The Reveille 1-11-21

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WHAT NOW?

Following the University’s alleged mishandling of sexual assault reports, student leaders and administrators respond to continued calls for change.

Elisabeth Andries and Samantha Brennan, both mentioned in the USA Today article, embrace each other Nov. 20, 2020 during the protest following the USA Today article about mishandled sexual misconduct cases at Tiger Stadium on North Stadium Road.

PHOTO BY KRISTEN YOUNG

NEWS

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Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol Wednesday protesting a peaceful transfer of presidential power.

ENTERTAINMENT

Read on

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p ag e 5

Prep for the spring semester with these helpful tips to remember while using Zoom.

SPORTS

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LSU football announces the hiring of a pair of new offensive coaches, Jake Peetz and DJ Mangas.

OPINION

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“This country cannot allow those who endangered our democracy to abdicate their role in this chaos so easily.”

L SU Re ve i l le.co m @l s u r e ve i l le

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‘THIS IS A MOVEMENT’

Calls for change continue in response to University’s mishandling of sexual assault

BY MADELYN CUTRONE @madelyncutrone USA Today released a report Nov. 16 condemning LSU’s mishandling of sexual assault cases, including some against the University’s athletes. The report detailed experiences of several female students and highlighted that in many of the cases, upperlevel administration had knowledge of the abuse and denied reporting it — violating Title IX laws.

The University commissioned independent law firm Husch Blackwell to review the handling of sexual assault cases at LSU in a comprehensive investigation after the USA Today report surfaced. The review, which will include extensive interviews with staff and students to evaluate every aspect of the sexual assault reporting process, is set to conclude in February.

Student leaders began organizing a protest immediately following the report. Over 200 students gathered on Nov. 20 to protest the administration’s misconduct and lack of accountability in sexual assault cases over the past decade.

Alaysia Johnson, chairwoman of BWEI at LSU, said a campus culture shift must take place for LSU to start listening to survivors and respecting their stories.

“This is not a moment. This is a movement,” Johnson said at the protest. “We’re here in front of Tiger Stadium to say ‘We are tired.’

When we get a new president, when we get a new football team, we still won’t be done.”

The Reveille spoke to student leaders and University administrators about the direction this movement will take this semester, two months after the initial report was published.

Samantha Brennan: Legal success against LSU Former LSU student Samantha Brennan sued LSU in October for withholding Title IX documents from her regarding an investigation with former football player Derrius Guice, who allegedly photographed her without her consent in 2016.

Brennan was introduced to Guice at Tigerland, and later learned that a partially nude photograph of her taken by Guice was circulating around the football team. Brennan reported the

incident to LSUPD on July 22, 2016, but no investigation was conducted after Brennan refused to press charges against Guice.

On Aug. 19, Brennan requested the police records related to her allegation against Guice. After several delays, LSU produced a four sentence “initial report” that failed to include Guice’s name — a direct violation of Louisiana law — or the accusation that he sent the photo to other students.

After Brennan contacted LSUPD and other departments, LSU relinquished a redacted copy of the original police report. The names of Guice and one other witness were not included in the document.

On behalf of Brennan, USA Today filed a lawsuit against LSU and Interim President Thomas Galligan on the grounds of improperly redacting and withholding official police records. Judge Janice Clark ruled in favor of Brennan on Dec. 29 and ordered LSU to make monetary reparations to both Brennan and USA Today, as well as release an unredacted copy of the report to both parties.

Clark wrote that LSU’s response to Brennan’s request for police records was “unreasonable, arbitrary and capricious in its refusal and delay and the redacted manner in which the documents were produced.”

Brennan told USA Today the ruling is a “win for all of the victims out there that have not received the justice they deserve.”

LSU Vice President of Legal Affairs and General Counsel Winston G. DeCuir Jr. said the ruling will discourage students from involving themselves in future investigations due to the lack of privacy.

LSU appealed Clark’s ruling.

Student leaders: Plans for change Student Body President Stone Cox said Student Government is forming a special committee to investigate and address similar instances of misconduct by the University. While the committee is not yet formalized, it will be active this semester.

Cox, who also serves as the student member on the Board of Supervisors, said he is confident in Husch Blackwell’s ability to fully examine the University’s conduct by having access to information students and other mem-

bers of LSU wouldn’t be privy to.

“What I plan to do as a board member is wait and see what the report looks like and then make appropriate plans from there,” Cox said. “It’s really going to depend on the outcome of their investigation. But, obviously I will be looking over it very carefully and making sure that any appropriate action that needs to take place will take place.”

Angelina Cantelli, deputy chief of staff for Student Government and co-president of Tigers Against Sexual Assault, will head the SG committee to address the University’s misconduct. The committee will focus on holding LSU’s administration accountable for its actions and providing resources for survivors.

Cantelli’s goal for the committee is to encourage strict action against those who played a role in covering up any sexual assault allegations. She also believes the current Title IX laws should be extensively reformed and there should be an easier path for victims to report their assaulters.

“Red tape needs to be removed so it is as easy as possible for a survivor to report and have action taken against their abuser,” Cantelli said.

Angel Upshaw, co-president of TASA, said that as a result of the USA Today article, her organization called for the immediate removal of any faculty who violated Title IX laws or were complicit in the mishandling of sexual assault cases. She and Cantelli have also met with Husch Blackwell to “monitor” its progress in the investigation.

“So far, they seem to have a lot of passion for holding responsible persons accountable, so fingers crossed,” Upshaw said.

TASA is launching a new survivor support group this semester to help victims of sexual violence discuss their experiences and find healthy coping mechanisms.

TASA’s executive board will also continue to hold meetings with Galligan, Provost Haynie and representatives from Husch Blackwell to express the hopes and concerns of the student body in the law firm’s ongoing investigation.

On Nov. 16, the evening after the USA Today report was released, two student leaders composed a letter examining the new information that had come to light and calling for immediate

action from LSU. Cantelli and Upshaw were two of the 26 student leaders who signed the letter.

“We are calling for the immediate resignation of any administration or staff of LSU or LSU Athletics who have either actively mishandled, suppressed Title IX claims or have knowledge of the mishandling or suppression and failed to act,” the letter read.

Geaux Vote President Mia Lejeune said LSU’s actions toward the students who reported sexual abuse compelled her to sign the open letter authored by students Jack Green and Alaysia Johnson.

“As a female student of this school, I feel like it should be the No. 1 priority of the administration to protect their students,” Lejeune said. “Students did the right things. They went to the right officials, and they were still ignored. That spoke volumes to me.”

Lejeune also wishes LSU offered more resources for students who have been sexually assaulted or harassed so they can receive the mental health care and guidance they need.

“I know so many women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted on this campus and feel like they don’t have a place to go when it comes to mental health resources,” Lejeune said.

University administration: Responses to criticisms Verge Ausberry, executive deputy athletics director and a former member of the University’s Presidential Search Committee, was one of the University officials named in the USA Today report.

The report alleged Ausberry and other athletics officials concealed reports of sexual assault. Ausberry voluntarily resigned from the committee on Dec. 17.

Galligan said in a December Board of Supervisors meeting that it is important to let Husch Blackwell take its time to complete the investigation. He said the University is having conversations about reporting sexual assaults with STAR (Sexual Trauma Awareness & Response) and similar groups.

“Going forward, we have stressed to our employees that everyone is required to report instances of sexual or domestic assault,” Galligan said. “We are also partnering with STAR to look at more comprehensive ways to educate and train our community.”

KRISTEN YOUNG / The Reveille

Protestors hold up signs and share personal stories Nov. 20, 2020 during the protest following the USA Today article about mishandled sexual misconduct cases at Tiger Stadium on North Stadium Road.

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ABOUT THE REVEILLE The Reveille is written, edited and produced solely by students of Louisiana State University. The Reveille is an independent entity of the Office of Student Media within the Manship School of Mass Communication.

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NEWS

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Trump supporters storm U.S. Capitol

INVESTIGATION

Noose disovered inside KA house

REVEILLE STAFF REPORT

COURTESY OF ASSOCIATED PRESS

Police hold off Trump supporters who tried to break through a police barrier on Jan. 6. at the Capitol in Washington. As Congress prepares to affirm President-elect Joe Biden’s victory, thousands of people have gathered to show their support for President Donald Trump and his claims of election fraud.

ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON (AP) — Angry supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday in a chaotic protest aimed at thwarting a peaceful transfer of power, forcing lawmakers to be rushed from the building and interrupting challenges to Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory. Trump issued a restrained call for peace but did not call on his supporters to leave.

The ordinarily mundane procedure of certifying a new president was always going to be extraordinary, with Republican supporters of Trump vowing to

protest results of an election that they have baselessly insisted was reversed by fraud.

The deliberations inside were still in their early stages when they were overcome by raucous demonstrations outside, as protesters who clashed with police entered the building, shouting and waving Trump and American flags. They abruptly interrupted the proceedings in an out-of-control scene that featured eerie official warnings directing people to duck under their seats for cover and put on gas masks.

With the crowds showing no signs of abating, Trump tweeted, “Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement. They are

truly on the side of our Country.

Stay peaceful!”

Senators were being evacuated. Some House lawmakers tweeted they were sheltering in place in their offices.

Demonstrators fought with Capitol Police and then forced their way into the building, not long after a huge rally near the White House during which Trump egged them on to march to Capitol Hill.

Lawmakers had convened for an extraordinary joint session to confirm the Electoral College results.

Though fellow Republicans were behind the challenge to Biden’s 306-232 Electoral College

victory, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell sought to lower tensions and argued against it. He warned the country “cannot keep drifting apart into two separate tribes” with “separate facts.”

McConnell declared, “The voters, the courts and the states all have spoken.”

But other Republicans, including House GOP leaders among Trump’s allies were acting out the pleas of supporters at his huge Wednesday rally up Pennsylvania Avenue outside the White House to “fight for Trump.”

“We have to fix this,” said Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, the

see RIOT, page 4

LSUPD is investigating a report of a noose found inside the Kappa Alpha Order fraternity house Thursday.

LSU Media Relations Director Ernie Ballard said the noose had been removed when LSUPD arrived. Ballard said LSUPD and the Office of Student Advocacy & Accountability and the Bias Incident Response Team are investigating.

“The University welcomes viewpoints and open dialogue on campus, but these types of bias incidents aren’t tolerated,” Ballard said.

WAFB posted a picture on its website of the noose, which was found in a brick fireplace in the house. The source of the picture was unknown, according to WAFB. At the time of this article, the LSU chapter of Kappa Alpha Order and the National Kappa Alpha Order has not made a statement regarding the incident.

According to its website, KA seeks to uphold virtues personified by its spiritual founder, Robert E. Lee, that include “the masculine virtues of chivalry, respect for others, reverence of women and honor to God.” In 2016, the national board of directors for the fraternity prohibited KA from sponsoring events with the name “Old South,” or similar names.

POLITICS

LSU alumna to serve as Joe Biden’s U.N. ambassador

BY CAROLINE SAVOIE @carolinesavo Long-time diplomat, LSU graduate and Louisiana native Linda Thomas-Greenfield will serve in President-Elect Joe Biden’s cabinet as ambassador to the United Nations.

In her remarks on Nov. 24, she explained how she put a “Cajun spin” on diplomacy in her 35 years serving across four continents in the Foreign Service.

Thomas-Greenfield was born in Baker, Louisiana, a rural town north of Baton Rouge, and she paid homage to her home state by engaging in what she calls “Gumbo diplomacy.”

“Wherever I was posted around the world, I’d invite people of different backgrounds and beliefs to help me make a roux, and chop onions for the holy trinity and make homemade gumbo,” she said. “It was my way of breaking down barriers, connecting

with people and starting to see each other on a human level- a bit of ‘lagniappe’ is what we say in Louisiana.”

Emeritus Professor of Sociology at LSU Thomas Durant met Thomas-Greenfield when she spoke to the LSU Black Faculty and Staff Caucus over 20 years ago. He said that as the second Black woman to serve in her new position, Thomas-Greenfield will continue to shift the culture of American politics.

“To see that a Black woman is the leader of American foreign policy, it sends a signal to this country and to the rest of the world that America will live out its dream of being a truly multicultural society,” Durant said.

He said Thomas-Greenfield is a “well-qualified and wellgrounded” pick for U.N. ambassador, having served as ambassador to Liberia and held postings in Pakistan, Kenya, Nigeria and Jamaica, among other countries.

“The ambassador to the U.N. represents America’s foreign mission in the rest of the world and sets international policy based on U.S. interest,” he said. “In order to be the ambassador to the U.N., you have to have a broad knowledge and experience in foreign affairs and international relationships, and she’s proven that for the last 35 years.”

Durant said that ThomasGreenfield will renew Americans’ faith in foreign leadership and restore integrity on a global stage.

“She will do an excellent job of restoring leadership on the world’s stage that has been so diminished in the last four years,” Durant said, “We have lost some of our leadership, power and respect, and I think people like Linda will be able to capture that American power and leadership again.”

LSU alumnus Dr. Albert Agard has spent over 20 years serving in the international government

THE REVEILLE ARCHIVES

Former U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield speaks to students about her experiences in the French House on Aug. 29, 2018. in Africa. He said Thomas-Greenfield will flourish in her new position as she works to improve re-

lations between the United States

see DIPLOMAT, page 4

Monday, January 11, 2021

page 4 BATON ROUGE COMMUNITY

Judge rules in favor of Samantha Brennan in suit against LSU REVEILLE STAFF REPORT East Baton Rouge Judge Janice Clark ruled in favor of former LSU student Samantha Brennan in her case against LSU Dec. 29.

Clark ordered the University to release an unredacted copy of the police report to USA Today as well as make monetary reparations, according to a USA Today report.

Brennan claimed that in July 2016, former LSU running back Derrius Guice took a nude picture of her without her consent.

Brennan reported the incident on July 22, 2016, after learning that it had been circulated around her workplace, the football recruiting office.

Brennan did not plan to press charges at that time though she was encouraged to do so.

Until August, four years after the incident, Brennan made no effort to contact police in regard to the investigation and did not imply she was interested in pressing charges against Guice. The investigation was not continued because Brennan told LSUPD she was not interested in pursuing it.

Brennan originally requested the police records documenting her allegations against Guice on Aug. 19 and received the report from the University on the Aug 28. The document failed to name Guice or mention Brennan’s accusation that Guice spread the photo with other students, a direct violation of Louisiana law.

After Brennan repeatedly contacted LSUPD and other departments, the University released a redacted copy of the original police report to Brennan that did not include Guice’s and one other witness’ name. LSU repeatedly refused to produce any documents other than the initial report. In a separate case against Guice involving a former LSU tennis player, the University similarly refused to produce a single police record.

After going public with her story in a USA Today article, Brennan became the face of survivors in their collective fight against LSU administration for their handling of sexual assault reports.. Brennan decided to contact reporters after reading that two other women had come forward four months earlier with allegations against her abuser, Guice.

USA Today filed a lawsuit against LSU and Interim President Thomas Galligan, claiming that official police records had been improperly redacted and withheld. The University argued that names were redacted in the report to protect the privacy of all students who were involved and to preserve the integrity of the investigation, and that they were by law required to do so.

Brennan’s council argued that since the names are now public and Brennan on multiple occasions verified her intent to not pursue charges, LSU was not

required to redact the names or wait to release the reports.

Clark heard the case on Nov. 23 and asked both counsels to present a five page brief detailing their positions, to be submitted on Nov. 30.

Judge Janice Clark ruled in favor of Brennan Dec. 29. Clark described the University’s response to Brennan’s request for police records as “unreasonable” and “arbitrary.”

LSU was ordered to pay $10,000 to cover USA Today’s attorney fees and $6,200 in civil penalties, which represents $100 for the 62 business days between the request date and the trial date.

New Orleans attorney Scott Sternberg represented USA Today in the case and said he was “thrilled” with the outcome of the ruling.

LSU appealed Clark’s ruling. LSU Vice President of Legal Affairs and General Counsel Winston G. DeCuir Jr. said the court’s ruling may deter victims, bystanders or witnesses from reporting investigations of misconduct because their identities will “no longer be protected.”

“As part of our ongoing commitment to protecting our students’ physical safety, privacy and well-being, we reviewed the ruling and will appeal the decision because of the long-term implications for students participating in the University’s investigatory process,” DeCuir said.

DIPLOMAT, from page 3

THE REVEILLE ARCHIVES

Former U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield speaks to students about her experiences in the French House on Aug. 29, 2018.

RIOT, from page 3 GOP whip.

The last-gasp effort is all but certain to fail, defeated by bipartisan majorities in Congress prepared to accept the November results. Biden is to be inaugurated Jan. 20.

Still, Trump vowed he would “never concede” and urged the massive crowd to march to the Capitol where hundreds had already gathered under tight security.

“We will never give up,” Trump told his noontime rally.

Vice President Mike Pence was

closely watched as he stepped onto the dais to preside over the joint session in the House chamber.

Pence has a largely ceremonial role, opening the sealed envelopes from the states after they are carried in mahogany boxes used for the occasion, and reading the results aloud. But he was under growing pressure from Trump to overturn the will of the voters and tip the results in the president’s favor, despite having no legal power to affect the outcome.

“Do it Mike, this is a time for extreme courage!” Trump tweet-

and countries around the world.

“The fact that she has been exposed to so many diverse cultures makes her aptly qualified for this position,” Agard said.

“She will have to make decisions for the world, and I can’t think of any other U.N. Ambassador in the past several years that has come with this type of qualification. You can’t substitute briefings for actual experience.”

He met Thomas-Greenfield when she reached out to him during his time as an international student when they were both undergraduates at LSU. She befriended him, checking up on him and making sure he acclimated to college life in ed Wednesday.

But Pence, in a statement shortly before presiding, defied Trump, saying he could not claim “unilateral authority” to reject the electoral votes that make Biden president.

Despite Trump’s repeated claims of voter fraud, election officials and his own former attorney general have said there were no problems on a scale that would change the outcome. All the states have certified their results as fair and accurate, by Republican and Democratic officials.

Arizona was the first of several states facing objections from

KRISTEN YOUNG / The Reveille

Elisabeth Andries and Samantha Brennan, both mentioned in the USA Today article, stand together on Nov. 20, 2020 during the protest.

KRISTEN YOUNG / The Reveille

Protestors march together on Nov. 20, 2020 during the protest.

Louisiana.

“I think that was an indication of things to come,” Agard said. “She’s always had a heart for diplomacy on a global scale.

For that, she’s going to be a great ambassador.”

Endowed Chair of Race, Media and Cultural Literacy, Tina Harris said that Biden and Harris’ cabinet nominees represent racial, ethnic and cultural diversity in a way that is critical to their political success.

“People elect politicians to protect their rights and defend their interests, and women and people of color have not always been represented,” Harris said.

“The lack of representation translates into the creation, develop-

ment and subsequent adoption of policies and laws that are counterintuitive to the interests of marginalized groups. With nominees like these, trust is built between voters and government officials through representation and the belief that someone is acting in their best interest.”

Thomas-Greenfield said that as she remembers her humble beginnings, she thinks about the American people and their hope in the face of cruelty and struggle. She said that global challenges like COVID-19, climate change and poverty can be solved if America is leading the way.

“America is back,” ThomasGreenfield said. “Multilateralism is back. Diplomacy is back.”

the Republicans as Congress took an alphabetical reading of the

election results. Then the chaos erupted.

COURTESY OF ASSOCIATED PRESS

Supporters of President Donald Trump climb the west wall of the the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. D.C.

ENTERTAINMENT ZOOM SELF CARE

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GRAPHICS BY SOPHIE VAGIANOS

Seven things to keep in mind this semester

BY ARIEL BAISE @arielbiancaa Zoom fatigue has taken over college campuses nationwide.

With a new semester upon us, it is clear that online classes will remain. I am one of those poor unfortunate souls who have back to back online classes twice a week.

According to Psychiatric Times, Zoom fatigue “describes the tiredness, worry, or burnout associated with virtual platforms of communication.”

Zoom fatigue occurs due to the overabundance of work our mind is doing to keep up with the screen. We lose a lot of nonverbal signals and social cues, such as facial expression, joint attention and body posture. These social cues are difficult for our brains to decipher and visualize.

Without face to face interaction, our mind does not process these signals as fast and uses more energy to do so.

“This creates a feeling of being on stage and is often accompanied by a compulsion to

perform, which also requires more energy than a simple interaction,” Diana Concannon, PsyD, psychologist, and dean of the California School of Forensic Studies at Alliant International University told Health magazine.

Here are some ways to fight Zoom fatigue: Take a break & limit video calls Take a break in between video calls to stretch or get a snack.

Zoom fatigue requires us to focus even more when we communicate. Your mind is doing twice the work, so give it and you a well-deserved break. Create a transitional period in between long lectures.

If possible, try to opt out of video calls outside of class and use other forms of communication.

Avoid getting digital eye fatigue Digital eye fatigue covers several symptoms since everyone ex-

periences it in different ways. The most common symptoms include dry eye, headaches and blurry vision. The long term use of computers and digital products, such as cell phones and tablets, causes digital eye fatigue.

To prevent digital eye fatigue, avoid prolonged computer use.

Ensure your laptop and phone brightness is adjusted to the same brightness as your surrounding environment. Your computer’s text should be an appropriate and easy size to read.

If you wear contact lenses, try wearing prescribed glasses during Zoom meetings.

a Micro break that lasts 15 seconds and occurs every 15 minutes; there is also a normal break that occurs every 10 minutes at the beginning of each hour. Users can adjust how long each break lasts in settings to fit their needs.

Practice the 20-20-20 rule

Be with nature & disconnect

The 20-20-20 rule reminds people to take breaks and prevent eye fatigue. Every 20 minutes, a person will look away from their screen for 20 seconds at something that is 20 feet away.

A great app to implement the 20-20-20 rule is the TimeOut app on the macOS store. Time out creates breaks for its users. It offers

Go outside and connect with the outdoors after a long day of classes. It is hard to find time to go outside and admire nature’s beauty when our classes are online. Take a walk to get things off your mind and reset.

Try to go one day a week without overusing technology.

Spend the day outside or relax with the windows open, allowing

Change environments Change your study location every once in a while. Instead of sitting at your boring desk every day, try to find a new space in your home to watch your lectures. Sit outside or in a different room in your house.

sunlight into the room.

Limit distractions Give your brain a break by cutting off any distraction. Your brain is already working twice as hard to focus during Zoom calls. Turn off notifications during Zoom classes on both your computer and phone. Place your phone face down and on silent.

Use productivity apps, such as Flora or Forest, that rewards you for staying off your phone for a certain amount of time.

Schedule no screen time Whenever you have the chance, allot a certain time out of the day to relax and not on tech.

Reconnect with an old hobby, workout, spend time with friends or family, practice yoga or meditate. Block out time for yourself to reconnect. In these uncertain times, make sure to take care of your body and mind. Prioritize yourself for some time of the day, whether it’s for as little as five minutes or as long as an hour.

LIFESTYLE

Don’t fall behind: Slay the spring semester with these five steps

BY OLIVIA DEFFES @liv_deffes

We are quickly approaching the second semester of the 2020-2021 school year. It seems winter break was just starting, but now it’s time to start fresh with a new semester. Even though classes begin Monday, here are five easy ways to get yourself organized so you can conquer your tasks and stay on top of assignments:

r 1 . Wri t e d o w n yo u as s i g n m e n t s Last semester, I found it really easy to fall behind on my assignments because of online classes.

It’s a lot easier to forget what’s due when you’re not in class hearing the due dates from the mouths of your professors. I recommend keeping a calendar close by your desk so that you can keep track of bigger assignments or events to attend throughout the semester. A calendar is good to keep track of when Zoom classes are so you don’t sleep through a virtual class session. If you want to get even more organized, I recommend keeping a planner that has sections for each day of the week. Write down your small assignments and homework tasks under each day along with the day that they are due. It’s really satisfying to cross off these little tasks in your planner, and you shouldn’t miss what’s due.

2 . Ke e p g o o d n ot e s With online classes, it can be easier to push off the task of taking notes. When professors post lecture recordings and PowerPoints, you may not feel the need to actively take notes. I recommend taking hand-written notes during your class and then take the time to type them up after class. This may seem super tedious, but your professors are right when they say it’s better to take hand-written notes. Typing those notes up after class ensures that you won’t lose your notes, but it also reinforces the material when you take the time to type it out.

3. Orga n i z e yo u r w o rks pa c e Online classes mean we really don’t have to get up out of our beds to attend classes. Having an organized space to work will keep you motivated. Make sure this space is kept clean and free of distractions. No, this place shouldn’t be your bed. Having an organized and quiet workspace is best. Switch up this space and move around throughout the week; a change of scenery can be good.

4 . De v e l o p a s i m p l e ro u t i n e Working from home has made me especially lazy. This semester, I’m trying to implement an easy routine to stick to so I can have some kind of normalcy with school. Get up each morning at a normal time. Getting up at a time that’s close to your Zoom class time might make you want to snooze after the class ends. I suggest getting up a little bit earlier than your class, getting something to boost your energy, freshening up and setting yourself up in that organized workspace we talked about.

5. Re o rga n i z e on c e a w e e k I know it’s easy to make this plan and stick to it for a few days, but don’t let yourself get behind after the first week. Take a day out of your week just for a small period of time to reorganize for the next week. Use this time to make sure your assignments are up to date, catch up on notes and review the material you learned this week. This doesn’t have to take a long time, but it should help you stay on top of things.

GRAPHICS BY SOPHIE VAGIANOS

Monday, January 11, 2021

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HOME AGAIN

Monday, January 11, 2021

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BY ABBY KIBLER No. 3 LSU gymnastics wins 196.550196.350 against No. 15 Arkansas in its home opener, including a perfect 10.00 made by sophomore Kiya Johnson on floor, in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on N Stadium Drive in Baton Rouge, La.

ABBY KIBLER / The Reveille

LSU gymnastics freshman all-around Elena Arenas performs her balance beam routine on Jan. 8.

ABBY KIBLER / The Reveille

LSU gymnastics senior uneven bars, balance beam and floor Bridget Dean performs her balance beam routine on Jan. 8.

ABBY KIBLER / The Reveille

ABBY KIBLER / The Reveille

LSU gymnastics sophomore all-around Kiya Johnson practices her vault on Jan. 8.

ABBY KIBLER / The Reveille

LSU gymnastics freshman all-around Olivia Dunne performs her uneven bars routine on Jan. 8.

LSU gymnastics senior vault, uneven bars and balance beam Sami Durante smiles big after her balance beam routine on Jan. 8.

ABBY KIBLER / The Reveille

LSU gymnastics senior uneven bars, balance beam and floor Bridget Dean performs her balance beam routine on Jan. 8.

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THE Daily Commuter Puzzle ACROSS 1 Youngster 4 Up until now 9 Bookie’s concern 13 Finished; over 14 Tire in the trunk 15 Jack & Jill’s receptacle 16 Symbol of peace 17 Solid ground 19 Do the slalom 20 Parakeet’s dinner 21 Sister of Michael Jackson 22 Squash or pumpkin 24 Word attached to jack or coffee 25 Shows to be true 27 Slap cuffs on 30 Enticed 31 Changed addresses 33 Bunny’s movement 35 As straight __ arrow 36 Bulb flower 37 Lawn mower brand 38 Business website addr. ending 39 Sat for a photo 40 Cash alternative 41 Deodorant brand 43 Sleazy; in poor taste 44 Got __ of; eliminated 45 Holy person 46 Play a ukulele 49 Short publicity notice 51 Blushing 54 Flourishing 56 Deceitful person 57 Remove from power 58 Home appraiser’s decision 59 Back in the day 60 Golfer’s pocketful 61 Nation in Africa 62 “That’s awful!”

DOWN 1 Nutcase 2 Liven up 3 Fourth letter 4 Fall blooms

by Jacqueline E. Mathews

1/11/21

Created by Jacqueline E. Mathews

5 Haste 6 Grassy play area 7 Goofs up 8 Drink served hot or cold 9 Codeine or morphine 10 Do mending 11 U.S. coin 12 Thin strip of wood 13 Dentist’s letters 18 Narrow inlet 20 Took to court 23 Hot spot 24 Abbr. in some high school names 25 Think ahead 26 Sneaky schemes 27 Gung ho 28 Oxford lace 29 Source of light at night 31 “The show __ go on” 32 “Grand __ Opry” 34 Too slow 36 Three-__ sloth

Saturday’s Puzzle Solved

©2021 Tribune Content Agency, LLC All Rights Reserved.

37 Other __; besides 39 Overuse the mirror 40 Baby’s bed 42 Pizza bottoms 43 Dartboard 45 Daybreak 46 Classic dog name

1/11/21

47 Too good to be __ 48 Gypsy __ Lee 49 Toot your own horn 50 Easter flower 52 __ other; one another 53 Rapper Dr. __ 55 Actress Arden 56 Singer Rawls

SPORTS

page 9

LSU Men’s Basketball Updates Dec. 29

77-54

Upcoming Schedule Jan. 16 vs

Jan. 13 vs

Jan. 2

79-83

Jan. 6

Jan. 9

94-92

75-61

TWO FRESH FACES

LSU football welcomes pair of fresh faces in Jake Peetz and DJ Mangas

BY RECE BEAUGH @recebeaugh LSU football announced Tuesday that it hired Jake Peetz as its offensive coordinator and DJ Mangas as its passing game coordinator.

Peetz was the quarterbacks coach for the Carolina Panthers in 2020 while Mangas worked as an offensive assistant for the same team. Mangas is returning to Baton Rouge after coaching at LSU with Joe Brady, LSU’s former passing game coordinator, in 2019. The pair left for the NFL after their National Championship win with the Tigers.

Peetz will make $1.2 million annually, The Athletic reported, and Mangas will earn $400,000 per year. Those figures are slightly less than what LSU paid its previous top-two offensive coaches, Steve Ensminger and Scott Linehan, in 2020.

Both Peetz and Mangas worked under Brady this past season for the Carolina Panthers. Ed Orgeron reportedly called Brady before beginning interviews for the positions, asking him who he can

recommend to run his acclaimed offense. Orgeron then met with Peetz and Mangas at Brady’s suggestion and hired them both, adding a couple feathers to the cap of Brady, who is on a meteoric rise

Jan. 19 vs

up the coaching ranks.

After reinvigorating LSU’s offense as passing game coordinator and winning a national champion-

see HIRES, page 10

OPINION

Column: The CFP will not expand HENRY HUBER @HenryHuber_

The definition of a playoff is a game or games played between multiple teams to decide an outcome between tied contestants.

So, it seems obvious that every college football team that is either undefeated or perceived as a contender should be given a chance, right?

An expansion of the College Football Playoff (CFP) would grant every college football fan’s wishes and generate an overall positive response and a boost in ratings. So, why hasn’t it happened yet?

COURTESY OF LSU FOOTBALL

see PLAYOFF, page 10

GOLF

LSU men and women’s golf finalizes spring schedules The LSU men’s golf team is slated to perform in five events this spring to conclude the 2020-21 season. LSU and SEC officials released the schedule in early December.

Competition will resume on Feb. 12 when the Tigers travel to Gainesville, Florida, to compete in the three-day Florida Gators Invitational at the Mark Bostick Golf Course. Two weeks after, the squad will tidy up its house as it welcomes the SEC field to Baton Rouge for the LSU Invitational at the University Club on Feb. 26-28.

Based on results from the fall season, those teams, Arkansas and Vanderbilt, who have hosted events at their home courses have yielded much success. Arkansas placed third at the Blessings Collegiate Invitational at Blessings Golf Club in Fayetteville, Ark. Similarly, Vanderbilt showed that hosting the field has its advantages as it hoisted the trophy at

the Vanderbilt Legends Collegiate, in Franklin, Tennesee.

This will be a new experience for some of the young Tiger team ,as the last time LSU hosted a spring tournament was in 2017.

The following tournament, the Tiger Invitational, hosted

by Auburn, will be held on March 15-17 in Opelika, Alabama at the Grand National Golf Course. Mississippi State will hold the next event on March 26-28 at Old Waverly Golf Course in West Point, Miss. The spring portion of the season will conclude with the Shoal Creek Invitational in Alabama on April 5-7.

The postseason schedule will go as follows: SEC Championships on April 21-25 at Sea Island Golf Course in St. Simon’s Island, Ga., NCAA Regionals set to take place May 17-19 at six locations nationally and the NCAA Championship on May 28-June 2 at the Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.

COURTESY OF WALT BEAZLEY

Ingrid Lindblad gets ready to tee off at the Blessings Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark.

COURTESY OF LSU ATHLETICS

Chuck (right) and Trey Winstead (left), LSU golf’s father-son, coach-player duo, share a love of golf.

The LSU women’s golf team, who had an impressive fall performance, is scheduled to compete in five events this spring.

The Tigers will tee off in Melbourne, Florida, Feb. 14-16 for the Moon Golf Invitational at the Duran Golf Course.

“I am really looking forward to starting off in Florida where two of our players are from (Latanna Stone and Kendall Griffin),” Head Coach Garrett Runion told lsusports.net. “I know they are excited to compete close to home.”

Less than a week later, the squad will travel to Houston, Texas for the Icon Invitational hosted by the University of Houston at The Golf Club of Houston. The following tournament, the Gamecock Intercollegiate, is scheduled for March 1-3 in Columbia, Sc. Then the team will have a rest from traveling as it is expected to host

BY JOE KEHRLI @joekehrli9

the LSU Tiger Golf Classic at the University Club in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where 12 SEC teams will compete.

“To have almost every SEC team at our home course and see how they handle it is a highlight of this schedule,” Runion said.

The postseason schedule will proceed as follows: SEC Championships on April 1418 at Greystone Golf Course in Birmingham, Ala., NCAA Regionals on May 10-12 at The University Club in Baton Rouge, La. and NCAA Championships on May 21-26 at Grayhawk Golf Course in Scottsdale, Ariz.

“I am very pleased with the commitment our athletic director Scott Woodward and the SEC office has made to allow us to play a very competitive and safe tournament schedule this spring,” Runion said as he and the team look to re-group and harness the same energy from the fall.

page 10

Monday, January 11, 2021

FOOTBALL

LSU’s strong finish, underclassmen give fans hope for future LSU managed to accomplish what seemed to be impossible a few weeks ago, upsetting Florida and defeating Ole Miss to narrowly avoid becoming the first team to follow a national championship with a losing season.

Though senior leaders like JaCoby Stevens played large roles in the wins, the spotlight shined on the play of the younger players.

What made the upset over Florida even more impressive was that the win came during freshman Max Johnson’s first career start. The freshman showed incredible composure, making minimal mistakes against a clearly superior team.

Despite Florida outpacing the Tigers in both yards and first downs, LSU was ultimately able to pull off the upset because it committed zero turnovers and led the game in time of possession, keeping the ball out of the hands of Heisman finalist Kyle Trask.

A single turnover would have likely resulted in the Tigers fall-

HIRES, from page 9 ship, Brady left for the NFL after one season in Baton Rouge. He led the Panthers offense in 2020 as offensive coordinator and is reportedly interviewing for several NFL head coach jobs. After Orgeron’s two hires, Brady can now claim what perhaps no other 31-year-old coach ever has before: a coaching tree.

Orgeron spoke highly of both Peetz and Mangas and what they

PLAYOFF, from page 9 The answer is simple: it would make the NCAA less money.

When the playoff was established in 2013, it was met with an unforeseen trend of players opting out for the draft instead of playing in their respective bowls. It made the pointlessness of playing in these games even more obvious than it already

receiving, and Johnson is very close to doing the same in the passing category.

On the defensive side, freshman Eli Ricks continued to impress and had his second pick-six of the season against Florida. Sophomore Jay Ward also stepped up tremendously, picking off three passes in the last two games and contributing a pick-six of his own against Ole Miss.

The Tigers forced an impressive nine turnovers over their final two games while only committing one of their own, an impressive stat that gave the Tigers the edge in each of those games.

While the Tigers’ future can be considered uncertain with all the coaching changes currently in progress, it certainly looks brighter than it did after their blowout loss to Alabama in early December. Their play over the last few weeks has reignited the hype that surrounded this team before the season started and gives the Tiger fanbase something to look forward to next season.

ing just short of spoiling Florida’s playoff hopes.

Johnson would follow that performance with a statistically explosive game against Ole Miss, finishing with a total of 480 yards and five touchdowns. In a shoot-

out in which the teams scored a combined 101 points, LSU greatly benefited from his play.

Johnson’s biggest mistake of the two games came early in the fourth quarter. Deep in Ole Miss territory, he threw what appeared

to be a costly interception, which the Rebels would capitalize on in the next drive to take an eightpoint lead.

Rather than letting that mistake get to him, Johnson led two scoring drives and contributed to both of those scores, running for a touchdown and throwing for what would ultimately be the game winner.

With Johnson’s composure, lack of mistakes and strong play in both the air and on the ground, the LSU faithful were given hope for the team’s future at quarterback. However, the team would not have won had other freshmen not stepped up as well.

The departure of star wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. opened the door for freshman Kayshon Boutte to garner some experience, and he ran away with the opportunity. He led the Tigers in all receiving categories in the last two games and dominated versus Ole Miss with 308 yards and three touchdowns, breaking LSU’s single-game record for receiving yards.

Boutte now leads the team in

will add to the team.

“Both Jake and DJ come highly recommended from one of the premier and innovative offensive coaches in the game in Joe Brady,” Orgeron said. “Jake brings 10 years of NFL experience with him to our staff. He spent a season coaching alongside and learning from Joe (Brady), so we couldn’t be more excited about Jake joining our staff. His knowledge of football, combined with the players we have on our roster, will make for a

dynamic offense for LSU in 2021.”

“We are very happy to bring DJ back to LSU,” Orgeron said. “He did a tremendous job in his one season with us in 2019 working alongside Joe (Brady) to produce one of the most explosive and productive offenses in college football history.”

Orgeron still has yet to hire a defensive coordinator. His reported top choice, former Cincinnati defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman, spurned LSU for Notre

Dame, signing to run the Irish’s defense beginning in 2021. Still, Orgeron can celebrate two hires on the offensive side of the ball.

“We are excited about the opportunity that Coach O has given us to move our family to Baton Rouge and be a part of the LSU football program,” Peetz said.

“Dealing with Coach O and Scott Woodward through this process has shown me the commitment made to winning more national championships, and I am grateful

to be a part of that. We can’t wait to get to work.”

“I’m beyond excited for the opportunity to be back in Baton Rouge and coaching for LSU and Coach Orgeron,” Mangas said. “I was fortunate enough to be a part of the 2019 team and see exactly what this offense and these players are capable of. It fires me up to see the potential we have for the 2021 offense. I can’t wait to meet with the rest of the staff, coaches and players and get to work.”

was, as players would rather rest and avoid injury than play in a meaningless bowl and risk damaging their draft stock.

This became clearer when Miami’s star quarterback, D’Eriq King, tore his ACL in the CheezIt Bowl on Dec. 29. NFL-caliber players don’t want to risk their careers on a pointless exhibition game.

You may expect a trend

like that to result in a drop in people watching the bowls, but you would be wrong if you did. Despite the quality in play dropping, people still tune in for them. The top-10 bowls besides the New Year’s Six Bowls have averaged 4-5 million viewers since the establishment of the playoff, and those numbers don’t seem to be dwindling. The smaller bowls still manage to

bring in 1-2 million too.

An expansion of the playoff will likely lead to the bowl games becoming more obsolete and more players opting out, but the truth that NCAA can’t seem to accept is that’s going to happen anyway.

Even bigger bowl games are suffering the same fate as the smaller bowls. Florida had nine starters opt out of the Cotton Bowl, and the result was a boring blowout that many fans turned off in the third quarter and the likely drop in draft stock of Florida quarterback Kyle Trask.

What would’ve likely been a great playoff game was wasted because of a lack of stakes.

The NCAA would rather have 30+ poorly rated, irrelevant bowl games that average 1-5 million viewers than drop that number down in favor of an expanded playoff. In turn, great matchups are left to the imagination, and undefeated teams worthy of contention like 2017 UCF and 2020 Cincinnati will never get the chance to prove

themselves against the best.

If you aren’t convinced that this is about money yet, just remember how long it took the NCAA to allow college players to get paid despite selling jerseys that had those players’ names on them. It isn’t out of the question that NCAA’s motive for not getting rid of bowl games is money related.

And, not every solution involves getting rid of the bowl games entirely. The simplest solution would be to transform the biggest bowls into playoff games and keep the smaller bowls for teams that aren’t as pro-heavy.

This would provide incentive for NFL-caliber players to play and allow the NCAA to keep its bowlgame sponsorships, allowing the fans, players and organizations to win.

Eventually, the NCAA will give in and expand the playoff, but until then all we can do is either watch as the Bowl Era slowly withers away or watch something else.

Here’s to hoping 2021 will grant our pleas for an expansion.

BY HENRY HUBER @HenryHuber_

MATTHEW HINTON / Associated Press

LSU wide receiver Kayshon Boutte (1) reacts after making a touchdown against Mississippi during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Baton Rouge, La., Dec. 19, 2020.

ABBY KIBLER / The Reveille

The crowd goes wild on January 13, 2020 after LSU’s 42-25 win against Clemson at the National Championship in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

OPINION

page 11

QUICK

Sen. John Kennedy should resign for his role in inciting D.C. riots SULLY’S SCOOP CLAIRE SULLIVAN

@sulliclaire

On Jan. 2, U.S. Sen. John Kennedy signed a statement alongside 10 other Republican colleagues declaring his intention to vote against the certification of the electoral votes for the 2020 presidential election.

Four days later, a group of violent right-wing insurgents attacked the U.S. Capitol, halting the congressional count of those same electoral votes.

The halls of Congress were occupied for four hours, forcing members of Congress and staffers to either flee or shelter in place. Five people died in connection with the riots.

Later that day, after bearing witness to the deadly consequences of politicians undermining the integrity of our elections, Sen. Kennedy joined five other Republican senators in voting against the certification of the Arizona electoral votes, his intentions apparently unmoved by the events that took place just hours before.

An audit following the Arizona presidential race found no evidence of election fraud beyond “microscopic issues that don’t affect the outcome of the race,” according to official reports.

President Trump’s lawsuit against the state of Arizona was thrown out due to a lack of substantial evidence, a decision which was upheld by the Arizona Supreme Court.

Sen. Kennedy previously stated that “until the courts are finished, we don’t have a winner.”

Well, the courts are finished.

Case after case filed by the Trump campaign has been reviewed and subsequently discarded. There is no legal basis for objecting to the results of the Arizona election — still, Sen. Kennedy felt empowered to discredit the voices of voters in a state he doesn’t even represent.

As an elected official in one of the highest offices in our country, Sen. Kennedy would have to be incompetent to not understand or accept the multitude of evidence that proves Joe Biden’s lawful election to the office of the 46th President of the United States.

But I do not believe Sen. Kennedy to be incompetent, as that would relieve him of the full weight of his actions. Rather, I believe him to be something much worse: a liar.

Sen. Kennedy’s vote against the election certification was not the principled act of defiance he made it out to be, but rather a self-interested charade.

Sen. Kennedy sought to further his political fortunes by playing into the “Stop the Steal” farce to earn goodwill among the pro-Trump base. Perhaps he thought his actions would earn him a congratulatory tweet from the president, or an “I-owe-you” in the form of a future rally or political endorsement.

Even more stomach-churning is the way Sen. Kennedy has compromised public trust in the election in order to fundraise for his campaign.

As described by the LA Illuminator, Sen. Kennedy sent out an email in November in which he cast doubt on Joe Biden’s victory using a poll that asked: “Do you think there was some voter fraud during the election?”

The poll sent respondents to a Republican fundraising website, where they were solicited for campaign contributions and personal information to be used by the Kennedy campaign. This behavior cannot be normalized. It is unacceptable for a sitting U.S. senator to twist the integrity of our democracy in the interest of a fundraising scheme.

A man from a party claiming to revere and uphold the Constitution evidently thinks very little of our democratic institutions if he’s willing to sell them out for campaign data and donations. To make baseless claims about voter fraud is harmful enough — the motives evident behind those claims are worse still.

While Sen. Kennedy capitalized on mounting the political passions of Trump’s base, he masqueraded his true intentions as a courageous fight for the unheard. In a statement on Jan. 7, the senator posed that Louisianians “care about election integrity, and many are concerned about irregularities surrounding the Nov. 3 election. I came to the Capitol yesterday to give them a voice.”

Naturally, the senator does

not acknowledge that the reason so many people doubt the results of this election is because their elected officials have been peddling unfounded conspiracy theories about voter fraud for months. Sen. Kennedy is manipulating the public by lying to them and using their faith in his words in an attempt to justify his actions.

Few understand this disinformation campaign better than Sen. Kennedy, who has spent months making unevidenced claims such as “there were mail ballots flying around like confetti,” and that there was “a lot of tomfoolery” and “a few too many shenanigans with this election.”

The disinformation, lies and doubt spread by Sen. Kennedy and a number of his Republican colleagues in Congress are largely responsible for the riots that took place this week. As disturbing as it was to watch the invasion of our capitol, it is unsurprising that political violence is the natural conclusion of their false claims.

Sen. Kennedy empowered these attackers by legitimizing their delusions. While the senator has condemned the violence that occurred in D.C., a simple condemnation is not enough.

This country cannot allow those who endangered our democracy to abdicate their role in this chaos so easily.

Sen. Kennedy must accept his part in what occurred at the Capitol and tender his resignation as a member of the U.S. Senate immediately. And if he will not resign, he should be expelled by his fellow congresspeople. He abused the trust placed in him by the people of Louisiana and is no longer fit to serve on their behalf.

Commentator Yuval Levin put it best in a recent column for the National Review, writing, “Lying to people is no way to speak for them or represent them. It is a way of showing contempt for them, and of using them rather than being useful to them.”

Sen. Kennedy used his position as a representative of this state to undermine our democracy. For that, there is no redemption.

Claire Sullivan is an 18-year-old coastal environmental science freshman from Southbury, CT.

TA K E S

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2021?

I am looking forward to my second semester at the University and the Reveille! I am hopeful that vaccines will allow life to become a little more normal and grant us more time with loved ones.

Claire Sullivan @sulliclaire

In 2021, I’m looking forward to working at the Reveille, as well as the long-awaited theatrical release of “Dune.” I don’t know if I can peacefully carry on for another year without this movie.

Emily Davison @tortadizucca

I am looking forward to so many things in 2021. I am looking forward to resuming my normal life. I am looking forward to getting an internship for the summer. I am looking forward to uploading new opinion columns and reading my peers’ columns.

Tamia Southall @tamiabrem_

I don’t think the first week of 2021 went as smoothly as everyone was hoping, but I’m still optimistic that this can be a great year. The coronavirus vaccine rollout should get better as time progresses, so I am excited to be able to hug my family and friends and attend more events in person soon.

Elizabeth Crochet @elizabethcro_

The thing I’m most looking forward to in 2021 is expanding my consumption of artistic media into a more comprehensive purview. That being said, I’m still excited for all the new additions to my old comforts like Star Wars and Marvel.

Domenic Purdy @tigerdom16

Despite having an irrational fear of needles and a tendency to pass out when sharp objects are stabbed into my skin, I am most looking forward to getting my COVID-19 vaccine. Out of all the things I am looking forward to in 2021, the vaccine is number one.

Marie Plunkett @MarieC_214

I, like everyone else, am anxiously awaiting a return to normalcy after nearly a year of pandemic protocol. With vaccinations underway, it seems there is reasonable hope that 2021 could provide us with the right conditions to responsibly reconvene some inevitably reticent version of life as we once knew it.

Evan Leonhard

Editorial Policies and Procedures EDITORIAL BOARD Bailey Chauvin Lara Nicholson Katherine Manuel Nick Frewin Grace Pulliam

Editor in Chief Managing Editor News Editor Deputy News Editor Opinion Editor

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

@evan_leonhard

Quote of the Week “...but you also had people that were very fine people on both sides.”

Donald Trump U.S. President 1946 — present

page 12

Monday, January 11, 2021

Senioritis will hit harder than ever for 2021 graduates SPILL THE TEA WITH MARIE MARIE PLUNKETT

@MarieC_214

We’ve all heard senioritis horror stories, witnessed upperclassmen mentally checking out months before walking across the graduation stage and waited patiently for our own chance to play the senioritis card.

Unfortunately, even senioritis pales in comparison to the Zoom fatigue everyone — not just those of us who are graduating this May — has experienced in the past two semesters.

While online classes guarantee a COVID-19-free learning environment, they also contribute to burnout and exhaustion for students and professors alike.

Without a defined schedule, one loses all sense of time and separation: weekends and weekdays blend together, and leisure time slips through the cracks.

Students have already suffered through one and a half semesters of online classes without routine or regularly scheduled breaks — I doubt anyone expects much more from the coming spring semester.

As I sit on my parents’ couch — aka my makeshift office for the time being — and try to soak up

every last second of winter break I have left, I can’t help but envy the freshmen class.

Starting college during a pandemic could not have been easy, and last semester was definitely not a walk in the park by any means, but those freshmen have three more years to look forward to. Three more years to settle back into normalcy, to go on spring break trips and make the kind of questionable decisions that are only socially acceptable for college students to make. The seniors don’t.

Sure, every graduating class goes through its share of emotions and struggles — leaving college in and of itself is a big change — but come May, the class of 2021 is going to leave the safety of the University, with its personalized class schedules and regular breaks, under the worst possible conditions.

Job prospects are bad, there’s still a global pandemic happening and the political climate just keeps getting more and more turbulent, yet members of the class of 2021 will soon be launched out into the great big “real world” with nothing but our bachelor’s degrees to our names.

Of course, it would be selfcentered to think we are the only ones suffering, and I cannot deny

that millions are facing much bigger issues than what essentially boils down to “oh no I’m graduating this semester,” but the chagrin of being denied the coveted excuse of “having senioritis” isn’t exactly lost on me.

After three and a half years of college, I can’t even blame my rapidly nearing goalpost as an excuse for my fatigue. Everyone is exhausted. Everyone is living in the middle of a pandemic, losing loved ones and anxiously watching news coverage of the riots in the U.S. Capitol, all while attempting to pass their classes and maintain some sort of sociallydistanced social life.

Yes: our senioritis pales in comparison to the bigger issues faced by students today. Yet, I guarantee that it’s going to hit harder this semester than ever. I know graduation isn’t really the “light at the end of the tunnel” it’s made out to be — but you can 100% still expect to catch me wearing Hawaiian shirts on Fridays and marking off the days on my calendar until the end of finals .

You’ve got this, seniors! Only 112 more days to go.

Marie Plunkett is a 21-year-old classical studies senior from New Orleans.

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