The Reveille 2-1-21

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HERE TO HELP Mental health resources at and around LSU can help with pandemic and school stress.

GRAPHIC BY SOPHIE VAGIANOS

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Students criticize LSU’s decision to only offer one-day breaks for the spring semester, concerned over academic stress.

ENTERTAINMENT

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With a new permanent location, Red Stick Reads offers books for all ages in its charming Baton Rouge book shop.

SPORTS

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LSU football seals the deal with a trio of fresh young faces as it solidifies the 2021 coaching staff.

OPINION

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“Dancing is just as much a sport as football is, and all of our student athletes should be treated more or less the same.”

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

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A GUIDE TO

See page 4 for a guide to finding therapists off campus

MENTAL HEALTH

BY JOSH ARCHOTE @JArchote The LSU community’s experience with mental health tragedies reflects the increasing prevalence of mental illness among young adults today, which has been further enflamed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Demand for mental health and addiction services increased significantly in 2020 as shutdowns left many people feeling isolated, according to polling data released by the National Council of Behavioral Health.

The impact of the pandemic on mental health disproportionately impacted young people, with one in four people aged 18 — 24 contemplating suicide “in the past 30 days” during August, according to the CDC. Now, more than ever, students should know how to access mental health resources, such as therapy, on and off campus.

How to know if you should talk to a therapist A common misconception around counseling is the idea that people need to have been diagnosed with a mental illness to seek and benefit from therapy.

Shana Breaux, a therapist practicing in Baton Rouge, explained that therapy can be viewed as a proactive approach to wellness, almost like going to the doctor to get a checkup.

“I have clients come to me who say ‘I don’t know what’s going on with me. I just feel like something’s missing,’” Breaux said.

“Maybe they just graduated college and they don’t know where to go from there. I can work with them, help them formulate some goals and help them explore what they may potentially be looking for.”

However, Breaux said there are signs that may indicate someone needs to see a therapist: • You are thinking about or coping with an issue for at least an hour every day.

• The issue negatively affects school, work or relationships.

• You’ve had to alter things in your life to cope with the issue.

• You are too embarrassed to talk about the issue with others or avoid others because of the issue.

• You feel emotionally numb (i.e., you don’t experience positive or negative emotions).

• The issue has caused your overall quality of life to decrease.

• You have lost interest in activities you used to enjoy, in the world around you or in life in general.

• You have a desire to increase

self-awareness, improve coping skills and/or maintain emotional wellness.

“If someone is having a recurring issue — something like anxiety, for example, is becoming a daily issue that is in the forefront of their minds — if they’re feeling not so good most of the time, [or] when it starts to really impair school or impair their relationships, it’s definitely time to get some help,” Breaux said.

Breaux said students don’t have to wait until their issues become this serious to seek and benefit from therapy.

“People don’t have to necessarily wait for that to happen, until they’re struggling,” Breaux said. “They can seek out therapy to work on wellness as a whole and work on coping skills so

people shouldn’t view their therapist as someone who will fix their problems or heal them. The work is on the part of the patient, and therapists serve as tools to help people improve their lives.

“It wasn’t like, ‘Oh my gosh, my therapist is magical and she just solved all my problems,’” Holmes said. “It was the fact that I got to go sit somewhere [and] talk about something without judgment, especially things that I had been holding on to for a really long time.”

Philosophy sophomore Adam Birmingham has been seeing a therapist at LSU’s Student Health Center for three semesters. He said the process of therapy was simple for him: he and his therapist would talk about whatever was running through his head at the time.

LSU MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES LOCATION: The corner of Infirmary Lane and West Chimes Street, across from the School of Music on the north side of campus

NUMBER: (225)578-8774 LET’S TALK Let’s Talk offers brief, informal and confidential consultations where students can seek support, perspective and assistance connecting with campus and community resources.

THE PHONE 225-924-LSU1 (5781)

“The Phone” is a 24-hour intervention and referral service for crisis and emotional support. The PHONE also provides services through text or chat.

MINDWISE INNOVATIONS

MindWise provides clinically validated, anonymous self-assessments that direct individuals to resources and educational information based on their selected responses.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT: https://www.lsu.edu/shc/mental-health/mhshome.php that when a big event, a major life event does happen to them, they’re better able to cope with it.”

What to expect from therapy There are many different types of therapy, and the process of therapy will look different depending on patients’ needs.

Generally, therapists are trained to help their clients understand themselves better, process emotions, ease mental illness symptoms and cope with various life challenges.

“What a therapist is going to do is help you identify some barriers, some things that are in the way of you feeling your best and doing your best,” Breaux said.

“They’re going to help guide you and maybe help to illuminate some things that maybe you already know but that you really haven’t become aware of yet.”

History and communication studies junior Madeline Holmes has been seeing a therapist off campus since October. She said

“I told my therapist once…

‘You feel like a little flush on my brain,’” Birmingham said. “‘My terrible, anxious thoughts just go down the drain when I come here every other week.’”

Does therapy work?

Digging into research on the outcomes of therapy can involve sorting through contradictory and confusing information. However, meta-analyses on the outcomes of psychotherapy for people generally show that therapy is effective, and that instances of people becoming worse off while in therapy are rare.

It can’t be said that therapy will work for everyone, but research shows that the likelihood of improvement for those in therapy is high, especially when compared to people in control groups who didn’t attend therapy.

Holmes and Birmingham both said they have noticed improvements in their mental health since starting therapy.

“I’ll find myself in a situation

that I originally might have gotten really stressed out about, and I take a second and think about what I talked about in therapy and I’ll handle it a lot better,” Holmes said. “Something simple as just changing the way I think about something has made a difference in my life.”

Therapy at LSU LSU’s Student Health Center offers free therapy for full-time students. LSU’s Psychological Services Center also offers individual and group therapy. Their services are not free.

Birmingham said he had to wait for a month or so before getting an appointment at the SHC, but started going regularly after his first appointment.

Birmingham said trauma from his past caused him to spiral out of control from even the slightest bit of stress.

“I realized I need to dive into these things I’d rather not think about and work through that,” Birmingham said. “There really should be no shame in it. I think in a perfect world, everybody should be seeing a therapist, especially if you do need the help.”

The SHC has a limited number of slots for therapy, so students interested should make an appointment as soon as possible.

“It stinks that in the middle of the semester or toward the end if you get told it will be like a fourweek wait or a six-week wait,” Raime Thibodeaux, associate director of mental health at the SHC said. “That’s a pain point we’re trying to resolve.”

The SHC also employs a psychiatrist who can prescribe or adjust students’ medication, such as anti-depressants.

If someone feels they could benefit from mental health resources outside of therapy, LSU’s Mental Health Center offers nontherapeutic services for students, such as MindWise, an anonymous self-assessment which can direct students to resources based on their responses.

Mental health problems can be especially impactful on a college student’s life. If depression, anxiety or any other problem is interfering with a student’s ability to do schoolwork, keep a job or maintain healthy relationships, it can affect the trajectory of the rest of their life.

“The college age comes with its own suitcase of stressors,” Breaux said. “You’re making the transition from being an adolescent to a young adult and there are many major life transitions in that time.

“There’s a lot of new things to navigate. It can’t hurt to get some extra guidance and support during that time.”

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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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KICKING OFF, NOT KICKING BACK Lack of breaks could break LSU students’ mental health

STUDENT LIFE

Textbooks, online resources viable for students

BY ANNE MARIE WHERRITT @amwherritt

LSU’s decision to cancel breaks but have an open football stadium was hypocritical and made it seem like the University only cares about money, not students’ wellbeing.

“They are overlooking measures because plenty of people are still coming from out of state to watch a football game,” sports administration junior Will Freese said. “There is still a chance, and people who are from the Louisiana area go home most week-

Some professors require textbooks, while others do not.

As the spring 2021 semester began, students began the search for textbooks. Mechanical engineering sophomore Grace Lunsford spent $800 on textbooks last semester and $500 this semester.

“I do get a lot of use out of my thermodynamics textbook,” Lunsford said. “I have to haul it up the stairs every morning for class.”

Communication disorders sophomores Lunsford and Mary Grace Parks both think that their textbooks for lower level classes end up being a waste of money.

They only rely on textbooks if course material is difficult and need a further explanation past their notes.

“Professors, especially for lower level classes, should look into free online resources,” Parks said. “It gives every student the same learning opportunity without a financial barrier.”

Some professors have implemented free online resources,

see BREAKS, page 4

see RESOURCES, page 4

ABBY KIBLER / The Reveille

LSU fans sing along with the band Sept. 26, 2020 before LSU’s 44-34 loss against Mississippi State in Tiger Stadium.

BY JOSH ARCHOTE & ANNE MARIE WHERRITT @JArchote & @amwherritt Some LSU students, citing Zoom fatigue, burnout and an increasingly strong desire to return to normalcy, have criticized LSU’s decision to cancel breaks this semester.

University administration canceled spring and Mardi Gras breaks under advice of its team of medical experts, according to Executive Vice President & Provost Stacia Haynie. To reduce the like-

lihood that students will travel and spread COVID-19, traditional holidays were replaced with one-day breaks, including the following: • Monday, Jan. 18 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day • Tuesday, Feb. 16 – Mardi Gras • Friday, March 12 – Mid-Semester Break • Thursday, March 25 – March Break • Friday, April 2 – Good Friday Extra one-day breaks were added in March to make up for the removal of traditional breaks,

and the semester will be shorter, with final exams and commencement occurring one week earlier than usual.

Many LSU students voiced concern about burnout, stress and fatigue regarding the spring semester.

“I am looking forward to a shorter semester,” English sophomore Evan Leonhard said. “However, I look forward to holidays to help myself reposition and restart for the next week. I feel like I am losing something.”

Some students also said that

COVID-19

Has COVID-19 changed the college experience forever?

BY HENRY WELDON @HankWeldon3 One year ago, it was normal to see hundreds of students walking to class in the Quad, enjoying LSU football games or gathering at local bars to celebrate the weekend.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, college life has changed tremendously since last year. A majority of classes are now conducted online, gathering at bars and restaurants is discouraged and students can’t participate in tailgating.

This leaves the question: what will life look like at LSU after COVID-19 has been brought under control?

“I would be open to teaching more classes online in the future,” Mass Communication Professor Christopher Drew said.

Drew said he’s glad he had the opportunity to teach classes online and didn’t have any significant issues with the transition

to online classes in March.

“Students who came to class engaged made the experience easier,” Drew said. “At least eight of my students had COVID-19, so it was good that classes were held online. The University doesn’t know who has pre-existing conditions.”

Although online classes are convenient when it comes to mitigating the spread of COVID-19, some students and professors don’t think it offers the same experience that in-person learning would.

“I miss walking around the classroom,” Drew said. “It was a more casual experience. I could walk around and talk with certain groups. There was a little more urgency and a little more inspiration in the classroom.”

Prior to the pandemic, it was unknown if classes would be successful online, but as Zoom has been able to replicate the classroom experience virtually,

it has led some to question the need for classrooms on college campuses.

“The pandemic has normalized online teaching,” Nash Mahmoud, associate professor of computer science and engineering said.

Before the pandemic, some classrooms couldn’t meet the capacity for demand. Now, the majority of those classrooms and lecture halls sit dormant.

“We now know that online teaching can actually work, given that we have the right framework in place,” Mahmoud said.

Even though online classes do work, this doesn’t necessarily mean that more students will opt out of attending and living on college campuses.

“College is not just about teaching and learning; there is a human component that cannot be satisfied without in-person attendance and interaction between

see EXPERIENCE, page 4

THE REVEILLE ARCHIVES

LSU students participate in online classes on Jan. 25 in the LSU Student Union on LSU’s campus.

Monday, February 1, 2021

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VISIT PSYCHOLOGY TODAY

A GUIDE TO FINDING THERAPISTS OFF CAMPUS

WHAT TO EXPECT FINANCIALLY

Psychology Today’s “Find a Generally, insurance Therapist” tool can help companies will cover most clients find the right therapist of the costs of therapy, while for them. Therapists can be the patient may be asked to Therapy is not just for those sorted by which communicover a relatively small who have been clinically diagnosed with a mental ties they typically serve, what co-pay between $15 and illness. If you are feeling in they specialize in, which inneed of help or if there is a $50. Some therapists offer recurring mental issue that surances they accept and sliding scales and will only is decreasing your quality of life or your happiness, there their number and email to charge what a client can are resources to help you. schedule a free afford per session. consultation.

NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION HOTLINE: 1-800-273-8255 EXPERIENCE, from page 3 professors and students,” Mahmoud said. “However, I won’t be surprised if more online classes are offered after the pandemic.”

While online class may have been successful, Mahmoud said, there’s still flaws in the system.

“No matter how hard you try, what software you use and how many questions you can come up with, administering an online exam for over a hundred students is very challenging,” Mahmoud said.

Gerald Baumgartner, associ-

BREAKS, from page 3 ends, so this is just prohibiting out-of-state students from traveling to see their families.”

LSU Media Relations Director Ernie Ballard said the University’s administration wanted to avoid long holiday breaks during which people may travel, spend time with people outside of their immediate household and potentially bring the virus back to campus.

He also said the comparison between an open football stadium and the cancellation of breaks isn’t an accurate one.

“Football was limited to 25% capacity, taking place outdoors [and] under rules established by the NCAA and SEC on a limited number of dates,” Ballard said.

“Safety is always our guidepost with all decisions, but we do listen to student feedback, which is why we were able to also have an in-person commencement ceremony in December.

“All these decisions aren’t taken lightly, and consult with our faculty and state experts are taken into consideration before we make any of these types of major changes.”

Asha Murphy, a licensed professional counselor at the Student Health Center, said she has mixed feelings about the traditional

ate professor in the division of computer science and engineering, said the most difficult part of online learning was developing effective online material.

“In the classroom it is possible to adapt the content delivery based on questions from students,” Baumgartner said.

“Online material must be designed to get the ideas across without the benefit of immediate feedback from students.”

Baumgartner said he thinks LSU will hold classes in-person in the fall.

“My impression is that they

would like to have a normal campus environment again,” Baumgartner said. “I read in one of the LSU mass emails that starting in the fall, classes should be on campus again.”

It’s currently unclear if a majority of classes will be held inperson or online in the fall semester at LSU. Even though classes are currently online, Drew, who taught all of his mass communication classes online during the fall semester, wishes more students would take advantage of office hours.

“It’s easier than ever now that office hours are online,” Drew said. “It’s important that students reach out to their professors. We may not be there in person but we’re always available.”

For some LSU students, online classes can pose certain difficulties when it comes to staying focused and motivated. Sports administration junior Matthew Walker said that while online classes are currently necessary due to COVID-19, he prefers inperson classes.

“I think online classes were a necessary transition because of

COVID-19, but it’s not how I prefer to take my classes,” Walker said. “I think online classes are more difficult because it’s harder to stay on track and it’s easier to fall behind.”

Kinesiology junior Andrew Roderich said he dislikes online classes because they were “too repetitive” and it became difficult to focus in them. Roderich said he would dislike taking online classes in the future.

“School and life get too intertwined because of online classes’ and it makes it hard to focus in class,” he said.

breaks built into the academic calendar when it comes to the topic of burnout and stress.

“I think of them as island paradises spaced out in a large sea; it’s human nature to use all of our reserves swimming hard without daily self-care or building in our own breaks until we can just manage to get to the next island and then completely relax and ‘vege’ out,” Murphy said. “Then at some point, it’s time to get back in the water. It’s a little disorienting, if you think about it, and it can help keep us in a pattern of ‘all or nothing’ thinking and functioning.”

Murphy said this semester’s mini-breaks, as disappointing as they might feel, could serve as an opportunity to be more intentional about the way students build in breaks naturally to their everyday lives.

She said time management and the ability to find balance between school, work and self-care is crucial for students.

“Balance is so difficult to strike when each part of your life feels heavy and prioritized. Often we put self-care, relaxation and down time on the back-burner,” Murphy said. “But the research shows lack of prioritizing taking care of ourselves can be detrimental to mental health and lead

to burnout.”

Murphy explained that there are three components to burnout: • Emotional exhaustion — the fatigue that comes from caring too much, for too long • Depersonalization — the depletion of empathy, caring, and compassion, and • Decreased sense of accomplishment — an unconquerable sense of futility: feeling that nothing you do makes any difference.

A lack of emotional intelligence — the capacity to be aware of, understand and control one’s emotions — and a lack of selfcompassion is an area students can work on to prevent burnout, according to Murphy.

“I’ve noticed many students fear that if they are gentle with themselves, they’ll ‘let themselves go’ and turn into human sloths destroying potential for success — that can be a scary thought,” Murphy said. “Turns out, the research tells us that individuals with more self-compassion actually tend to be more productive.”

Murphy said incorporating regular, even scheduled self-care into one’s routine, getting enough quality sleep each night, staying hydrated, consuming nutritious foods and exercising can help prevent burnout.

RESOURCES, from page 3

Stamps said. “So, when I became a professor, I made a pledge to utilize online resources, but I am in no way against textbook use.”

Stamps said for social media and branding classes, it is difficult to find an up to date textbook. He said the textbooks are produced one to two years before they hit the shelf.

“The increase in textbook prices is a red flag; it is a cash grab,” Stamps said. “They are not as updated as they should be and ultimately it will put students into deeper debt.”

Political Science Professor Jeong Kim said while lecture notes are curated by professors, students need a textbook that offers material that they can evaluate outside of class.

“Some events we discuss in our notes can be worth an hour long lecture,” Kim said. “However, we do not have that much time, so the textbook allows for students to learn and think for themselves.”

For her class, she said the textbook offers more background information that she cannot cover in a 50-minute lecture.

“Textbooks also offer exercise and discussion questions,” Kim said. “This helps students build upon topics and theories discussed in lectures.”

like articles or historical texts, for their students. Geology Professor Suniti Kamara Walimuni Devage teaches GEOL 1003. In the past, he required students to purchase a textbook, but when the pandemic and remote classes began, he looked into other, more accessible options.

“I want to provide resources that anyone can access,” Devage said. “These online resources, I find, offer more viable and visual information to my students.”

Devage is not against textbooks but said these online resources teach students to follow information more independently.

He said he wants students to participate in critical thinking rather than learning from a test bank of questions, and online resources have helped him achieve that goal.

Devage said textbooks are vital for upper level classes and the information can get so specific that a textbook will be a necessity.

Mass Communication Professor David Stamps teaches classes on digital branding and social media.

“When I was a student, I remember how difficult it was to find money for textbooks,”

ENTERTAINMENT

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RED STICK READS Bookstore finds its permanent home and offers the community its services

BY ARIEL BAISE @arielbiancaa “Do you want to give this dream a try, or finally shelf it away?” was the question Tere and James Hyfield asked themselves before starting their book shop, Red Stick Reads.

The tiny, quaint bookstore is one of the few local bookstores in Baton Rouge. Red Stick Reads is a boutique book shop that focuses on bringing diversity and representation to literature.

Both Tere and James are avid book lovers who wanted to start a neighborhood bookshop in Baton Rouge. The couple began the store’s journey selling books in November of 2019 in the local Mid City Market. The store now resides at the same location as its permanent home.

“It was White Light Night, it was our first ever pop up as a book store in a 10x10 tent. It was pouring down raining…” James said “Books and rain don’t work.”

The tent was soaking up the rain.

We were ready to pack up and figure out a way to get the books back into our vehicle.”

The couple had family members buy their items first, and then many customers followed.

Slowly, Red Stick Reads grew and attended the Mid-City Market monthly.

“As soon as they leave, more people showed up,” said James.

“Suddenly, it became the coolest thing because everyone was like , ‘A bookstore! I had no idea there was a local bookstore.”

Red Stick Reads offers a small niche selection for its reads. While its focus is on children’s novels, the store also has adult, sci-fi, fantasy and non-fiction sections. Its selections are always increasing.

Red Stick Reads aims to become a beacon for the community. Aside from offering books, the Hyfields want to start an organic community garden, host shows and make the shop a hangout

place for local students.

“I want to be able to hang out in the bookstore and talk to people every day and learn something new from every person every day. Just have conversations.

There is such a great opportunity for that with stories,” James added.

Before entering the 350-square-foot shop, outside the breezeway hosts a plethora of seats for customers or guests.

The Hyfield took a DIY approach to turn the former architecture firm office into a boutique book shop. James built every shelf in the store.

Although the pandemic slowed down the process, James still served the community. When Amazon had delays shipping books, people turned to Red Stick Reads. James delivered books for free.

Red Stick Reads’ catalog is truly one of its highlights. Tere, a school teacher and the shop’s book curator, has a passion for

diversity in literature. For years, she started book clubs and chose books for both children and adults.

“As a teacher and mom, I will always be heavy handed in the selection of children’s books we offer, but we do hope to offer a little bit of everything,” Tere said, “Books truly are my love language, and I’m a firm believer that children’s books are not just for children.”

According to the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, in 2019, 29.2% of children and young adult literature books featured animal main characters. Animals receive more representation in books than BIPOC. Black/African main characters were featured 11.9%, 8.7% for Asian/Asian American representation and 5.3% for Latinx representation. Native American characters receive only 1% of the representation.

“Books act as portals into all these other worlds out there, and they offer the unique opportu-

nity to view the world through someone else’s eyes,” said Tere Hyfield. Not only do we need to see ourselves in the books/characters, books also offer us a window into lives we don’t get to see on a regular basis.”

Red Stick Reads’ inventory is not only curated but carefully selected. The book shop is more than a business, but a source of comfort, change and community.

The Hyfields want to focus on their relationships with people and not be transactional.

“It doesn’t always have to be a transaction. I don’t always have to make money when you come here. If I’m helping out the community, then it’s going to come back. Put out good vibes,” James added, displaying his Little Free Library box sitting in the front of the store.

Customers can preorder any book through the Red Stick Reads’ Bookshop store. Currently, the book shop operates under appointment-only shopping.

BATON ROUGE COMMUNITY

Blerd-ish: Local podcast and Black comics’ pop-up shop

BY GIDEON FORTUNE @asapfortunate Blerd-ish is a podcast and Black comics’ pop-up shop operated by Baton Rouge natives Keith Cooper and Mark Wallace.

The “Dynamic Duo from the Dirty South” use their platform and shop to lift others up and build a sense of community, a trait embedded in the culture of south Louisiana.

The Southern University graduates met some time before the movie “Black Panther” released.

“Black Panther” was a revolutionary moment for Black superhero fans, comic book creators and sci-fi fans, which gave the duo an idea. The word “blerd” (Black nerd) was gaining traction. Both Mark and Keith consider themselves blerds. Thus, the podcast Blerd-ish was created. Copper and Wallace use this platform to talk about Black nerd things, and other -ish.

A majority of the podcast is spent highlighting other people.

Guests appear on almost every episode to chop it up with the duo and inform the audience of what they are up to. Cooper

is constantly searching for new creators that want to use the podcast to highlight their work.

Topics discussed on the podcast are vast due to their frequent collaborations. Notable podcast guests included gamer ‘Zombaekills,’ whose profile has risen greatly in the gaming community this past year, Los Angles based and New Orleans born comic book creator and illustrator Jason Reeves, NASA scientist and author Dr. Renee Horton and many others.

Other topics discussed include sports, movies, anime, TV shows, political issues and so on. By creating a space for other creators, they have avoided putting restrictions on the scope of their content.

Black creatives are a group the duo find important. They emphasize the importance of Black people behind the content with their faces on it to provide authenticity.

Wallace emphasized the inclusion of Black creatives who took part in the TV shows “Watchmen” and “Lovecraft Country.” This includes artists such as Ashley Woods, who met the pair as a lead guest of the Mid-City Micro-

Con in 2019 a storyboard artist for “Lovecraft Country.”

Podcast guest and independent Black creator Jason Reeves was the first client for the Blerdish pop-up shop. The success of this shop led to the creation of an online store featuring comics, art, books and merch from the creators they connect with. Blerd-ish also affiliates with other companies to sell pop-culture merch.

One such affiliate includes Bookshop.org, which puts an emphasis on small bookshop owners.

“We ended up being a platform that would be a gateway for a lot of those artists to get seen by people who wanted their stuff and didn’t even know it.” Wallace said.

Success with the brand came with new exposure, but clout was never a goal for the duo. Blerdish was contacted by legendary comic book artist Larry Strouman and has even interviewed Lafayette native Rob Guillory, another award-winning creator.

The duo started for the love of all things blerd and are now able to meet people they are fans of. They have seen incremental growth sticking to a

quality-over-quantity approach.

“We don’t got fans, we got family,” Wallace said.

Southern Louisiana is a major part of the duo’s approach to success. Similar to the podcast’s goal of uplifting other creators, the two blerds aim to build community among other creators, businesses and folks in Baton Rouge and beyond. This includes collaborations with local artists and businesses such as Lazy Nerds Designs and current LSU art student Janiece Campbell.

One notable moment Cooper recalled had to do with the lack of Black cosplay judges.

LSU graduate ‘Theninjayoyo’ is a Black cosplayer that Cooper befriended at Wizard World in New Orleans. Blerd-ish provided her with her first cosplay judging opportunity.

“We were her first judging gig and that’s a good thing for a consistent cosplayer to have on their resume because it’s an opportunity most Black cosplayers don’t really get,” Cooper said.

They extended the same opportunity a year later to Southern University Law School graduate ‘GammaRae.’ These are the expe-

riences they enjoy creating with their platform.

The duo is able to provide experiences to young people that they did not have growing up with genuine Black content, courtesy of Black creators.

“Little girl came up, saw this piece of art, and instantly saw herself in it and asked how much it was,” Wallace said detailing another instance that made them cognizant of the importance of Blerd-ish. “I just gave it to her.

That was joy for us.”

“Our brand is associated with literacy for young Black kids few things can be better than that, that’s real clout,” Wallace said.

People of all ages and fandoms can find their fix among Blerd-ish’s catalog, leading them to become a trusted vendor in Baton Rouge, with a purchase from Mayor Sharon Weston Broome as well. Being their original blerd selves has proven to be a successful formula for the two Baton Rouge boys.

Like Cooper says, “Who doesn’t like a good story? Who doesn’t like to have a good time? This is South Louisiana of all things.”

Monday, February 1, 2021

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Monday, February 1, 2021

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ENCHANTED FAIRY GARDEN

BY ABBY KIBLER

A house hangs from a branch on Jan. 30 next to the fairy garden.

The enchanted fairy garden, LSU’s hidden seret, is located between the Greek Amphitheatre and the Enchanted Forest on LSU’s campus in Baton Rouge, La. Mushroom houses sit on Jan. 30 in the fairy garden.

A garden gnome watches over the garden on Jan. 30 on a stone step.

A birdhouse with the words “You found me!” sits Jan. 30 on the stone steps of the fairy garden.

A porcupine and mushrooms sit Jan. 30 in a hallow area of a stone step.

Little houses rest on Jan. 30 in the enchanted fairy garden.

A pig sits in a chair on Jan. 30 in the infamous fairy garden.

Fairy houses sit on Jan. 30 in the fairy garden.

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THE Daily Commuter Puzzle ACROSS 1 Went down a fire pole 5 Bleating moms 9 Makes a blunder 13 Hourglass 15 Lab bottle 16 Early boatbuilder 17 Plentiful 18 Fascinate; charm 20 Saloon 21 Cheap metal 23 Went separate ways 24 Fails to include 26 Bakery purchase 27 Late blonde acting sisters 29 Opposite of roundabout 32 Sidestep 33 Does a grocery checker’s job 35 Rower’s blade 37 Bride-__; shower honoree 38 Taking to court 39 French miss: abbr.

40 Feel lousy 41 Scold 42 __ up; amassed 43 Trickery 45 Annoy persistently 46 Good cholesterol 47 One of 12 Apostles 48 Request for help 51 Bread for a Reuben 52 Cave dweller 55 Poet Samuel Taylor __ 58 Wynonna’s mom 60 “Star __” 61 __ in the bud; stops early on 62 Hip-length shirt 63 Stick around 64 Mardi __ 65 Griffey Sr. & Griffey Jr. DOWN 1 Use a dagger 2 __ beans 3 Unlikely

by Jacqueline E. Mathews

2/1/21

Created by Jacqueline E. Mathews

4 Dover’s state: abbr.

5 Makes level 6 Take first place 7 Word attached to ring or wax 8 Smacking 9 Dinner course 10 Disastrous defeat 11 Uncommon 12 Small outbuilding 14 Accept one’s pension 19 Couples 22 Part of TGIF 25 A la __; with ice cream 27 __ kick out of; enjoy 28 Shy away from 29 Certain Scandinavian 30 Clavicle 31 Yarns 33 Clubs or hearts 34 El __; Spanish hero 36 National League team 38 Old UK coin

Saturday’s Puzzle Solved

©2021 Tribune Content Agency, LLC All Rights Reserved.

39 Slushy mud 41 Furniture wood 42 Inventor’s paper 44 Saucy; impudent 45 “__ Jude”; Beatles song 47 Iron 48 Play divisions 49 Harbor city

2/1/21

50 “Guilty” or “Not guilty” 53 Uganda’s Idi __ 54 Tourette’s symptoms 56 Hitchcock or Scorsese: abbr.

57 Transcript abbr.

59 Diving seabird

SPORTS HIRING THE HIVE ED ORGERON

COREY RAYMOND

HEAD COACH AGE: 59 YEARS OLD

CORNERBACK COACH AGE: 51 YEARS OLD

E AT OC DV

DJ MANGAS

JAMES CREGG

PASSING GAME COORDINATOR AGE: 31 YEARS OLD

see COACHING, page 10

see TRACK, page 10

COURTESY OF LSU FOOTBALL

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KEVIN FAULK RUNNING BACK COACH AGE: 44 YEARS OLD

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OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR AGE: 37 YEARS OLD

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COURTESY OF MICHAEL REAVES

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OFFENSIVE LINE COORDINATOR AGE: 47 YEARS OLD

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petition.

Following an uneventful 5-5 season and a defense that was ranked No. 95 in points allowed per game under the leadership of Bo Pelini, it was time for a

EA OF TE UR CO

ABBY KIBLER / The Reveille

ANDRE CARTER

MICKEY JOSEPH

DEFENSIVE LINE COACH AGE: 41 YEARS OLD

RECEIVER COACH AGE: 52 YEARS OLD

COURTESY OF LSU ATHLETICS

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COURTESY OF GETTY IMAGES

COURTESY OF LSU FOOTBALL

GRAPHIC BY HANNAH MICHEL

LSU football finalizes new, young, revamped coaching staff for 2021

BY JOE KEHRLI @ joekehrli9 LSU football announced on Friday that Andre Carter will become the next defensive line coach, making the coaching staff complete for next season. A day

before that, Blake Baker was confirmed as the new linebackers coach. And previously in the week, Head Coach Ed Orgeron announced that the new defensive coordinator role will be filled

by Daronte Jones.

The new coaching additions

bring down the average age of the coaching staff from 54, as of last year, to 45. This echoes Orgeron’s ambitions of hiring young, successful NFL coaches to be role models to his players and help them understand what is needed to play at the next level of com-

LSU track hits the ground running After two weeks of completion in the indoor track and field season, the LSU Tigers have started the season with quality performances all around.

“So far, I am satisfied in my competition in the long jump,” said senior men’s high jumper Juvaughn Harrison. “I haven’t competed in my second event, but I should be starting soon, so I just hope to keep competing at a high level.”

Harrison has only competed in the long jump once this season, at LSU’s Purple Tiger Invitational on Jan. 16. Harrison vaulted 26 feet and 2.25 inches, 7.98 meters, making that the second-best long jump in the NCAA. “I’m feeling confident that me and my teammates will continue being successful as the season progresses,” said Harrison.

“I am very excited that I was able to jump and tie my personal best of 1.89 (6 feet and 2.25 inches) during the second meet of the season,” said senior women’s high jumper Abigail O’Donoghue. “It shows me that I am stronger and have improved since last year.”

O’Donoghue will not be competing this weekend and will instead be preparing for Friday’s competition.

“I am looking to have better consistency with my mechanics during each attempt at the next meet,” O’Donoghue said. “I feel once I drill that down, I can perform better.”

With her NCAA lead in the

DEFENSIVE, SAFETIES COORDINATOR AGE: 41 YEARS OLD

SY

LINEBACKER COACH AGE: 38 YEARS OLD

TRACK AND FIELD

BY TJ POLK @polk_tj

DARONTE JONES

TH

BLAKE BAKER

page 9

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

LSU’s Sydney Moore brings her lethal jump serve into 2021

BY LILLIAN O’CONNELL @lillyoconnell1 Watch out: this upcoming 2021 beach volleyball season is sure to be an exciting one and is long overdue for both Head Coach Russell Brock and the team.

Brock brought in six incredible freshmen last season and believes each and every one of them will hold a special place on the team.

In 2018, Sydney Moore caught Brock’s eye for her quickness and defensive skills. She brought home many titles during her high school years, but she

has really grown as a player over the past year.

Moore is now a sophomore; this will be her second season on the beach volleyball team at LSU. She played volleyball all throughout high school, earning two varsity letters, placing top five in 10 beach volleyball tournaments and earning the Distinguished Honor Roll.

Moore explained that she chose to come to LSU because it had been her dream school since she was a child. When she, an Ohio native, came to visit the school, she found the coaching staff to be welcoming and the fa-

see MOORE, page 10

ABBY KIBLER / The Reveille

LSU beach volleyball freshman Sydney Moore (44) throws the ball during the Purple vs. Gold scrimmage on Feb. 15, 2020 at the Beach Volleyball Complex.

page 10 TRACK, from page 9 high jump and other top 10 rankings, LSU women’s track and field is ranked No. 7 in the first installment of the 2021 USTFCCCA rankings. Freshman Monique Hardy has contributed tremendously to the Lady Tigers in the weight throw.

“I feel that my performances so far have gone really well, and with that I feel confident that with the work I’m putting in through the season and correcting the little things there will be better performances in the meet coming up,” Hardy said.

Hardy is ranked sixth in the women’s weight throw and is the only freshman in the country in the top 10.

“I’m just trying to get comfortable in a competition setting since it’s been so long since we all have competed,” Hardy said.

“I feel great going into this upcoming meet and I’m just happy for another opportunity to

Monday, February 1, 2021 compete.”

Charles Lewis and the men’s 4x4 relay is ranked No. 3 nationally.

“We had a very good performance, and we were hitting on all cylinders,” Lewis said.

Junior transfer and 4x4 relay team member Noah Williams was also pleased with his team’s past performance.

“Looking at the 4x4, it was a really successful race because it was our first time running together.”

The success of the men’s track and field team has led them to a third overall ranking in the USTFCCCA rankings. Several athletes mentioned that these first two weeks have been about getting back into the flow of competition since the pandemic cut the team’s season short.

The Tigers look to continue their success on Friday at the Louisiana Invitational. This will be the second home meet for the Tigers this season.

THE REVEILLE ARCHIVES

LSU freshman jumper JuVaughn Blake runs down the track during the Bayou Bengal Invitational on Feb. 2, 2018 in the Carol Maddox Field House.

MOORE, from page 9 cility to be gorgeous.

Moore had an incredible season last year and played a vital role in bringing the LSU team into its No. 1 ranking. Moore came to the team as a skilled player already, but she became more impressive when the team started playing against other teams.

Brock said Moore never disappoints in competition.

“She showed, she proved, that she could train and learn

and become even better,” Brock said. “When we put her in competition, she didn’t back down from anybody.”

During last year’s season, the LSU beach volleyball team played the top teams in the country; Moore did not let this burn her out but instead improved in every match. Brock began to notice that the other team would start to avoid giving her the ball because they knew they could not stop her power.

Moore has always had an amazing attitude and is fearless

COACHING, from page 9 change.

First the Tigers looked to acquire the University of Cincinnati’s defensive coordinator, Marcus Freeman, who later chose to coach at Notre Dame. Next Orgeron interviewed Ryan Nielsen, defensive coordinator with the New Orleans Saints. The two verbally agreed to a deal, and for a moment it seemed as though Nielsen had won the job. The deal, however, soon fell apart after Saints Head Coach Sean Payton refused to let Nielsen out of his contract and promoted him.

“Daronte is a great addition to our staff,” said Orgeron. “We did a lot of research and talked to a lot of coaches including Dave (Aranda), and every person we spoke with raved about his knowledge and passion for the game. He’s going to bring tremendous energy to our defense and he will put our players in position to make plays, no matter the situation or scheme.”

On Tuesday, The Advocate reported that Jones and LSU agreed to a two-year deal that pays Jones $1.3 million annually plus a one time payment of $150,000.

Orgeron has shown persistence in hiring an NFL coach that can bring their experience to Baton Rouge. Jones most recently worked with the Minnesota Vikings as a defensive backs coach last year. He also coached the secondary for the Cincinnati Bengals from 2018 to 2019 and was the assistant defensive backs coach with the Miami Dolphins in 2016-17.

While with the Vikings, Jones’ defense was ranked among the top 10 in the NFL with 15 interceptions. In 2016, his first year with the Dolphins, the Miami defense ranked No. 3 in the NFL in interceptions with 16, and the franchise finished fourth in the league in third-down defense, allowing opponents to convert only 36.1% of its attempts.

“He’s learned from some of the best in the game during his five years in the NFL,” Orgeron said. “I know that he’s going to do a great job with our defense.

I’m excited he’s going to be an LSU Tiger.”

The new defensive coordinator also has a deep connection with the state of Louisiana. Jones was a defensive coordinator for two Louisiana high schools – Jeanerette (2004) and Franklin (2003). Prior to his stint coaching high school teams, in 2002 he

coached safeties at Nicholls State.

Jones played four seasons as a defensive back at Morgan State before earning his bachelor’s degree in 2001.

Jones will become the first Black defensive coordinator at LSU since John Mitchell in 1990.

“I want to thank Coach Orgeron, athletic director Scott Woodard and the administration for this opportunity,” Jones said.

“I am blessed and thankful to be part of the LSU family, community and the strong traditions of this program. Geaux Tigers.”

Orgeron has found luck in recruiting top prospect players and also now with his coaching staff.

Carter is a young and fresh coach that has had a good deal of experience coaching elite players.

He has spent the last five years coaching NFL teams’ defenses.

In 2019, Carter’s defensive line helped the Jets rank No. 2 in the NFL in run defense, allowing only 3.34 yards a carry. He previously coached defenses in Miami and San Francisco.

“Andre is a very bright upand-coming coach who will do a great job with our defensive line,” Orgeron said. “With our entire defensive line coming back, they are going to be able to learn firsthand from an NFL veteran on what it takes to become a domi-

nant player.”

Baker will join the squad as the new linebacker coach. He has strong ties to Louisiana as well.

He is married to Roslyn Jones, a former All-SEC soccer player for LSU. Baker has also spent four seasons as a defensive coordinator and linebacker coach at Louisiana Tech.

In 2018, Louisiana Tech ranked No. 4 in the nation in sacks per game, No. 12 in tackles for loss and No. 33 in turnovers gained.

Following his tenure at Louisiana Tech, he was relocated to Coral Gables, Florida, to become the University of Miami’s defensive coordinator.

He joined the Hurricanes in January 2019 and in his first year, he oversaw a Miami defense that ranked No. 13 nationally in total defense and 12th in the nation in yards allowed per play. The 2019 Hurricane defense also ranked among the top 20 in the nation in rush defense (No. 10), red zone defense (No. 16) and pass defense (No. 18).

“I think we have assembled as fine a coaching staff as there is in college football,” Orgeron said in a statement Friday. “I know our players are going to benefit tremendously from our coaches, not only on the field, but off the field as well.”

on the courts, using her explosiveness to her advantage. Brock said the team will be able to rely on her this year leading into the upcoming season and no doubt other teams will know as well.

Brock went in depth as to how Moore held a strong spot into helping the team get that No. 1 title last season.

“She played in the deciding match of the dual,” Brock said.

“The pivotal match they were able to win and get us that victory.”

Moore and Jess Schaben

played this match in front of the largest crowds ever seen at a beach volleyball competition. It was an experience of a lifetime and didn’t come easy when they played against the No. 1 team in the country.

Moore does not shy away from a challenge. She has been putting in a lot of work for this upcoming season and is very excited to be able to play again and bring her skills to the court.

She said is always willing to step up to the plate for her team.

“I will put in my best effort,”

Moore said. “I will do everything I can and leave everything on the court that I have.”

The LSU beach volleyball team is playing with the hopes of earning the national title this year. Moore said she thinks the team will play even better than they did last season. The rankings, which were released Wednesday, placed the team at the No. 1 spot in the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

This is the first time that the team will start the season being ranked first.

ABBY KIBLER / The Reveille

Coach O smiles big with the trophy on January 13, 2020 after LSU’s 42-25 win at the National Championship in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

OPINION

page 11

Swipe Out Hunger initiative well-intentioned, short-sighted SAUCE BOSS CÉCILE CÉCILE GIRARD @_cegi_ This week, LSU Dining unveiled a new collaboration with the non-profit organization Swipe Out Hunger to combat food insecurity on campus. The premise is simple: students are asked to donate meal swipes when walking into The 5 or The 459, and these swipes are then redistributed to students in need.

As a student with a meal plan on campus, I was excited to learn about this initiative. I rarely use all 12 of my allotted meal swipes a week and I was more than willing to donate all unused swipes to a good cause.

As I looked more deeply into the Swipe Out Hunger initiative, however, I soon grew disappointed by its limited reach. Currently, the initiative is only active for a

week — from Jan. 30 to Feb. 5 — and only allows students to donate one swipe per meal.

I was far from the only student who found the program’s limitations off-putting. Others quickly took to Twitter to ask why the program wasn’t available year-round and why meal plans were so unaffordable in the first place.

If the goal is ultimately to raise as many donated swipes as possible, why not lift these restrictions? Swipe Out Hunger is currently only in its pilot stage at LSU Dining, yet it still feels unnecessarily cruel to institute such narrow limitations on a program when each swipe could be the deciding factor on whether a student goes to bed hungry that night.

Beyond its narrow scope, the Swipe Out Hunger campaign is also unclear on exactly how the swipe donation system works.

Donating swipes is easy — all

you have to do is talk to the dining hall cashier — but how will at-risk students then access these swipes?

The national Swipe Out Hunger website offers little clarity on this point. It suggests that the swipes may be used to buy food for the on-campus food pantry or go directly to hungry students, but this left me with more questions than before. How are the swipes converted into canned goods and cereal? How do students access the free swipes?

Other partner colleges participating in the Swipe Out Hunger initiative have food-insecure students fill out a form. When I looked for a similar form associated with our University, all I could find was a request form for the LSU Food Pantry.

As the University advertises this campaign to students, it should simultaneously be providing information for how students in need can access the donated

THE REVEILLE ARCHIVES

The 5 Dining Hall entrance sits on March 11, 2020 on LSU’s campus. swipes. Without these resources, the initiative feels like a hollow attempt at tackling food insecurity that places responsibility squarely on the students’ shoulders instead of the University’s.

In light of the growing economic insecurity caused by the pandemic, I appreciate that LSU Dining chose to implement this

impactful program. I only hope those in charge expand this weeklong initiative into a permanent and easily-accessible program that ensures all LSU students a more even chance at succeeding in college.

Cécile Girard is a 21-year-old psychology junior from Lake Charles.

No rhyme, no reason: Dead Poet’s updated policies elitist SPILL THE TEA WITH MARIE MARIE PLUNKETT @MarieC_214 The first time I saw the sign for the Dead Poet in 2019, I desperately wanted to get inside. Being only 20 years old at the time, however, I had to wait my turn — and wait I did, when my 21st birthday was followed closely by the lockdown, forcing me to postpone my visit a little further.

Now, my visit to Dead Poet will have to be postponed indefinitely. Not because of the pandemic (though it’s definitely not smart to be out at bars right now anyway), but because of the new age restriction and dress code in place at the establishment.

Reading about these “updates,” the 23-and-up age restriction was the first thing that caught my eye. Being only 21, I was annoyed that I wouldn’t get the chance to see the murals or the new décor inside for myself.

My guess is most undergrads at the University won’t, either.

The second component of the new updates, which mandates the use of “cocktail attire,” is perhaps

even more frustrating.

When the bar first opened under the new management, the dress code required female patrons to wear high heels, as evidenced by a now-deleted social media post from the official Dead Poet Instagram account.

And the “cocktail attire” requirement comes across as elitist, frankly. Cocktail attire isn’t cheap. Students — especially graduate students — often don’t have the surplus budget to go shopping for a new outfit just to get into a bar that’s basically just “elevated Tigerland.”

Not to mention the other local bars which already cater to an older, non-college crowd and don’t enforce a “cocktail attire” dress code, like Hayride Scandal on 5110 Corporate Blvd. Suite B, which opened in 2017; Olive or Twist on 7248 Perkins Road, which opened in 2016; or even a Baton Rouge staple like The Bulldog on 4385 Perkins Road.

Now, the changes at Dead Poet are annoying, but they don’t seem hard to believe until you take a look at the bar’s opening in 2019.

At the time, The Reveille published an interview with thenmanager Christian Grimaldo, who explained that he wanted to

“tie [the bar] to LSU in some way... to give the student a better experience than they’ve gotten used to with the offerings in Tigerland right now.”

Notice the drastic change from “the student” in 2019 to “...

“Dead Poet clearly isn’t concerned with creating a fun and elevated option for students but rather with creating an exclusive club that feeds on a sense of elitism and superiority. ” MARIE PLUNKETT LSU senior

grad students or people that just graduated that may still want to party and socialize in the Tigerland area that doesn’t necessarily feel like they are in Tigerland” in 2021.

Yes, that’s a real quote from Former Dead Poet Associate Manager Justin Burnett. Let’s

dissect that.

So, the new Dead Poet is tailored for graduate students and recent graduates. I see two problems here. Problem one: graduate students don’t all start graduate school at age 23. A lot of them go straight from undergraduate to graduate school, putting them at about 21 or 22 years old. Problem two: recent graduates are also usually around that age.

According to the Fall 2020 LSU Fact Sheet, 22,179 undergraduate students enrolled at the University have a permanent address in Louisiana. Sounds like a lot, right? Not after you take a closer look at the Trend Data for Fall 2020 Enrollment and realize that only 6,679 of those students come from East Baton Rouge Parish.

My guess is that the majority of students from parishes outside of EBR will graduate and completely forget they ever wanted to try out that new cute bar just off campus. Essentially, that means Dead Poet is going to permanently lose a huge customer base by shunning undergraduate patrons.

With this realization in mind, it becomes obvious that the bar isn’t meant to be a safe haven for older students looking for a chill bar to socialize at; rather, it’s

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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.

more like a treehouse with a big “NO KIDS ALLOWED” sign.

I really never thought I’d need to point this out, but 21-year-olds are not kids and 23 is a completely arbitrary age limit to put on adulthood.

A 2019 article from 225 Magazine quotes Grimaldo as saying he wanted Baton Rouge to have one bar “that you could bring your parents to or get a nice cocktail without having to worry about getting your shoes dirty.”

The implication here is that students as well as their parents should be welcome at the Dead Poet, but the new restrictions say otherwise.

The new management at Dead Poet clearly isn’t concerned with creating a fun and elevated option for students but rather with creating an exclusive club that feeds on a sense of elitism and superiority.

Of course, Dead Poet is within its rights to do whatever it likes, but given its location and the pre-existing bar scene in Baton Rouge, it doesn’t exactly strike me as a sound business plan.

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

Quote of the Week “I’ve been keeping my ears open, and it seems like everyone everywhere is super mad about everything all the time.”

JOHN MULANEY Comedian 1982-present

page 12

Monday, February 1, 2021

Redditors are the real ‘Robin Hood’ in Wall Street revolution DOM’S UNCANNY DISCOURSE DOMENIC PURDY @tigerdom16 Let’s break down what’s happened so far in 2021.

In one month, we have had a political insurrection spurred on by the now-former president, a second impeachment trial for the same president and a Biden inauguration — and, let’s not forget, the ongoing pandemic.

Last week, a Wall Street revolution was added to that list.

How ironic it is that the cracks of an American institution and monument to capitalism became deeper and more defined thanks to a subreddit whose logo is an animated caricature of Donald Trump.

It’s fair to say that, until users on r/wallstreetbets collectively decided to mess with a bunch of hedge fund managers by manipulating GameStop stock prices through Robinhood, most average young Americans didn’t know a thing about the stock market.

All I knew was “buy low, sell high,” along with the occasional clip from “The Wolf of Wall Street” appearing on my Twitter feed.

Then amateur stock traders took the stock price of a failing video game retailer from about $70 to $350 in a matter of days.

Thanks to this, hedge funds have lost nearly $5 billion, throwing the entire stock market into turmoil in the process.

Short selling — the exploitative practice of betting against a business’ success — was a foreign concept to me before this all happened, so when a group of Reddit users successfully played against the bets of some of America’s shadiest hedge fund managers, I was gleefully surprised.

Eventually, however, Robinhood — the most popular trading platform for retail traders — caught onto the operation and restricted outsider trading on GameStop and other at-risk stocks in order to protect the hedge fund managers from further inflation.

“Let the people trade,” the official Robinhood account Tweeted during the app’s initial rise to prominence in 2016.

What a way to announce your company’s mission when, five years later, you would only limit the people’s ability to trade. How ironic is it that an app named after Robin of Sherwood would attempt to rob the poor and give back to the rich?

For years, Wall Street bros have claimed poverty can easily be solved by poor people “investing wisely,” but when a grassroots collective decides to play the game and turn the tides in their favor, they’re the ones who get blamed for market manipulation rather than the hedge funds who’ve been doing the same

thing for decades.

This has already been one of the most polarizing years in recent memory, but this betrayal of everyday users in favor of Wall Street leeches has united disparate groups, if only for a brief moment.

Billionaires like Mark Cuban and Elon Musk stood united with the common man in their disdain for Robinhood’s business practices.

Even politicians like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Ted Cruz stood on the same ground to point out that Robinhood only suspended outsider trading to benefit the fat cats on Wall Street.

“This is unacceptable,” AOC Tweeted following Robinhood’s Jan. 28 decision. “We now need to know more about @RobinhoodApp’s decision to block retail investors from purchasing stock while hedge funds are freely able to trade the stock as they see fit.”

Cruz responded in full agreement, despite being a marked political enemy of Ocasio-Cortez.

Now, it seems pressure from communities across the ideological spectrum has forced Robinhood to allow free trading on its app once more, albeit in a limited capacity. But Pandora’s box has already been opened. A revolution seems to have started in the annals of Reddit, waking people from all walks of life to the Wall Street game.

Even through this whole situ-

r/wallstreetbets and its users are the true ‘Robin Hoods’ in this situation, squeezing hedge funds dry and allowing the common man to profit.

DOMENIC PURDY

LSU sophomore

JIN LEE / Associated Press

A Wall Street sign hangs near the New York Stock Exchange, in New York on Aug. 8, 2011. ation, I am still unsure about the exact intricacies of the stock market and its players. What I do know is that r/wallstreetbets and its users are the true “Robin Hoods” in this situation, squeezing hedge funds dry and allowing

the common man to profit.

In the words of the Robinhood app itself, “Let the people trade.”

Domenic Purdy is a 19-yearold journalism sophomore from Prairieville.

LSU should find a way for Tiger Girls to compete at nationals FROM THE CRO’S NEST ELIZABETH CROCHET @elizabethcro_ While scrolling through social media earlier this week, I kept seeing this video that opens with a woman in an LSU sweatshirt. I passed it up again and again, but after enough people reposted it, I decided I had to watch it for myself and see what it was about.

The video was about the LSU Tiger Girls and what is happening to their season. A Tiger Girls alumna starts the video by explaining who the Tiger Girls are, what they stand for and what they’ve done at the University.

Then she explains the purpose for making the video.

Hearing what she had to say made me glad I’d clicked on the thumbnail in the first place.

The LSU Tiger Girls have one big competition they train for each season. This year, the University is not allowing the girls to compete — but not for the reasons you would think. It’s not about COVID-19, but rather a reported “lack of staff in the training room.”

This is an absolutely unacceptable excuse.

Growing up, I played all kinds of sports and was also a

THE REVEILLE ARCHIVES

An LSU Tiger Girl cheers on the women’s basketball team on Jan. 14 during LSU’s 65-61 win against Texas A&M in overtime at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on N Stadium Dr. cheerleader. I know first-hand that there is no difference between contact sports and cheer/ dance. Dancing is just as much a sport as football is, and all of our student athletes should be treated more or less the same. Unfortunately, that does not seem to be the case.

Members of the dance team are held to the same standards as any baseball player or gymnast

on campus. The academic requirements and NCAA drug tests are a part of their season as well.

It seems like so many people see the Tiger Girls as “just the dance team,” when in reality, they’re so much more.

Just like most collegiate athletes, these girls grew up with the desire of one day competing at this level and winning the championship, and their dedication to

the sport is remarkable.

The dancers start their season with a challenging round of tryouts. From there, the season begins in August and does not end until the following May. During this time, the girls support the University at various sporting events while also training for their own competition.

Dance is unlike other sports because there’s just one main

event. It’s not like football or baseball, where you can fumble one game and bounce back in the next. No — in dance, you have one shot to give it your all. That’s why the dancers have to train so hard: everything has to be perfect.

This program is no stranger to winning. In 1999 — its first year as a team — they went on to win the National Championship.

The team did so again in 2010, and three years later it won the World Championship. It deserves a chance to win it again this year.

It seems weird to me that the supposed reason for not being allowed to compete is “a lack of staff.” They have been practicing and participating in other events all year, but now that it’s time to prepare for their own competition, suddenly the number of staff is an issue.

I know other sports teams on campus would never have this problem, so there has to be a way to fix it. The Tiger Girls give their unending time and support to the University in a variety of ways. Their work ethic is simply unmatched.

The University owes it to these student athletes to help find a way for them to compete at nationals.

Elizabeth Crochet is a 19-yearold political communications sophomore from New Orleans.