‘I think it is also safe to say that Barack Obama of 2007 would be right down here with me arguing against this drone-strike program if he were in the Senate.’

Rand Paul

U.S. Senator from Kentucky January 7, 1963 — present

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Opinion

page 17

U.S. must take lead in responsible armed drone policy SMALL THINGS CONSIDERED ALEX MENDOZA Columnist How do you protect civilians in war zones from armed drones? The U.S. State Department thinks the answer is selling more drones.

Last week, the State Department published a new policy allowing the sale of armed drones to certain allied countries.

Any technology that keeps humans off the battlefield is great at first glance. And unlike previous forms of long-range warfare like bombers, drone pilots can work from the safety of U.S. soil.

However, just like previous forms of aerial warfare, a lack of precision has led to a high number of civilian casualties. By some estimates, drones have killed more than 1,000 civilians while operating in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia.

To be clear, drones have killed nowhere near the number of civilians as have traditional bombing raids. But that is, in part, due to the training and expertise of U.S. drone operators.

To responsibly sell drones in foreign markets, the U.S. needs to invest in training foreign pilots as well. At minimum, U.S. officials should be present to help establish and oversee drone training programs

in allied countries.

According to the BBC, requirements for armed drone sales include an agreement that they would be used in accordance with international law. Countries would also be barred from using drones to spy on or attack their own populations.

But these requirements seem vague and difficult to enforce, especially with the U.S.’s own questionable human rights record when it comes to drones.

Even more troubling is the U.S. is not the only drone exporter on the market. China has also begun to sell drones to at least nine countries, including Pakistan, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.

Unfortunately, China has proven in the past that it is more concerned with making a profit than protecting human rights. It cannot be assumed that the Chinese government will go to great lengths to assure that exported drones are being used responsibly.

On the other hand, the U.S. has the opportunity to ensure countries have the equipment and training to make drone warfare as safe and effective as possible. For this reason, the U.S. must work to get drones into the hands of its allies as quickly and responsibly as possible.

Furthermore, the State Department needs to establish a more rigorous and enforceable

WESLEY FLEMING / The Daily Reveille

set of guidelines for the use of drones, especially within a country’s own borders.

It may seem counterintuitive that the way to protect civilians from drones is to sell them to as many allies as possible. But governments that want drones will purchase them from one country or another, and international law cannot keep up with the rapid advance of technology.

Therefore, it falls on drone suppliers to effectively train and supervise foreign pilots as well as develop drone policy.

As it stands now, the U.S. is one of the few countries with the capabilities to accomplish these goals. But we will not hold an advantage in drone technology forever.

The U.S. can have a heavy hand in developing a humane international drone policy.

Supplying foreign governments with U.S. drones and training will go a long way toward accomplishing this goal. But the State Department needs to act before it’s too late.

Alex Mendoza is a 22-year-old political science and international studies senior from Baton Rouge. You can reach him on Twitter @alexmendoza_TDR.

Road rage impulses need to be controlled, can be deadly MY BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL CLARKE PERKINS Columnist One of the most annoying things a person can ever do is make a turn without putting on their blinker. It makes me want to scream to the top of my lungs and run them over. Yes, that is dramatic, but I don’t understand how someone could be so inconsiderate.

As careless as that person may be, I need to know the dangers of giving that driver a piece of my mind.

Road rage isn’t just flicking off another driver or yelling at them despite the fact they can’t hear a word you’re saying. It includes lane blocking, tailgating, gestures, horn use, headlight use, blocking traffic and countless other things.

This past Monday afternoon, it was reported two cars in Maine were aimlessly driving and banging their cars into one another.

Many of the motorists who witnessed the incident believed it to be a road rage incident.

One of the two vehicles ended

ISAAC BREKKEN / The Associated Press

Erich Nowsch Jr. was arrested on murder, attempted murder and other charges in the Feb. 12 ‘road rage’ shooting that fatally wounded 44-year-old Tammy Meyers. up crashing into the ice-covered Crooked River that lies along Casco, Maine. Fortunately, all three people in the car were able to escape and swim to safety. When officials arrived, they were rushed to the hospital.

Officials have decided to handle this incident as a criminal matter.

According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, aggressive driving causes 66 percent of all traffic

fatalities.

You don’t always have to worry about how a person will react while you’re in the car — sometimes it’s the exchange that follows.

A couple of weeks ago, a road rage incident led to the death of 44-year-old Tammy Meyers.

Allegedly, Meyers was driving back from teaching her daughter how to drive when she began exchanging words with 19-year-old Erich Nowsch. Meyers and her son

later found and followed Nowsch’s car until a passenger opened fire.

It is believed that Nowsch followed her home, where Meyers’ son confronted the teenager. Both men were armed. Allegedly, when Meyers’ son saw Nowsch’s gun, he opened fired on him, and the teenager’s exchange of shots left Meyers dying in her driveway.

The investigation is still ongoing. Sadly, this isn’t uncommon. According to the National Highway Safety Administration, more than 37 percent of aggressive driving incidents involve use of a firearm.

Getting satisfaction out of cutting off other drivers and tailgating them in an attempt to express our anger is just insane. There is a chance that our reaction is far more dangerous than what the driver did to get us heated in the first place.

We have to understand that our cars are not our bulletproof jackets. We’re not invincible because we locked ourselves in our steel automobiles.

In Walmart, most of us won’t go ramming our basket into the annoying person who’s been blocking the aisle for the last 5 minutes. As much as we may want to,

we won’t.

So rule of thumb: If you won’t do it in person, don’t do it behind the wheel.

Fatal road rage incidents may not happen everyday, but they still happen.

Whenever I beep my horn at another driver out of frustration and my dad is riding passenger, I always get the “That’s going to end you up in a world of trouble if you keep doing that” lecture.

I try to explain to my father that I don’t want confrontation, I just need the other driver to understand that they are a terrible excuse for a driver and whoever issued them a license needs to be fired ASAP. But, with all of these new road rage incidents in the news, I’m beginning to realize that may not always be the best route to take.

The next time you encounter another sophisticated, ignorant driver just take a deep breath, count to three, put on soothing music, relax and drive on.

Clarke Perkins is a 19-yearold political science freshman from New Orleans, Louisiana.

You can reach her on Twitter @ClarkePerkins.

page 18

Announcements

Employment

The Daily Reveille

Housing

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Merchandise

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For Rent LSU Library Apartments. 1 & 2 bedroom flats & townhouses. Gated, crown molding, wood floors, some have w/d, laundry on site. On site manager $450.00-$675.00.

Call (225) 615-8521 ______________________ Next to LSU 2/1 house $700, 2/1.5 townhouse $650. 1/1 $425 pets ok.McDaniel Properties owner/agent 388-9858 ______________________ Lease Today, Move in August 1st. Luxury Multi-Story 3 Bedroom/3.5 Bath @ $1650/ month. Includes: Optional Monthly Maid Service, Pool, Club House, Gated Parking & Appliances. Arlington Trace & Summer Grove Condos @ 2405 & 2403 Brightside Lane On LSU Bus Route Contact hollisleech@yahoo. com ______________________ Lake Beau Pre Townhomes, Arlington Trace & Summer Grove Condos 2 & 3 Bedrooms Accepting Deposits for Summer/Fall Move In Please contact Dean & Company Real Estate 225-7672227 www.deanrealestate.net ______________________

MEADOW BEND-FOUNTAIN VIEW 3bed-2bath Updated House $1,250 month $1,250 deposit Non Smoker No Pets PATTI NELSON OWNER/AGENT (225)8024728

Costs: 35 cents per word a day, personals free for students Deadline: 12 p.m., two school days prior to the print publication date

TIONIST (Downtown BR) Part-time Flexible hours $10 per/hour Email resume: Elise@CamelotClubBR.com ______________________ Horticulture and Landscape Architect Students! Harb’s Oasis Garden Center on Coursey Blvd. is looking for immediate in store sales positions in bedding plants, trees & shrubs, and watergardens. $10.95 per hour and up. To apply, email: harb.oasis@ gmail.com ______________________ Looking for tennis teaching pros to help with Junior programs and clinics. Some tennis playing experience required. Please contact Ryan Dornier at ryandornier@aol. com. Start @ $10/hr but can get up to $40/hr ______________________ Louie’s Cafe: Hiring cooks, servers and dish staff. Apply in person, online or via email. louiescafe.com 3322 Lake Street ______________________ MATH TUTORS WANTED With our 3rd Baton Rouge location now open, Mathnasium needs more instructors. You need a very strong understanding of K-12 math, and you need to enjoy working with kids. If you do, we provide a fun work environment, flexible scheduling, and $12/hour after training.

Call 744-0005 or email us at ascension@mathnasium.com ______________________ New York Bagel on Perkins Now Hiring! Looking for friendly team members to fill cashiers and sandwich maker positions. Flexible hours.

Please apply in person at 8342 Perkins Road Suite Q. ______________________

SELA Aquatics hiring lifeguards, swim coaches, instructors, managers for country club pools in BR, NOLA, Lafayette. Apply at www.selaaquatics.com. ______________________

Baton Rouge Country Club is hiring part-time outside service staff. $9-$10/hr. Seeking dependable, motivated, and team oriented individuals.

Customer service and golf background is a plus. Email resumes to keithcornwell@ pga.com. ______________________

PRIVATE CLUB RECEP-

$12.70/hr Companion for

Help Wanted

Services

young adult with intellectual disability Perfect for Spec Ed, Kinesology, or ComD majors Non-smoker M&W or T&Th 9:30-4:30 225-3356219 or resume to chzgil@ cox.net ______________________ PERSONAL TRAINER. Experience preferred. Email resume fitness@batonrougecc. org. ______________________ Salassi Jewelry & Fine Gifts is now accepting applications. Candidates must be fashion oriented with outstanding people skills.

College Degree or soon to be required. Send photo and resume! salassijewelry@gmail. com ______________________ Part time afternoon counter clerk wanted. Welsh’s cleaners. Perkins and college location. Great for students! Flexible schedules! APPLY IN PERSON. or call 2259285067 ask for scarlet. ______________________ -Saturdays and/or Sundays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. -Hourly wage w/ commission opportunities Looking for someone with strong public relations skills who is detail oriented and dependable. Email resume and inquiries to membership@brzoo.org. ______________________ If your looking to make some extra money as a student on the side, my business is expanding in the Baton Rouge area. I am an LSU student who works with several pro-athletes endorsing sports nutrition as well as working with makeup artist that sponsor Mrs. AmericaUSA. I’m only looking for a few motivated individuals to work 5-10 hours a week.

Call or email me at 985-2556872 SDInc.info@gmail.com.

-Katelyn ______________________ Submit resumes in store, must be 18 or older. Looking for part time retail associates who work well with customers ______________________

In need of honest IT technician to work part time from 9am-1pm. Web development experience is a plus. Email resume to info@brwebstudio. com ______________________ Front Desk Position available at a high end hair salon.

Looking for an upbeat, outgoing and fashion conscious person. Hours are flexible.

Generous discounts and perks! Apply in person at 7731 Perkins Rd Set 140 or email your resume to honey@ sohoboutiquesalon.com. ______________________ Afternoon Teacher needed for Two Year Old classroom. holly.morris@countrydayschoolbr.com

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The Daily Reveille

page 19

ART

Rigsby Frederick Salon and Gallery offers original art experience BR salon combines hair and art

BY GRETA JINES gjines@lsureveille.com A front porch lined with sculptures, sparkling glass doors with sleek wooden handles and a deep, Southern voice. A trip down Perkins Road will take anyone here, but only if they’re looking for a salon.

Rigsby Frederick Salon and Gallery offers an unprecedented experience to its clientele.

Customers may come in for a simple cut and color but leave with much more than that.

The salon’s owner, Rigsby Frederick, mingles with his customers as he practices his craft, but the man in the alligator vest has built a business around what he knows and loves.

Frederick attended the University and worked with hair throughout his 20s. He opened his own internationally branded business in 1984 strictly as a salon. Two years later, the self-taught artist added a gallery featuring his sculptures made of steel, stone and wood.

“Everything around me is handmade,” Frederick said.

“It’s just something I love and something I’m passionate about. And of course, hair is the easiest medium. It’s soft sculpture, that’s all it is.”

For a salon with a twist, part of his business is based on tradition — the clientele. Frederick has worked with several generations of families over the salon’s 31-year existence, many courtesy of the University.

“Thirty years of new freshman. 30 years of moms and daughters, and believe it or not, grandmothers,” Frederick said. “I’m able to do three to four generations of great families. We live in a bedroom community as opposed to New York. So people do stay around and have a reason to come back and visit.”

Frederick offers a variety of options to customers to cater to any budget need, but when it comes to doing hair, he only has one rule.

“I will not do somebody’s hair twice if they’re not fun,” Frederick said. “It’s not about fat or skinny or young or old.

It’s about fun.”

Most of the salon’s furniture was handmade by Frederick himself, from the benches to the framework, but he’s open to displaying local artists’ work. The salon will occasionally feature new work, and everything is for sale.

The salon’s general manager, Michelle Bellamy, said aside from art, it sells hair products, Bourbon Royalty candles and jewelry from several different vendors.

The back of the salon offers he is away. an escape from the busy main “You can definitely tell floor with its VIP area. when he’s here and when he’s “We do bridal parties, spe- not here,” Bellamy said. “It’s cial events, private consulta- just a glow in the salon. His tions, or even if you just want a home is just an extension of girls’ day,” Bellamy said. “It’s this place.” a really nice place to have sep“Rigs,” as he introduces arate from the salon. There’s himself, is a busy man but has not a lot of other no intention of places that do slowing down that.” anytime soon.

‘We’ve been one of the The staff’s “Every day top salons for over 30 I do goal this year is something to connect with years. It’s not just about I haven’t done,” the college com- me, I’ve had some really Frederick said. brilliant talent through “It’ll keep you munity, specifically the Univeryoung. Creative the years.’ sity’s freshmen thought will looking for a sakeep you young.”

RIGSBY FREDERICK, lon to call home.

Opening the “We have all salon allowed creator, Rigsby Frederick different levels him to mix his Salon and Gallery of stylists, which love for working means we can with people with offer all different services to his passion for art. It’s also one them,” Bellamy said. of the only forms of art that Even if Frederick isn’t keeps on giving because someworking in the salon, he’s oc- one always needs a haircut. cupying his time with some The proud owner is happy form of art. He’s released sev- with the business he’s built eral clothing lines in the past and the stylists he surrounds using materials such as alliga- himself with. tor, beaver and snake skins.

“I dont know of another saThis aspect of his work al- lon that’s been kicking ass,” lows him to travel all over the Frederick said. “We’ve been world, but he’s still drawn to one of the top salons for over spending time in the salon.

30 years. It’s not just about me, He participated in NOLA I’ve had some really brilliant Fashion Week last year but talent through the years.” declined this year’s invitation Regardless of what he’s dodue to a tight schedule. ing, Frederick carries his pas“I showed everything from sion throughout every aspect wild mushroom hats to alliga- of his life and advises everytor vests,” Frederick said. one around him to do the same.

Frederick splits his time “You toast to the past, live between work and his home in the now and be inspired by studio, which houses one of the the future,” Frederick said. few sculpture gardens in the Baton Rouge. There’s a notice- You can reach Greta Jines on able absence in the salon when Twitter @TheGretaJines.

photos by RONNI BOURGEOIS / The Daily Reveille

Rigsby Frederick’s salon offers his clientele hair styling and features a variety of his steel, stone and wood sculptures at its Perkins Road location.

FOR RELEASE FEBRUARY 26, 2015

THE Daily Commuter Puzzle ACROSS 1 Murdered 5 Went out with 10 Went down a fireman’s pole 14 Heavy book 15 Nimble 16 Scoop holder 17 Strong __ ox 18 Cry out loudly; shout in protest 20 Actor Affleck 21 Pig’s comment 22 Estate home 23 Gumdrops or Milk Duds 25 Aug.’s follower 26 Abilities 28 Kit or Johnny 31 Energetic 32 Actor __ Keach 34 Cauldron 36 Longoria and Mendes 37 Piece of celery 38 Ricky Ricardo’s portrayer 39 To __; namely 40 Iron alloy 41 Punctured, as a bull his victim 42 Sister’s son 44 Hit for Travolta & Newton-John 45 Male sheep 46 Sassy 47 Plant pest 50 Opinion 51 One __ kind; unique thing 54 Heavy draft horse 57 Was sorry for 58 Actress Lange 59 Prepared to be photographed 60 __ up; spent 61 Facial features 62 Jumpy 63 Koppel & Wass 1 2 3 4

DOWN Take a __ at; attempt Suffer defeat Set free Actress MingNa __

5 McCallum and Letterman 6 Horrible pain 7 Lyme disease transmitter 8 Actor Wallach 9 ABC followers 10 Leftover pieces 11 Money lent 12 6 __ 12 is 2 13 Doe or buck 19 __ board; nail file 21 “For Your Eyes __”; 007 movie 24 Swiss skier’s paradise 25 Paper bag 26 Gush forth 27 Actor Bacon 28 Summon 29 La Scala, e.g.

30 Schnozes 32 Worry; fret 33 Edison’s initials 35 Wisk rival 37 Underground plant part 38 “That __ it!”; cry of disgust

by Jacqueline E. Mathews

Wednesday’s Puzzle Solved

©2015 Tribune Content Agency, LLC All Rights Reserved.

40 Window cover 41 Got bigger 43 Groups of lions 44 Grasping 46 “Circular __”; wastebaskets 47 Muscle pain 48 Stratagem

49 Excessive publicity 50 Extensive 52 Give dinner to 53 Tallies up 55 Group bath 56 Put on, as clothing 57 Groove

The Daily Reveille

REV page 20

Thursday, February 26, 2015

STUDIO SPOTLIGHT

RANKS SOUR SOUL BADBADNOTGOOD and Ghostface Killah If we learned anything from Sunday’s interminable Academy Awards ceremony and J. K. Simmons’ win for Best Supporting Actor, it’s that people should be paying closer attention to jazz music. Pair the popularity of Simmons’ film, “Whiplash,” with the newest album by BADBADNOTGOOD, and it’s plain to see that jazz is on the upswing.

— GERALD DUCOTE

DARK SKY PARADISE Big Sean “Dark Sky Paradise” is an album deserving of a thorough listen.

Yes, there are stronger tracks than others, but to fully obtain the lyrical and musical experience Big Sean has created, one needs to dive in at track one and not stop until track 12, or 15 on the deluxe version.

— MEG RYAN

JUST KIDS Kearney “Kearney opens up about his personal experiences through the use of heavy pop and electronic influences. The shift in style isn’t too drastic — he’s still the same melancholy artist he always was — just evolving.”

— ASHLYN ROLLINS

THE DUFF CBS Films While “The DUFF” is just another teen movie, it’s also surprisingly clever at times, with some occasional, borderline blue humor.

‘Hot Tub Time Machine 2’ lacks charm, humor

BY KAYLA RANDALL krandall@lsureveille.com A hot tub time machine would definitely be useful while watching this movie — to go to the future and skip to the end credits.

In “Hot Tub Time Machine 2,” the gang must go back in time to save Lou, who has gotten himself in deep trouble. Chaos ensues as they use the hot tub time machine and accidentally end up in the future. The film stars Rob Corddry as Lou, Craig Robinson as Nick, Clark Duke as Jacob and Adam Scott as John Cusack’s replacement, Adam Jr. The first “Hot Tub Time Machine” was a plot just as absurd as this one, but it was at times funny and had a quirky charm. This sequel lacks any of the charm the original had, and is just plain unfunny. “Hot Tub Time Machine 2” really boils down to one penis joke after another.

Of course suspension of disbelief is implied when talking about a hot tub time machine, but the plot of this movie becomes convoluted and silly, and by the end, it’s hard to care.

The problem with this film isn’t the actors. All of the actors are serviceable, but they are given so little to work with and such unfunny material.

Instead of comedy, the film veers into cruelty, with distasteful jokes, one involving basically a nationally televised rape.

One of the film’s biggest problems in regards to cruelty is the character Lou. Sure he was just as much of a jerk in the first movie, but here it’s amped up to the high-

courtesy of FILMHDWALLPAPERS.COM

est degree. This leaves Lou without a single redeeming quality.

Lou is cruel, shallow and rarely ever funny, just like everything else in “Hot Tub Time Machine 2.” No matter the genre of movie, no one wants to watch a supposed protagonist or main character who is so utterly unlikeable his own son spends the entire film wishing he was dead.

Another issue is the ensemble’s dynamic. These characters all seem to genuinely hate each other.

This kind of dynamic can work sometimes, but not for a film’s entire runtime. Even “The Breakfast Club” cast liked each other eventually, and they were pretty

much strangers.

Another comparable dude ensemble movie is “The Hangover,” but those guys seemed to actually care for one another.

“Hot Tub Time Machine 2” is nothing like those films. It is heartless and soulless.

John Cusack deserves props for making what turned out to be a very wise decision. He comes out of this looking like a genius for deciding to not be in the sequel.

Even Craig Robinson couldn’t save this one.

You can reach Kayla Randall on Twitter @Kay_Rand21.

MCAT2015

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— GRETA JINES

MCFARLAND USA Walt Disney Pictures Anyone interested in a sports or simply attracted to the idea of an inspiring underdog story should take the time to see this film, because if this left untold, it would be a great disservice to these amazing athletes.

— MICHAEL TARVER

Read the full reviews online at lsureveille.com/daily.

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