The Reveille 10-5-20

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Remembering Mond ay, O c t o b e r 5, 2 02 0

Martin Johnson See photos from Johnson’s vigil on

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Read on

page 2 photo courtesy of COLLIN RICHIE PHOTOGRAPHY

NEWS

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Coach Ed Orgeron is the highest paid state employee in Louisiana. Here’s some of the perks of his contract.

ENTERTAINMENT

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An LSU alumna discovers the impact of words with her temporary tattoo business ‘Words for a Season.”

SPORTS

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After being bounced around from position to position, senior Jontre Kirklin finds a home at wide receiver.

OPINION

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“American democracy is in crisis mode.

It is unclear how much more stress the public can take.”

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

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1970

Martin Johnson

2020

B-16 Hodges Hall Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, La. 70803

From Manship School student to dean: Remembering the life of Dean Martin Johnson

BY ANNA JONES & MARYKELLY MUNSTER @annajoneses & @mkokayokay Dean Martin Johnson of the Manship School of Mass Communication passed away the night of Sept. 28, the University announced on Sept. 29.

Johnson, 50, died of a heart attack in his sleep, as was later confirmed by Interim President Thomas Galligan in a press conference.

Johnson’s life was full of accomplishments. He started his career in journalism by serving as editor-in-chief of the Reveille and earning a bachelor’s degree from the Manship School in 1991. He went on to earn his master’s and doctorate in political science from Rice University before becoming department chair and professor at University of California, Riverside, and eventually returning to Manship as sr. chair in political communication and dean.

In between his various university positions, he wrote a book, “Changing Minds or Changing Channels: Partisan News in an Age of Choice,” which was co-winner of the 2014 Goldsmith Book Prize awarded by the Harvard Kennedy School Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy. He had his work printed in American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Politics and Human Communication Research among other scholarly publications, and his research was supported by the National Science Foundation, the John Randolph and Dora Haynes Foundation and Time-sharing Experiments for the Social Sciences.

But students and faculty agree that Johnson’s life was more than an extensive resume or prestigious awards. He was the heartbeat of the Manship School – “a loss we’ll feel forever,” in the words of Associate Dean Josh Grimm.

Grimm sent out an email Tuesday morning informing students of Johnson’s passing the night before.

“Our entire LSU Family mourns the loss of Dean Johnson, who was a wonderful colleague, friend, father and husband,” Galligan said in a statement. “We will be forever grateful for Dean Johnson’s countless contributions to the Manship School and LSU, and we will miss him terribly. Please keep Martin’s wife, Sherri, an LSU Department of History faculty member, and their son in your thoughts and prayers.”

Johnson’s long involvement with the Manship School began in his early childhood. He grew up less than a mile away from the University and his parents were both teachers with LSU degrees. In an article from the Fall 2019 LSU Alumni Magazine, Johnson recalled spending much of

his childhood on LSU’s campus, swimming at the Huey P. Long Fieldhouse pool, meeting friends at the Student Union or eating at Godfather’s Pizza on Chimes Street. He said he always knew he wanted to attend LSU, and those plans came to fruition when he received the Chancellor’s Alumni Scholarship, now known as the President’s Alumni Scholarship, for his academic performance at Baton Rouge Magnet High School.

He continued his success during his college years as the editor-in-chief of the Reveille, an announcer for KLSU and the editor of the student magazine.

When Johnson was the editor-in-chief of the Reveille, mass communication and political science professor Nathan Kalmoe said Johnson spearheaded a joint weekly issue between the Reveille and the newspaper at Southern University, The Southern Digest. Kalmoe said Johnson valued greater collaboration between the two schools divided by white supremacy.

“Local white business owners threatened to pull their ads from the Reveille because they didn’t want newspaper integration, but Martin didn’t back down,” Kalmoe said.

Johnson also used his position as editor-in-chief to advocate for an African-American cultural resource center on campus. “There is no reasonable doubt this campus needs a place for cultural interaction,” Johnson wrote in a spring 1991 editorial. “We would all benefit from the fellowship students of all races would find there.”

After graduating Manship, Johnson attended graduate school at Rice. There, he reunited with Sherri Franks, an old friend from his undergraduate years at LSU, according to the LSU Alumni Magazine. They married, and shortly after Johnson was offered an assistant partnership in the political science program at the University of California, Riverside. The two moved there and Franks accepted a position in the religious studies department.

Eventually, Johnson found his way back to Louisiana and the Manship School after being offered the Kevin P. Reilly Sr. Chair in Political Communication, where he remained until he was appointed dean in 2018.

When asked in the LSU Alumni Magazine article why he chose to leave California, he gave this response: “We live in paradise, that’s true, but this is LSU.” Johnson’s promotion to Manship dean was effective July 1, 2018, according to an email from then-Provost Richard Koubek to the Manship School staff. Johnson replaced Jerry Ceppos, who held the position

since 2011.

Johnson, along with Ceppos and former journalism professor James E. “Jay” Shelledy, helped to create the Manship School’s Statehouse Bureau, which allows undergraduates to report on the Louisiana Legislature and have their work published in news outlets across Louisiana each spring.

Ceppos praised Johnson’s qualifications in a 2018 Reveille article.

“The Manship School educates both future professional communicators and scholars who study at the intersection of media and public affairs. Martin has a deep understanding of both of those sets of students,” Ceppos said in an email. “After all, he was editor of the Reveille as an undergraduate at LSU —and his area of scholarly interest happens, by happy coincidence, to be media and politics.”

Ceppos’ words about Johnson proved true. Students remember him as someone who was always accessible and eager to discuss their problems and find a solution. In the words of mass communication graduate student James Smith, he “made the Manship School feel like a family.”

Mass communication professor Christopher Drew said Johnson was the clear candidate during the dean search process, which involved multiple qualified candidates from some of the best journalism schools in the country.

“For him to be part of the school as a student, have grown up here, gone off, learned other things and come back made him the perfect person,” Drew said.

Drew heard the news of Johnson’s passing in a Zoom class Tuesday morning. He had emailed Johnson at 9:40 p.m. the night before.

“Some of the students were crying, they just appreciated him so much,” Drew said. “We ended up ending the class early.”

Drew, who now teaches Statehouse Bureau, said he turned to Johnson every time the group needed something.

“He recognized the best ideas often bubble up from down below,” Drew said. “He wasn’t the kind of person going around telling everyone what to do. He was encouraging everybody to come up with ideas in their field... it didn’t matter if it cost money, he viewed it as his job to figure out how to get us to do what we wanted to do.”

Mass communication senior Justin Franklin remembers his frequent meetings with Johnson.

“Sometimes you have to wait weeks, hours or days to get with people, but not Dean Johnson,” Franklin said. “I thought, ‘how is he meeting with everybody all the time?’ But that’s just the guy he was. He would make time for everybody.”

Students, faculty, friends and family of Dean Johnson gathered at a vigil held on the Journalism Building’s terrace on Thursday.

Student Government, Manship Ambassadors and members of the LSU community combined efforts to plan the service and honor Johnson’s memory.

Political communication senior Carrie Cole took part in setting up and planning the vigil.

“Everybody wanted to do something for Dean Johnson because he was just so great that it didn’t feel right not doing anything,” Cole said. “He was such a universally revered dean.”

Upon arrival, guests wrote condolences, blanketed the stairs with flowers and lit candles in remembrance of Johnson.

Cole had fond memories of Johnson when she took his class in last spring. Amid the looming quarantine and ever-present uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, Cole said he was “the calm in the storm.”

“We’ll miss his presence, how positive he was, how inviting he was and how much he cared for his students,” Cole said Prior to the event, students and faculty of the Manship School created videos honoring Johnson.

At the vigil, visitors gathered to watch the accumulated condolences and memories.

Yongick Jeong, associate dean of graduate studies and an associate professor of creative advertising, reflected upon strong ties between Johnson and the professors and faculty of the Manship School.

“I decided to work for him because I believed he could make big changes,” Jeong said. “He was just a great person.”

To comply with LSU’s safety guidelines, visitors reserved times to attend the vigil, and only 45 people were allowed on the terrace at a time.

Digital advertising junior Lauren Leonard said she was proud of how the community gathered in his memory.

“I think it’s really great that we haven’t seen each other in so long, and it’s almost like the dean brought us together after a time of being apart,” Leonard said.

Leonard said that when she attended a Dinner with the Dean event, Johnson’s welcoming presence surpassed her previous expectations of a dean.

“He was so kind,” Leonard said. “Over time, I realized that was just his personality. He was so approachable...which I think is unexpected.”

Jeong said the tragic loss of the dean has left many upset and recognized the impact Johnson’s presence had on the Manship community.

“He is special to me, he is special to us, and we were special to him,” Jeong said.

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

ABOUT THE REVEILLE 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.

A single issue of The Reveille is free from multiple sites on campus and about 25 sites off campus. To obtain additional copies, please visit the Office of Student Media in B-39 Hodges Hall or email studentmedia@ lsu.edu. The Reveille is published biweekly during the fall, spring and summer semesters, except during holidays and final exams. The Reveille is funded through LSU students’ payments of the Student Media fee.

NEWS

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THE MAN BEHIND IT ALL

Private air travel, a social club membership and a $2.5 million life insurance premium. These are a few of the perks of being Louisiana’s highest paid state employee, LSU Head Football Coach Ed Orgeron.

Orgerons’s latest contract, effective since January, pays him a salary of $6 million per year consisting of base salary and supplemental compensation. It’s a $2.5 million increase from his previous contract.

available to the public,” Rittereiser said.

HKM ranked Orgeron’s contract fourth in terms of salary, duration, payout and bonuses in its ranking of NCAA Division One Coaches.

Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, Alabama’s Nick Saban and Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh topped the list.

Base pay and additional compensation are the two main components of college football coaching contracts, Rittereiser said.

Additional compensation for

BY EMMA ZIRGIBEL @EZirgibel

Orgeron includes $2.5 million annually for media appearances, $500,000 annually for social media, a $400,000 annual payment from the Tiger Athletic Foundation and $100,000 for apparel and equipment contracts, according to HKM. The contract also features a bonus for off-field performance such as players meeting academic requirements and “behaving inline” with University standards, Rittereiser said.

“They build in a lot of these

see ORGERON, page 4

see SHOWERS, page 4

THE REVEILLE ARCHIVES

Coach Ed Orgeron gets cheered on as he walks down Victory Hill before the Tigers’ 42-6 win against Utah State on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2019.

The contract will expire in 2025 which is on the longer side of the average length of college football coaching contracts, according to HKM Employment Attorney Jason Rittereiser.

HKM represents employees and workers. Rittereiser described the practice area of sports as a “passion project” turned high scale. The company advises college and professional coaches on employment contracts.

“We just out-of-hobby collected all publically available head coaching football contracts, and categorized them and made them

Laville residents express frustration with cold showers

Some Laville Honors House residents have expressed frustration with fluctuating temperatures in dormitory showers. Over the weekend of Sept. 21, East and West Laville residents noticed “ice cold” shower temperatures.

One of these students, precardiopulmonary science freshman Kylie Duffy, was surprised at the cold temperature of her shower that weekend, since she usually has the opposite problem.

“I was stunned, because usually the showers are burning hot,” Duffy said. “I don’t like freezing cold showers, so it wasn’t a very good surprise.”

Other students noticed problems with the temperature as well, including Laville student council president and English freshman Emma Guidry.

“Being in the Honors College, I thought I would receive better treatment than I am right now,” Guidry said.

Guidry said students shouldn’t have to worry about the constantly changing temperature of showers. She also said that the water can sometimes be too hot.

“Whenever I am hot, I think, ‘Maybe the cold showers will be

A look inside the contract of the highest-paid employee in Lousiana

BY CAITIE ZEILMAN @caitiezeilman

RESIDENTIAL LIFE

ACADEMICS

LSU gen. ed. program receives D rating from ACTA

BY JOSH ARCHOTE @JArchote

“What Will They Learn?” is a report released annually by the American Council of Trustees, a non-profit organization that rates universities’ general education programs. LSU’s general education program received a D rating from the 2020-2021 report.

The ACTA grades universities on whether they require all students — regardless of major — to take courses in the following subjects: composition, literature, foreign language, U.S. government or history, economics, mathematics and science.

Universities don’t receive credit for a subject if students can bypass general education require-

ments with their ACT/SAT scores.

They also don’t receive credit if a subject is one of several options — students being able to choose from a list of courses in the humanities or social sciences, for example.

LSU only requires students to take courses in two of the seven categories: mathematics and science.

The "What Will They Learn?" project encourages colleges and universities to strengthen their general education programs and prepare students for rewarding careers, engaged citizenship and meaningful community participation, according to the ACTA website.

Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Matthew Lee said the Univer-

sity's general education program allows students flexibility and timeliness.

“We may have some opportunities for students to place a little bit differently but that’s because we’re trying to ensure they’re making progress toward their degree in a timely manner and not making them double back and go take skills courses that they already have the competency in,” Lee said.

Lee said the University has to accommodate a broad array of students who are generally coming in at a high level of proficiency.

“We work hard to treat our students as adults and give them some choice in their intellectual journey,” Lee said.

Universities that are stricter with general education requirements, such as Tulane, Southeastern University and the University of New Orleans, scored higher on the “What Will They Learn” evaluation, with each school receiving a B rating.

Despite the low grade, LSU professors agreed the flexibility of LSU’s general education program was a strength of the University rather than a weakness.

“I think one of the advantages that LSU has is, in fact, its integrative learning core — its gen. ed.

Program,” said English professor Chris Barrett. “It’s really helpful to protect time in everyone’s college schedule for people to explore new areas of study, I think that’s one of the best things LSU

does.”

Mass communication professor Robert Mann agreed with Barrett.

“Maybe we’re expecting the school to do the kind of work that is better done by a small liberal arts school because we can’t be all things to all people,” Mann said.

The kind of thinking and interpersonal skills that are necessary for students when they graduate can be found in an array of courses at the University, according to Mann.

“If we teach students how to think, how to think critically--and I think a lot of courses do that — you don’t just learn critical thinking in a political science course,” Mann said. “Every discipline is

see RATING, page 4

Monday, October 5, 2020

page 4 SHOWERS, from page 3 good for me,’ and then I go in and it’s magma, straight magma,” Guidry said. “Lava flowing out of the pipes.”

The students in Laville eventually placed a work order to fix the shower temperature and said the issue was resolved by the next week.

Associate Director of Communications for Residential Life Catherine David said the plumbing foreman adjusted the valves so the temperature would be normalized. The cause was a problem with the cold water

valve.

“A cold water valve was open too much, causing the colder temperatures,” David said. “Since the adjustment, there have been no additional work orders regarding water temperature.”

David said it is important for students to put in work orders when issues arise.

Students looking to submit work orders can do so through the community front desk or the online housing portal maintenance tab. If students would like an update on their order or their issue is not fixed immediately, they can contact their residence

coordinator, according to the LSU Residential Life website.

Maintenance personnel are on duty from 7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. on weekdays, according to the 2020-2021 Residential Life handbook. If emergency repair work is needed after 4 p.m. on weekdays or anytime on weekends, students should consult the front desk.

“This is an example of how critical it is for students to submit work orders,” David said.

“We can only fix something once we are aware of it. We appreciate the Laville residents’ prompt reporting.”

ABBY KIBLER / The Reveille

LSU football coach Ed Orgeron walks the field Sept. 26 before LSU’s 4434 loss against Mississippi State in Tiger Stadium.

ORGERON, from page 3 additional compensation terms in a college coach’s contract to incentivize supervision of the players off field as well,” Rittereiser said.

The head coach also receives $187,000 per year for personal air travel and compensation for legal fees.

“It’s not unusual for those terms at this level of coaching but they’re significant,” Rittereiser said. “I mean, they’re state employees and they’re entitled to travel on private aircraft."

The average Louisiana state employee made $49,743 in 2018, according to Open Payrolls.

“I think it’s a little crazy,” graduate student Sarah Bourgeois said. “I know how much money the football program makes, but when you look at the

RATING, from page 3 going to have aspects of critical thinking and thinking through an issue or a problem; how to apply evidence, how to gather data, how to assess data.”

Lee said there are other metrics that better encapsulate the effectiveness of the University’s academics.

“At the end of the day, the proof is in the pudding,” Lee said.

“Our metrics in terms of median career earnings are very strong.

We have very high rates of admission to graduate school and professional school.”

A student who earns a bachelor’s degree from the University has on average early-career earnings of $55,400 and mid-career earnings of $104,500 – the highest among all public universities in Louisiana, according to Payscale’s 2019 report.

Other college evaluations, such as Niche and U.S. News, gave LSU more favorable ratings than the ACTA’s report.

Although there are benefits to lenient general education requirements, some LSU professors said the subject matter in optional courses is important for all students to understand.

Economics professor Areen-

state of our library and classrooms I can’t help but think $6 million is a little excessive.”

Mass communication senior Chandler Hegwood said he believes the salary is well-earned.

“Our football program brings in a ton of revenue to the University and this state every year,” Hegwood said. “Our coach should be paid accordingly to that. I don’t believe any politician should come close to making that amount of money."

HKM noticed an increase of money in college football programs over the past 10 years. “[The public is] starting to recognize that coaches play a large factor in the revenue and the success and they’re starting to compensate these coaches much more like professional coaches rather than college coaches,” Rittereiser said.

Student housing, East & West Laville Honors House, off of W Lakeshore Dr.

dam Chanda said economic literacy is important for college students.

“Graduating from school and going into college you start making a lot of budgeting decisions, a lot of financial decisions about how you spend your money,” Chanda said. “College debt is a huge problem; student loans are crippling millennials right now.”

Chanda said students should consider important questions, such as the potential risk of borrowing money and how the interest rate is relative to the inflation rate.

“These are important questions,” Chanda said. “Many of them are not very difficult to understand once you work your way through, and yet they are really important given this complex web of decision-making we have to do during our lives.”

Chanda also said having a basic understanding of how the economy works is important in being civically engaged.

“Right now we are in the election cycle. College students are going to vote — and when you read the news about tariffs or how much the deficit is, well, what exactly does this mean? What is the context?" Chanda said.

“How is it that the government

finances its expenditures? What does the federal reserve bank actually do in terms of interest rates? A lot of this is not obvious knowledge.”

Linguistics and Spanish professor Rafael Orozco said learning a foreign language benefits students.

“The cognitive benefits are immense,” Orozco said. “Your brain cognitively becomes more efficient and more flexible. That added cognitive flexibility is important for you as a student because you learn faster and acquire knowledge.”

Orozco said learning another language can actually improve your native language; the best way of saying something in a foreign language, is to think about the best way you would say that thing in your first language.

“That cognitive flexibility comes in handy for anything you’re going to learn,” Orozco said. “Your interpersonal skills also improve because if you’re fluent in another language you can deal with people who think differently. You expand your thinking repertoire.

“At the end of the day, with a foreign language under your belt, you’re going to be a more efficient student.”

EMILY SCHEXNAYDER / The Reveille

SAVANNA ORGERON / The Reveille

LSU students head to class on their first day of school in the Quad on LSU’s campus, Aug. 25.

ENTERTAINMENT

BY ENJANAE’ TAYLOR @_queenet_ If you could sum up every season you live in with a word and wear it, what word would you choose and why?

LSU alumna Abigail Gallagher built herself a career based on this idea and her love of uplifting others. Her temporary tattoo business, “Words for a Season,” takes meaningful words written directly by Gallagher and makes them wearable.

Gallagher graduated in 2014, and just like us, she had anxiety taking tests in Himes and considered changing her major.

She eventually made the switch from business to elementary education, but she still ventured out of her focus of studies when beginning her current career.

Managing time and responsibility were key things she learned as a Tiger and took those skills with her going into her career.

Now living in Dallas, Gallagher still likes to show her Tiger pride.

“I definitely still bleed purple and gold,” Gallagher said.

Gallagher worked around Baton Rouge after graduating, and she also had experience hand lettering and creating chalkboard signs for events. Having dreams of starting a business of her own, she took her talents and continued to share them with others.

Like many people she wanted to get a tattoo but didn’t want the commitment and pain of a

WORDS FOR A SEASON

COURTESY OF ABIGAIL GALLAGHER

LSU alumna Abigail Gallagher discovers the impact of words

needle. She wanted her tattoo to be meaningful and visual, and her background in calligraphy gave her inspiration to start making tattoos.

“That’s where everything was starting to merge together,” Gallagher said. “Words for a Season was created to give someone a beautiful way of wearing a meaningful word without the commitment of an actual tattoo.”

After multiple people re-

quested tattoos of their own, Gallagher realized there was a market for her personalized tattoos and decided to create her business. She did the research and built her business from the ground up, soon recognizing that there’s depth and meaning behind words which impact people.

“I felt like it’s definitely something more than just a temporary tattoo,” Gallagher said.

People share their stories

which gives Gallagher even more inspiration, hearing explanations behind each word and how it brought them through a particular season in their lives.

“It’s so meaningful to hear the stories behind why they chose their word and how it helped them go through a certain trial or whatnot,” Gallagher said, “It’s definitely encouraging and it makes me really excited.”

I love this idea, being that

page 5 I’m a person who has a full Pinterest board of tattoo ideas, but I’m also super indecisive and not the biggest fan of needles.

I also love any opportunity to support an LSU alumna.

Words for a Season is a wordsbased business, but Gallagher has created new designs that you can pair with your word tattoos including a plume and poppy bouquet.

Gallagher has also done words of the year and offers custom temporary tattoos, prints of her designs and a digital magazine where she allows her community members to have a platform.

Gallagher felt the encouragement she needed to start her community blog, after she remembered an LSU professor who mentioned the importance of words. The blog is also run through Words for a Season, and allows community members to write for it.

Gallagher values her experience at LSU and believes she gained the push she needed to pursue her passions.

“I feel like LSU is such a strong community, so I feel like it’s definitely an encouraging environment. Go for your dreams and go big,” Gallagher said.

“Definitely know that it’s not just for four years. It’s something that you take for the rest of your life, that kind of encouragement.”

Gallagher also offers national wholesale in boutiques and hopes to have her items in Baton Rouge stores soon.

LIFESTYLE

Helpful advice to cut back on your social media usage

BY ARIEL BAISE @arielbiancaa Social media is a blessing and a curse. We can be entertained for hours and connect with people all over the world, but too much of a good thing becomes bad. It is easy to slip into scrolling endlessly for hours.

You shouldn’t beat yourself up about this. According to Business

Insider, “several ex-employees of Apple, Google and Facebook have warned that large tech companies deliberately design apps to be addictive.” The longer we are on these apps, the more money they make from advertisers.

Cutting back on social media is not the easiest task. To lessen your usage of social media, here are nine simple steps you can implement in your life: 1. Use Screen Time Despite it sounding like something parents would use for their kids, Screen Time is perfect for anyone who forgets how long they spend on their phone. It is available for Apple users and is located in Settings. Screen Time gives you a detailed report of what apps you use the most.

Then, Down Time pauses all use of apps after a certain time. I personally stop all apps an hour before my bedtime and two hours after I wake up.

COURTESY OF WIKIPEDIA

2. Delete apps This trick is the one I hear most people do when they want to take a social media hiatus. Deleting an app is probably the easiest option.

3. Add extensions to Google Chrome One of the most effective ways I’ve lessened my time on social media is by adding extensions to my browser. Google Chrome has tons of extensions solely for blocking websites. Some of my personal favorites are StayFocused, Forest and Remove YouTube Recommendations. Other extensions include Limit, Pause and Strict Workflow.

4. Turn off all notifications Yes, your phone will be drier than a Popeye’s biscuit, but getting notifications and reminders from every app on your phone is not going to help your attention span. Notifications motivate you to get on an app. Then, when you get on that app, you will most likely spend too much time on it.

Even the simplest reminders can be provoking. Keep your essential app notifications on and don’t fall into the temptation to tap on any.

5. Replace your phone for something else Whenever you have a desire for your phone, look around for

something else to do that is fulfilling. Whenever I need a break from studying, instead of grabbing my phone, I either reach for my guitar or clean my room for five minutes.

“You can do anything for five minutes,” according to Bailey Brown, a fitness YouTuber with a playlist of five-minute workouts.

6. Follow accounts that you’re not interested in If you are addicted to scrolling, then throw the algorithm off and like and follow profiles, hashtags and photos that you do not care for. I do not care for charcuterie boards or gardening.

However, if I saw them all over my feed, I’m more likely to close the app due to my disinterest in them.

7. Post & leave One of the biggest traps I’ve experienced is going to Instagram to post a photo and ending up on my Explore page.

Write the caption ahead of time, figure out what you’re going to tweet, look up only one recipe on Pinterest or watch only one video on YouTube. Implement self-control.

8. Learn how fake social media actually is Ironically, I recommend looking at r/InstagramReality on Reddit or watching how much work goes into a single influencer work.

It’s not all glitz and glamour. It’s mainly Photoshop, FaceTune, retakes and hours of editing.

Instagram is a highlight reel.

That millionaire who is selling a course to teach you how to become a millionaire? Dude, watch YouTube videos about Fake Gurus. Most content created is planned for hours and even days.

Not many posts online are truly organic or authentic.

9. Figure out what you actually want out of social media What is your purpose for using social media? Is it to be entertained? To keep up with your friends? Do you want to promote your business or artwork? To express yourself? To watch hilarious cat videos? Figure it out.

Do not make social media the place where your self worth comes from. Do not compare yourself to others on social media. Nor should you allow it to control your life. Control social media.

Monday, October 5, 2020

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Monday, October 5, 2020

page 7

Students, staff and friends attend a vigil for Dean Martin Johnson on Oct. 1, and light candles to remember him outside the Journalism Building.

Remembering Dean Johnson

PHOTOS BY KRISTEN YOUNG

Manship Ambassadors will be hosting two virtual gatherings solely for students to share their thoughts and join together in honor of Dean Johnson on Monday, Oct. 5.

The first session will be held at 4:30 p.m. and the second session will follow at 8 p.m. Scan the QR code to the right to join us on Zoom.

“It was always so awe-inspiring to know him and know that he cared about you.”

LAUREN LEONARD

Digital advertising junior

“He is special to me, he is special to us and we were special to him.”

YONGICK JEONG Associate dean of graduate studies Associate professor of creative advertising

“We’ll miss his presence, how positive he was, how inviting he was and how much he cared for his students.”

CARRIE COLE

Political communication senior

Classifieds

Monday, October 5, 2020

page 8

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The LSU Office of Student Media is seeking an at-large student to serve a one year term on the LSU Student Media Board.

The Student Media Board is comprised of LSU students, faculty, staff and media professionals who are responsible for interviewing and selecting students who have applied for the top editor or manager positions for The Reveille, Tiger TV, KLSU Radio and Gumbo Yearbook. The at-large student must not hold office in Student Government, must not be enrolled in the Manship School of Mass Communication and must not be employed by LSU Student Media. Availability for Friday afternoon meetings up to three times per semester is required.

The first meeting is Friday, November 6th via Zoom. If interested, please email studentmedia@lsu.edu and include a brief statement about your interest in LSU Student Media and why you want to serve on the board.

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FOR RELEASE OCTOBER 5, 2020

THE Daily Commuter Puzzle ACROSS 1 Hairpiece 4 Inquired 9 In just a few minutes 13 Baby’s first word, perhaps 14 Chiropractor’s focus 15 “Get going!”

16 “Heidi” setting 17 Reduces to fine particles 19 Boxing ref’s call 20 Soiled 21 On the ball 22 Laughs loudly 24 Perish 25 Fully developed 27 At __; haphazardly 30 Diminish 31 Enlighten morally 33 For each 35 Immediate family members 36 Not tactful 37 Casino game 38 __-tac-toe 39 Used a stopwatch 40 Watery part of the blood 41 Finds out 43 Make happy 44 Get __ of; eliminate 45 Shortcoming 46 African nation 49 __ off; disregard 51 “There __ tavern in the town…”

54 Defiant; disobedient 56 Boxing match 57 Rainbow shapes 58 TV’s “Kate & __” 59 Back in the day 60 Hospital furnishings 61 Tennyson & Dickinson 62 __ Wednesday; 2/17/21 DOWN 1 Stroll 2 Significance 3 Driver’s purchase 4 Aim high 5 “I’ve got __ that jingle, jangle, jingle…”

by Jacqueline E. Mathews

10/5/20

Created by Jacqueline E. Mathews

6 Bagpiper’s garb 7 Covetous feeling 8 Actor Billy __ Williams 9 Grinned 10 Seep out 11 All __; everywhere 12 TV’s “Empty __” 13 Floor pad 18 Weather forecast 20 Issue a challenge to 23 On the __ with; not speaking to 24 Loony 25 Ship’s pole 26 As sore as __ 27 Watermelon casing 28 Surgeries 29 Restaurant lists 31 Trees subject to disease 32 __ date; info on a bill 34 “All roads lead to __” 36 Tie securely 37 __ over; faint

Saturday’s Puzzle Solved

©2020 Tribune Content Agency, LLC All Rights Reserved.

39 Court proceeding 40 Snail’s cousin 42 James of “Gunsmoke” 43 Stops briefly 45 Cherry or berry 46 Seize suddenly 47 “From __ to Eternity”

10/5/20

48 Alphabet openers 49 Place to store fodder 50 Donut’s center 52 __ as; for example 53 Gobbled up 55 Drink like a dog 56 Deadly creature

SPORTS Georgia (3) 2-0 Alabama (2) 2-0

27-6

Auburn (13) 1-1 Texas A&M (21) 1-1

52-24

page 9

21-14

42-41 OT

35-12

41-7

Arkansas 1-1 Tennessee (14) 2-0

Mississippi Ole Miss State 1-1 1-1 Missouri LSU 0-2 (17) 1-1

Kentucky Florida 0-2 (4) 2-0 Vanderbilt 0-2

LAST GEAUX-ROUND After speculation about future, Jontre Kirklin shows playmaking ability

BY JARED BRODTMANN @_therealjarbear Jontre Kirklin’s name has been tossed around. He had been recruited from high school as a dualthreat quarterback and switched over to defense when asked to. He was a strict special teams player the past few years, with little to no time to use his athleticism to boost the Tiger offense. Just recently, Kirklin’s name had been a candidate to move back over to cornerback to shallow the position group’s depth, especially in the wake of the defense giving up over 600 yards of passing in the team’s loss to Mississippi State last week.

During the Tigers’ win against Vanderbilt, he showed why head coach Ed Orgeron said the team would only do that if it absolutely had to.

Kirklin caught three passes for 65 yards in LSU’s win over Vanderbilt, putting him second on the team behind star receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. Two of his three catches were for touchdowns.

The first was an innocent wide

receiver screen that developed quickly as Kirklin used his speed and balance to run all the way to the endzone for six points. Kirklin’s second touchdown came off the most fun play of the night, a Myles Brennan flea flicker for a 29-yard electrifying score.

“Jontre, along with our whole offense and receiving core, played a heck of a game,” Brennan said.

“Jontre was getting open, he was catching the ball, he was getting yards after the catch, and that’s what it’s all about.”

In Kirklin’s first three years, he had only caught three passes for 80 yards. The senior has been a staple on the LSU roster for years, but he finally showed the leadership and playmaking abilit that every member of the program has emphasized for quite some time.

“Jontre’s been a leader for us,” Orgeron said. “I’ve been waiting for him to have a breakout game.

A guy that’s worked very hard, I’m so proud of Jontre. He was one of the team captains this week. He had a great attitude all week.”

The Tigers defeated the Commodores 41-7, putting the team

back on track to have a successful season.

Brennan threw for 337 yards with 23 completions on 37 attempts and four touchdowns.

Eleven different receivers participated in LSU’s lethal passing attack, supplemented by a stellar running game from John Emery Jr. Emery ran for 103 yards and a touchdown.

“I’m proud of this football team and this coaching staff,” Orgeron said. “Had grit this week, came back, did work all week, guys wanting to get better, leadership on this football team.

I thought we played a complete game tonight.

There were some mistakes, but our guys fought.”

With Kirklin and company contributing to the offense’s volatile attack, this was exactly the rebound the Tigers were looking for. The culmination of leaders taking responsibility and working hard to amend their mistakes took place in an impressive fashion Saturday night.

If you asked any player if Jontre Kirklin was one of those leaders, a resounding “yes” would have been their answer.

But Kirklin showed everyone else that person tonight.

Finally, his name has stopped getting thrown around and started being respected.

THE REVEILLE ARCHIVES

LSU sophomore cornerback Jontre Kirklin (13) jumps during the Tigers’ 29-0 loss against Alabama on Nov. 3, 2018, in Tiger Stadium.

38-24

South Carolina 0-2

Next week for LSU Missouri at home FOOTBALL

Emery fuels win over Vanderbilt

BY REED DARCEY @byreeddarcey In its season opener, LSU punted on five of its six first-half drives.

But in the second half, it found a bit of a rhythm, scoring 20 of the offense’s 27 points.

“I think we got the running game going a little bit more in the second half,” center Liam Shanahan said after the game, “and we let the running game build into our pass game. It really let us get into a little bit of a rhythm, and that’s why we had a little bit more success in the second half.”

This week, against Vanderbilt, the Tigers were faster, cleaner and more efficient on offense. In the first quarter, they ran seven times for 47 yards. With the help of an effective run game, Myles Brennan had less of a burden to carry and was more effective when he dropped back to pass. LSU scored

see EMERY, page 10

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Chiara Ritchie-Williams solidifies her legacy on LSU soccer

BY MORGAN ROGERS @morgan_rogers Back in 2017, Chiara RitchieWilliams made her debut as one of the SEC’s rookie star defenders. Ritchie-Williams started all 18 matches in her freshman year at LSU and was named a SecondTeam All-SEC performer. The senior midfielder, now an All-SEC anchor for LSU soccer’s defense, will lead the team as captain as she steps onto the midfield.

During the past three years, Williams has played about 60 matches as a defender for LSU. She contributed to LSU soccer’s fifth-lowest goals against average in school history. She also aided the backline in holding opponents scoreless for over 500 minutes and helped register 10 shutouts on the season.

“It’s scary to think how quickly time has gone by being here at LSU. I am grateful for all the memories, experiences and mo-

ments of personal growth that I was able to create here. I always say that coming here to study and play was the best decision I have made in my life,” Williams said.

“It’s sad to think it’s coming to an end soon. It reminds me to be present more than ever, whether that’s in practice, games or in the classroom.”

Williams always knew that she wanted to study in America.

When researching universities, she never had a feeling of belonging until finding LSU. Once viewing the campus environment and facilities that the University offers, her decision was made easy.

She really felt at home once connecting with the coach, staff and other girls who had committed to play LSU soccer as well.

Prior to her commitment to LSU, Williams was a member of England’s Under-19 Women’s National Team. She was also a defender in the England and Arsenal youth teams, playing as a center

back for seven years. She joined the Arsenal Ladies First Team when she was 16, competing in the FA Women’s Super League and Continental Cup campaigns during the 2015-16 season.

Williams said her dad, Colin Williams, was her greatest inspiration growing up.

“Throughout my childhood, he ensured that I always knew that women are strong and fearless.

His mindset is something that I always aspire to have.” When she was younger, she started playing soccer in the school playground during break and lunchtime. She noticed that she was the only girl who played soccer and the only one to hang around the boys at her school.

As for her future plans, Williams is keeping her eyes open to all possibilities.

“Right now I am focused on trying to be the best player and teammate I can be to help ensure that we as LSU Tigers continue

to progress and make positive strides with the time I have left here.”

Head coach Sian Hudson holds high hopes for the senior to lead the team to another SEC victory.

THE REVEILLE ARCHIVES

LSU defender Chiara Ritchie-Williams (4) passes the ball during the Tigers’ 2-2 draw against Mississippi State on Oct. 24, 2019 in the LSU Soccer Complex.

page 10

Monday, October 5, 2020

EMERY, from page 10 three first-half touchdowns.

“There were a lot less mistakes in this football game than there were in the first,” Orgeron said.

The first score was a screen to Jontre Kirklin, who weaved through Commodore defenders behind a key lead block from Cameron Wire and a pancake by Ed Ingram.

Terrace Marshall Jr. scored the second and third touchdowns.

First, he nabbed a red-zone bullet from Myles Brennan at the top of a post route. Then, he caught a deep pass and outraced four Vanderbilt defenders on his way to a 51-yard score.

“We got to make it easier on Myles,” Shanahan said after the Mississippi State game. “He had a decent game. He’s getting a lot of unfair criticism.”

LSU carried the second-half momentum of the first game into its second game. The offense was comfortable all game, and the defense held Vanderbilt to seven points. The Tigers won a snoozer of a game 41-7 on a quiet Nashville night.

Sophomore running back John Emery Jr. had a breakout game. His play was a large part of LSU’s commanding victory. With Chris Curry out for an unspecified reason, he seized the opportunity of a larger role. Emery

ABBY KIBLER / The Reveille

LSU football sophomore running back John Emery Jr. (4) gets brought to the ground by Mississippi State players on Sep. 26 during LSU’s 44-34 loss against Mississippi State in Tiger Stadium. took 12 carries for 103 yards and a touchdown, and he caught three balls for 21 yards. He was the hot hand.

“This is not a surprise to us,” Brennan said. “I feel like [the

running backs] performed really well tonight, and I’m excited to see them progress throughout the season.”

Coming out of high school, Emery was ranked the second-

best running back in the country by 247sports. The Destrehan, Louisiana, product was figured to be in line for a decent-sized role in the 2019 offense. But Clyde Edwards-Helaire emerged as a force and took the reins. Freshmen Tyrion Davis-Price and Chris Curry rotated in behind him, as Emery struggled with fumbling issues.

“What I’m most proud of is him protecting the football,” Orgeron said.

In the offseason, Emery opted for LASIK surgery, The Athletic reported, correcting one legally blind eye. He bulked up too, Orgeron said, packing even more muscle onto his imposing 5-foot11, 215-pound frame. Against Vanderbilt, he was slicing, cutting and juking into space. He took advantage of a slower Commodore defense, and he may be ready to emerge.

“Being able to run the ball successfully opens up the passing game,” Brennan said after the game.

Orgeron agreed. He said he wants an even split between rushing and passing.

The offense was clicking all game. It was noticeably faster, with more short, quick passes designed to keep Brennan comfortable and in rhythm. It worked.

Brennan was much better in game two, completing 23 of 27 passes for 337 yards and four

touchdowns and an interception.

Even after Mississippi State bludgeoned the LSU defense and only rushed for nine yards (sacks included), the rhetoric coming out of Baton Rouge was that LSU wanted to double down on the running game. Despite its early success against LSU, maybe the air raid offense hasn’t fully infiltrated the Southeastern Conference. KJ Costello threw three interceptions, and the Bulldogs only tallied 14 points in a loss to Arkansas.

In what’s shaping up to be a wild college football season, Brennan stressed the importance of remaining level-headed from week-to-week. That will require a consistent approach to the offensive game plan.

When the LSU offense emerged from the stone age in 2019, the story was that it had undergone a passing revolution.

Without a Heisman-caliber QB, without two first-round picks at receiver and one in the backfield, LSU may need to lean more on a running game to maximize its developing talent on offense.

It may need to sprinkle in some traditional LSU football into its new, modern, spread offense, connecting Tiger football past with Tiger football present. Orgeron wants to run the ball, and Emery seems capable.

“It’s what we need to do,” Orgeron said.

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OPINION

page 11

President’s Aid students need funds regardless of hours SPILL THE TEA WITH MARIE MARIE PLUNKETT

@MarieC_214

Choosing which college you want to attend can be a timeconsuming and nerve-wracking process. For me, LSU won out because I was offered financial aid and scholarships. With the benefit of TOPS and President’s Student Aid, I felt confident in my ability to graduate debt-free, which was important to me as a student looking to continue into grad school.

President’s Student Aid is a work-study program assigned to incoming freshmen that allows students to work on campus to earn a set amount of their scholarship money.

I started working in the political science department as an office worker during my freshman year.

The job had nothing to do with my major—it still doesn’t— but it has turned out to be one of the greatest opportunities I’ve

been given in my college career.

I’ve gotten to work with professors outside of my field, meet students I wouldn’t have met otherwise and learn more about how the bureaucracy of the University works.

Before the pandemic, there was nothing in the world that could’ve convinced me to give up my job. I loved walking into the office, catching up with my boss, seeing my favorite professors and being financially independent — but now everything has changed.

In order to keep all contact and interactions to a minimum, I spend most of my time at work alone in a conference room. On the rare occasion I do see anyone, it’s usually either my boss popping in to give me an assignment or a student asking to borrow my nonexistent stapler.

I appreciate all the department is doing to keep me safe —but not every student has the benefit of hiding away like I do.

Student workers are often expected to work the front desks, putting them in frequent close

contact with other students and faculty members; and according to the CDC, sustained exposure time “increases exposure risk,” meaning the longer students are put in compromising situations, the more likely it is they’ll be exposed to the virus.

Unfortunately, recipients of President’s Aid have to remain “full-time (12 hours) throughout the semester” according to the University’s scholarship retention requirements, so they aren’t given much of a choice.

While in its Roadmap to Fall the University does offer ways for some employees to work remotely, most student jobs (excluding research assistantships) don’t provide many work-from-home options.

Either you work whatever position you’ve been stuck with on campus for 12 hours each week or give up your scholarship for the semester and reapply when things eventually “get back to normal,” if that ever happens.

Obviously no solution is going to be perfect, but the University should be trying to take

better care of its students this year.

Consider giving President’s Aid recipients at least part of their scholarships this semester without forcing them to work on campus. It is not ethical to ask them to risk their lives and the

lives of others on campus just so they can earn money that should be allotted to them already.

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

ABBY KIBLER / The Reveille

An empty campus sits Sept. 20, from the top of the Barnes & Noble at the LSU parking garage on E Campus Drive.

Debate a depressing but accurate picture of the U.S. CLAIRE’S COMMENTARY CLAIRE SULLIVAN

@sulliclaire

We are living through a dark hour in American history.

And yet somehow, among all this pain, one 90-minute debate between the two men who believe they should be the President of the United States has managed to further depress a country already in crisis.

Last Tuesday’s horror show was primarily driven by the overt nastiness of President Trump, who seemed intent on making the debate as unwatchable as possible with his constant disruptions, personal attacks and odd tangents.

Trump’s rhetoric has never been pleasant, but he used to at least acknowledge some of the issues voters cared about (however disagreeable his solutions often were).

During the Sept. 29 debate, the President made almost no attempt at all to speak on the severely consequential policy issues happening in this country

and instead resorted to bizarre, ineffectual attacks on his opponent.

Claiming Joe Biden is a socialist puppet of the radical left has got to be one of the most ridiculous political arguments to ever come from the Trump campaign, and that’s really saying something.

Biden is as moderate as they come, representing a brand of Democratic politics that could not be more distinct from the progressivism of contemporaries like Bernie Sanders or Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Trump’s 2016 criticisms of Hillary Clinton were effective because they played into the public’s belief that she was corrupt; meanwhile, two-thirds of voters view Biden as a more conservative Democrat, quashing the salience of Trump’s socialist attacks.

In one memorable moment, Trump told the far-right organization known as the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by,” prompting online celebrations from members of the group, who have adopted the line as part of their merchandising. Yes: the sitting president of the United

cartoon by BRANDON SHEPHERD

States of America instilled such delight in a neo-Nazi fascist group that they literally put his words on their uniforms.

Moderator Chris Wallace desperately tried to get the president to condemn white supremacists during the debate, but Trump struggled to choke out what should have been a shockingly easy declaration. His response

was so objectionable that even Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell felt the need to distance himself from Trump’s remarks.

And naturally, the President couldn’t end the night without a little undermining of our democratic processes. Spewing endless lies about mail-invoting, the President only succeeded in reaffirming his cowardice; after all, active efforts to suppress civic participation don’t exactly project an image of confidence.

The President showed a true disdain for this democracy and those who participate in it. For Trump to stare the public in the eye and complain about how unfair the past few months have been for him is truly reprehensible.

In 2020, small businesses have closed due to the pandemic, child hunger has reached new heights and towns have been ravaged by flames. The President offered no sympathy during the debate, instead focusing on strange political squabbles and shifting the blame onto others.

At the same time, Joe Biden failed to be a truly calming figure

Editorial Policies and Procedures EDITORIAL BOARD Bailey Chauvin Brittney Forbes Anna Jones Katherine Manuel 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.

among the chaos, giving weak answers to obvious questions.

That said, his words didn’t manage to create an active atmosphere of fear for our democracy, so...good job, Joe? Following this disaster, many people have called for the cancelation of future presidential debates.

Still, this debate—as horrendous as it was—served a purpose.

It was a scathingly honest picture of the state of our union, highlighting the unprecedented corruption, apathy and incompetence that has seeped into every level of government at a time when this nation is in desperate need of leadership.

American democracy is in crisis mode. It is unclear how much more stress the public can take.

Removing Trump from office is the first step. Afterwards, this nation must go to work to address the system that enabled his rise to power—a system that, so far, has left most of us behind.

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

Quote of the Week “I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.”

Douglas Adams Author 1952 — 2001

Monday, October 5, 2020

page 12

Today’s political movements demand higher purpose EVAN ON EARTH EVAN LEONHARD

@evan_leonhard

As we come of voting age in time for the election, the events of 2020 have incited a fierce political fervor in members of Generation Z. This summer marked an essential transition in my generation’s cultural outlook. Gen Z, a demographic called out in the past for its perceived political apathy, has finally found its voice and eagerly ascended to a new sense of social responsibility.

I began to notice this shift on social media. In contrast to more Millennial and Boomer-esque spaces like Twitter and Facebook, Instagram — a platform dominated by “Zoomers” — has always seemed uniquely apolitical.

That began to change towards the end of May when the platform was engulfed by a tidal wave of content in solidarity with George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement; such online discussions have only proliferated as 2020 continues to throw curveballs our way.

With so much to consider this year, this insurgence of a youthful interest in politics could not have come at a more critical time. A

flourishing democracy demands a well-informed and enthusiastic electorate.

Despite this, there are some potential problems to consider.

Coming of age in a post-religious and politically polarized society, my generation is unique in its lack of a coherent metaphysical framework to guide in its pursuit of justice.

An increasingly disquieting and pseudo-religious rhetoric is swelling amid today’s political discourse. It’s as though people’s individual political convictions are their entire world views.

In conversation with my peers, conservative and liberal alike, I have come to see an excessive — almost existential — angst directed towards political discussion.

The subject is treated with such intense gravitas and emotion, almost as if, in their minds, there can be nothing more profound.

One of the defining characteristics of the civil rights movement of the ‘60s was its invocation of larger theological and philosophical traditions. Martin Luther King Jr. exemplified this sort of approach, famously calling upon ubiquitous figures like Augustine, Aquinas and Socrates to justify and contextualize his civil disobedience in “A Letter from a Birmingham Jail.”

The same could be said for the

JALEN HINTON / The Reveille

country’s founding fathers, who looked to Enlightenment ideas about human nature to draft the Declaration of Independence.

With clear guiding principles and goals that transcended political ambition, the great social movements of the past were able to avoid a pitfall I fear Gen Z may be slipping into. They understood government as a tool; a means to a higher end.

History has taught us the atrocities of political religion.

When government and the law become so tightly intertwined with your sense of self, politicians become idols and dissenters become heretics for inquisition. Look no further than the messianic cult of hardcore Trump-

JALEN HINTON/ The Reveille

A protester holds up sign on Sept. 25. during a protest in front of the Louisiana Governor’s Mansion. sters or the rabid witch hunts associated with “cancel culture” to see these ideas in action today.

If Gen Z hopes to adequately grapple with the monumental problems on its horizon, its freshly-born fervor needs to be cultivated and freed from the shackles of civic religion that are beginning to bind it.

We need to reassert a stable notion of the transcendent; a higher vision to remind us that

politics is simply a stepping stone to realizing deeper, more fundamental values.

If there is anything positive to be learned from the chaos of this year, it should be this: the higher purpose should lead the heart of the political movement, not the other way around.

Evan Leonhard is a 19-year-old English and philosophy major rom New Orleans.

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