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Volume 119 · No. 61
veterans’ affairs
sam karlin / The Daily Reveille
Petroleum engineering senior Ryan Gibson came to LSU after eight years in the U.S. Marines.
Former Marine adjusts to University life BY quint forgey qforgey@lsureveille.com Petroleum engineering senior Ryan Gibson said his most stressful episode at college came when he scored his first “D” on an exam — a sinking feeling many University students can relate to. But the 31-year-old former Marine, like hundreds of other student veterans on campus, brought with him many wartime experiences most of his classmates could not identify with. The most nerve-wracking chapter of Gibson’s eight years in the military began on a rainy hilltop outside of Pakistan. Gibson and his fellow Marines spent three days and nights on a hill in the middle
Javier Fernández / The Daily Reveille
The University Veteran Center is located on the third floor of Hatcher Hall.
University Veteran Center working to ease veterans’ transitions back into civilian world
of January. Their sleeping bags were water resistant, but after a few hours, Gibson said he and his group were lying in puddles. The sky cleared and the sun finally emerged when the Marines hiked downhill on the fourth morning. “All we can think about is going back and getting hot breakfast,” Gibson said. As a group of Humvees transported the soldiers back to base camp, Gibson said he heard a small “pop” in the ground, signaling the initiation of an improvised explosive device. The convoy came to a stop. “In order to blow the main charge, you have to blow a smaller, less stable charge to detonate,” Gibson said. “The best I could
see veterans, page 11
BY Kaci Cazenave kcazenave@lsureveille.com For military veterans, the return to college after war is now more common and a less difficult transition thanks to the University’s Veteran and Military Student Services. VMSS was established in February 2013 after Kurt Keppler, Vice Chancellor for Student Life and Enrollment Services, recognized the University’s need to better serve the veteran and military student population. VMSS coordinator Adam Jennings said he worked closely with Keppler to establish the office in Johnston Hall to recruit potential students and provide
services for those already at the University. The VMSS office has since moved to the third floor of Hatcher Hall, which Keppler said is a transition space for all new offices on campus. Jennings said now that the office has been established, his role is recruitment. “A lot of what I do involves going to the military, looking for people getting out of the military and trying to get them to come to LSU,” Jennings said. “I also work with dependents of veterans whose parents may be on the GI Bill — and I sometimes recruit them, but mostly I just
see center, page 11
Academics
Professor uses literature to teach film BY Carrie Grace Henderson chenderson@lsureveille.com English professor Carl Freedman, known for his signature tweed suit and even more signature courses, teaches on everything from masculinity in John Wayne movies to world-building techniques by weird fiction author China Miéville. A perpetual student, Freedman began kindergarten 58 years ago and has been in school ever since. “Academics are people who like school so much that they never want to leave,” Freedman said.
He teaches courses on Marxist theory as well as film noir, frequently changing subjects as his interests outside the classroom develop. “I like to teach a course a few times,” Freedman said. “You get to know the material better and get a sense of what works and what doesn’t, but then on the other hand, you don’t want to teach a course too many times. You’ll get stale.” Though he decided on an English major with the intention of becoming a poet or short-story writer, Freedman has had broad success in the nonfiction genre,
with several of his books’ topics mirroring those he teaches at the University. “There’s often a lot of overlap between what I’m teaching and what I’m writing about,” Freedman said. “Although the relationship can go both ways.” Freedman’s recently completed book on China Miéville prompted the return of on a course on the author. Class preparation and discussion during his John Wayne’s America course inspired chapters in his book about film. “I’m not sure what I’m going
see freedman, page 11
Walter Radam / The Daily Reveille
University English professor Carl Freedman’s courses focus on literature but have made their way into the honors and film and media arts departments.