The Reveille 1-25-21

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LSU baseball freshman righthanded pitcher Blake Money (44) sings the LSU fight song Sept. 30, 2020 during LSU baseball’s first fall practice in Alex Box Stadium on Gourrier Avenue.

LSU freshman pitcher Blake Money feels comfortable in the spotlight and is ready for the big stage.

NEWS

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LSU will implement new COVID-19 policies this month, including new testing locations and random mandatory tests.

ENTERTAINMENT

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Celebrate Mardi Gras at home this year with fun and safe alternatives like baking, decorating and more.

SPORTS

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LSU women’s hoops falls just short of a monumental upset over top-5 South Carolina in the PMAC.

OPINION

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“I agree that the University should have made a statement for Inauguration Day — just not the one it ended up making.”

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AND HERE’S THE PITCH

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Freshman pitcher Blake Money eager to return to the mound Summary:

Position: Right-handed Height:

pitcher 6’7”

Class: Freshman City/State: Spring Hill, Tenn.

BLAKE MONEY High School: Summit HS PHOTO COURTESY OF LSU ATHLETICS

BY TAYLOR LYONS @taylorjlyons An 18-month-old Blake Money sat on the floor in the living room of his Florida home with four options.

“My mom always told me that she would lay a basketball, a football, a tennis ball and a baseball out in front of me,” Money said.

According to her, he always grabbed the baseball. Money said he discovered his love for the sport that involves that white ball with red stitching when he was able to walk.

“I started swinging a bat and hitting a ball in the living room with my dad at 18 months, so I started super young,” he said. “I loved it when I started and I continue to love it more and more each and every day.”

As he got older, he actually came to enjoy some of those sports he chose baseball over as an 18-month-old. While still living in Florida, he tried football from the ages of five to seven.

But it didn’t stick with him when he and his family, which includes two younger brothers and an older sister, packed their bags and headed to Tennessee. There, football took a backseat to baseball for a few years. When he got to middle school, he tried again, going back to the football field in eighth grade for one final time after also trying basketball for one season the year before.

“Football was a lot of fun. I wanted to play my eighth grade year because going into high school I had already made the decision to focus solely on baseball and grind it out for four years,” he said.

While his middle school years may have seemed normal, they were anything but. In 2013 and ‘14, Money lived every young baseball player’s dreams when he and his Tennessee Little League squad won their way to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa. He called the experience “unreal.”

“I was fortunate enough to go twice and both trips were equally as fun,” he said. “It was just an unbelievable experience and a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

“They paired a U.S. team up to live with an international team, and both times I was there we stayed next to Mexico. Every day we were communicating in some

way with them, whether it was going to eat or playing ping-pong in the lounge. It was really cool to meet everybody from different parts of the world.”

While the baseball in Williamsport is ultimately what he was there for, Money talked about the off-the-field moments, memories and interactions as if that is what he cherished the most.

“I feel like that’s something that gets left out,” he said of the off-the-field memories. “You know, it’s great to go play baseball there but you get to create friendships and memories while you’re there. One of the things I thought was great was we developed a relationship with the team from Australia, and a lot of those kids I still talk to today.”

What most people may remember about Money from the Little League World Series had little to do with him. Instead, it was one of his younger brothers that stole the show.

That’s right. Cash Money.

• No. 114 Ranked Player in the country by Perfect Game • 2019 Gatorade Player of the Year Nominee • 2019 First Team Tennessee All-State selection • Posted a 10-1 mark in 2019 – 58 IP, 92 Ks, 12 walks, 0.99 ERA, .174 opponent batting average • Played in Little League World Series (2013-14) • Participated in a Little League All-Star Game at the White House

student, too.

“They have the same hopes and dreams as I do of playing professional baseball,” Money said of his brothers, “and both of them are hard workers. They enjoy every day, they work every day, they attack the classroom every day and they enjoy their successes on the baseball field every day. Logan and Cash are two peas in a pod, they’re best friends.”

Money has dealt with big expectations his entire baseball career. Little League World Series, top-ranked recruit in the class of 2020 and First Team All-State in Tennessee, are just a few examples. Money, though, says what will prepare him best for SEC baseball won’t be his past accomplishments when the spotlight shined the brightest.

“I think what’s going to prepare me to play college baseball is playing college baseball,” he said.

“You’re going up against the best of the best. You got to get

I loved [baseball] when I started and I continue to love it more and more each and every day.

BLAKE MONEY

LSU freshman pitcher “Cash is a funny little kid,” his brother Blake Money said. “It was funny to check Twitter and Instagram and read the comments and see what people had to say about us naming him Cash.”

Beyond Cash, Money describes his family as “close-knit.” It’s a pretty typical family. A mother, a father, three boys and a daughter.

But what makes it so much more than typical, according to Money, is that every one of them plays a role in his successes on and off the field. “[My dad’s] my biggest fan but also my biggest critic,” he said. “It keeps me true and keeps me honest. If I’m down in the slumps, he pulls me out of it, and if he thinks I’m getting ahead of myself, he brings me back down to earth. I always know I can count on him.”

But it’s not just his father.

Money feels the support from his mother, two brothers and his sister, Morgan, a fellow LSU

better every day of the week and not take anything for granted.

The preparation becomes a bigger factor in your success in college.”

One way he’s preparing for college baseball is the development and addition of a third pitch to his repertoire. He calls it a “slurve.” It doesn’t break from top to bottom like a 12-6 curveball, nor is it tight-knit like a slider.

“It just comes in there and swoops out,” he said of his new pitch.

It’s something he’s been working on for over a year, and it’s caught the attention of Head Coach Paul Mainieri.

“His breaking ball has improved drastically over the past year and a half,” Mainieri said.

“That’s how you have a true three-pitch mix, when you can throw your fastball for a strike when you need it, your changeup for a strike when you need it

and the breaking ball for a strike when you need it. It’s a huge thing to have, especially at this level. It really helps to disrupt hitters’ timing, getting ground balls and getting outs,” Money said.

That hard work and dedication has never stopped for Money, even during this past summer when baseball was the last thing on people’s minds. His workouts and practices continued, only then it was with Cash and Logan and not his travel or high school team. The three major league hopefuls did everything from going on runs to letting loose in the backyard, except “sit around dry,” as Money calls it.

“We wanted to stay as fresh as we could and stay on top of our game,” he said. “We worked hard every day and treated it as if we were going to get back out there again.”

With the 2021 season right around the corner, Money is confident he’ll be able to do whatever the team asks of him. He wants to be a starter; it’s what he’s been his whole life. But, he would be open to coming in as relief if needed.

“I just want an opportunity to compete and play hard, and I want to help my team win the best I can,” he said.

Confidence is key for all baseball players, pitchers particularly.

It can make or break a young man’s career. Like all of his successes in other aspects of his life, Money credits his family for his confidence that he brings to the mound.

“If you aren’t confident in what you do,” he said, “you don’t do it to the best of your ability. If you are, you compete at a higher level.”

What Money finds so intriguing about baseball is that it’s, as he calls it, a game of failure.

“You can fail seven out of 10 times and still be considered a hall of famer,” he said.

Confidence is needed to push through those failures, but some company along for the ride helps, too.

For Blake Money, that’s not only his actual family, but also his new baseball family.

“If you try to take it on on your own, it gets lonely,” he said.

“It’s great to know I’m not walking this path alone, and I’ve always got somebody with me.”

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NEWS

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LSU implements new COVID-19 testing policies

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

SG campaigns prepare for Spring elections

BY CAROLINE SAVOIE @carolinesavo

estly, it’s up to us students to protect ourselves and each other.”

Mandatory testing A random sample of the student population will be required to get tested every two weeks.

Starting Jan. 22, an email will be sent out every other Friday to students selected for random testing with instructions on where they will be tested the following Monday and Tuesday.

Arbuthnot said the University aims to test at least 5% of the student population on campus every two weeks.

Only students who have a footprint on campus will be selected for random testing, such as students who live in Greek Life

With Student Government’s spring election approaching, multiple campaigns have their sights set on becoming president and vice president of the organization’s new administration.

Each election season brings with it a group of students hopeful to make LSU a better campus, but this election season, candidates expressed that their decisions to run were born less out of desire and more out of need.

Criminology and political science junior Javin Bowman is the presidential candidate for the Bowman-Milligan campaign. Bowman said that he and his running mate, political science, Spanish and international studies junior Abbie Grace Milligan have the passion, connections and SG experience to tackle issues that students have been begging leaders at LSU to handle.

“In our previous SG experience, students haven’t always seen the effects of the work we’re supposed to be doing,” Milligan said. “We want to establish an effort to get the student body to understand the impact SG has and that we have the ability to give them resources to address their concerns.”

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see CAMPAIGNS, page 4

EMILY SCHEXNAYDER / The Reveille

One of the former LSU COVID-19 testing center pods is set up next to the LSU Foundation Building on Nicholson Drive on Aug. 22, 2020.

BY JOSHUA ARCHOTE @JArchote LSU has implemented new COVID-19 testing and safety protocols for the spring semester, including new testing centers, bi-weekly mandatory testing of a random sample of students and incentives for students who get tested, according to an email sent on Jan. 9.

Here are some of the changes: Testing locations The COVID-19 testing PODs set up last semester will no longer be available. Testing locations moved to three main locations on campus: • LSU Student Union Theatre Hours of operation: weekdays

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Results can be expected within 72 hours.

• 263 Coates Hall Hours of operation: weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekends 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Results can be expected within 48 hours. Students should bring tiger cards and proof of insurance.

• Student Health Center Hours of operation: weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekends from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Students need to schedule a telehealth appointment before being tested at the SHC. Students don’t need to make appointments to get tested at the Union Theatre or at Coates Hall.

“It takes less than 10 minutes

to get through registration and get tested and get out of there,” Keena Arbuthnot, special adviser to the president on COVID-19 response, said. “Registration is really easy, you just bring your student ID. If you have insurance, you show them your insurance and they put that information in, your LSU email address; you go to one of the testing centers and get tested.”

Psychology sophomore Marcus Mills said that while the University has done well at implementing protocols to slow the spread of the virus, the student body plays a significant role in keeping campus safe.

“I believe LSU is doing the right things to reduce the spread of the virus,” Mills said, “but hon-

BUSINESS

How some local businesses are navigating the pandemic

BY HENRY WELDON @HankWeldon3 COVID-19 has ravaged the restaurant industry and the local economy. With limited seating and the danger that the virus poses, restaurants are grappling with the hard reality of indoor dining.

Some local restaurants and businesses have managed to do better than others, including Schlittz & Giggles, a local pizza restaurant frequented by some LSU students.

“Our sales have actually been better since the pandemic started,” Samantha Hughey, an employee at Schlittz & Giggles, said.

While the pizza delivery service hasn’t felt the impact from the pandemic as severely as other restaurants, COVID-19 is still taking its toll on the industry.

“Our greatest challenge has been making sure that custom-

ers comply with the mask policy,” Hughey said.

Other restaurants rely on the crowds that local bars and LSU tailgating brings.

Pluckers Wing Bar, located near Tigerland, has been struggling since the pandemic started.

There was a COVID-19 outbreak at Tigerland in June and bars were then closed following Gov. John Bel Edwards announcement of statewide bar restrictions on July 11.

Baton Rouge bars reopened Sept. 30 after approval was granted by Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome and the Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control.

Despite bars reopening near Pluckers Wing Bar, General Manager Norbert Weinert said business has not returned to what it was before the pandemic.

“We saw less than a fraction

of what we normally do,” Weinert said.

The wing restaurant has seen a multitude of issues take place since the pandemic began.

“We actually had to cut back our hours,” Weinert said. “We usually get a big rush when the bars close. It’s nothing like it was before.”

It wasn’t just the closure of the bars on July 11 that affected the business.

“Football season was bad,” Weinert said. “Sales are not even close to where they were. Sometimes ten to twenty thousand dollars less.”

Instead of having to let go of employees, Pluckers Wing Bar was faced with the opposite dilemma.

“We didn’t have to let go of many employees,” Weinert said.

see BUSINESS, page 4

THE REVEILLE ARCHIVES

Pluckers Wing Bar sits on 4225 Nicholson Drive on Aug. 31, 2017

Monday, January 25, 2021

page 4 TESTING, from page 3 housing, on-campus housing or have one or more in-person class.

“If you don’t receive that email on Friday, you haven’t been selected,” Arbuthnot said. “You won’t have to worry about it until two weeks after that.”

Interim President Thomas Galligan urged students to get tested on multiple occasions last semester, explaining that more testing could give the University a more complete picture of cases on campus and possibly allow for fewer restrictions.

Multiple outbreaks occurred at on-campus housing, leading the University to test entire resident halls on multiple occasions.

Over 50 student leaders, along with the Student Government president and vice president, signed a petition to implement a version of mandatory testing for students on campus last semes-

CAMPAIGNS, from page 3 One of these concerns is greater accountability regarding how LSU handles an investigation into claims that the school mishandled reports of sexual misconduct on campus, and candidates are ready to fight for more victim protections.

As co-founder of Tigers Against Sexual Assault, psychology and English junior Angelina Cantelli plans to bring her passion for preventing sexual violence to her office as vice president if she were to be elected.

Cantelli is running on a campaign called “It’s Time.” If she and presidential candidate and mass communication junior Mia LeJeune are elected, they’ll be the first all-female administration.

“Mia and I are ready to hold administration accountable,” Cantelli said. “As Vice President of TASA, I’ve had to have conversations with administration about Title IX. The policies and processes present conflicts of interest that need to be addressed.”

Civil engineering junior Amina Messelhe is running for president alongside geography junior Preston White on a ticket entitled “Unity.”

Among other platforms like education and safety, their campaign works to address issues of diversity

ter. The University considered implementing mandatory testing as COVID-19 cases surged during the fall semester, but decided not to.

This semester, in combination with random mandatory testing, the University will continue to monitor the wastewater on campus. Arbuthnot said wastewater testing has proven to be one of the most effective tools in monitoring the spread of COVID-19.

Mass communication senior Schylar Harris said she thinks mandatory testing will help slow the spread of COVID-19 on campus since many people experience mild or no symptoms.

“I think they have done a great job with the availability of testing,” Harris said. “However, I think they need to adapt. The longer the pandemic goes on the more people want [and] need to have more freedom. The community needs safety though, so it’s and inclusion on LSU’s campus.

“Diversity is the core of our campaign,” Messelhe said. “As a Muslim, Chinese and Egyptian woman, it’s my identity-- how I approach the world. Preston is a Black man from out of state. As Black and brown students attending a PWI, we see students trying to champion our ideas, so we want to promote diversity in all aspects of our administration.”

Political science and history junior Ethan Lauvray and his vicepresidential running mate, political science junior Kalie Gonzales are running their campaign, SPARC, on five platforms. Their fourth platform, “revive,” focuses on connecting students to SG and encouraging transparency in SG that they feel like has been lacking in past semesters.

“Often SG can feel closed off and secretive,” Lauvray said. “We plan to host virtual town halls during our campaign and into our administration to keep us connected with the students directly.”

Students can’t officially register their campaigns until February, but hopefuls host interest meetings, build campaign staffs and start social media campaigns in the meantime with hopes of garnering support from fellow students.

THE REVEILLE ARCHIVES

Andrew Arata and Russell Wilder speak at the Student Government debate in the Student Union on March 12, 2019.

important to implement and encourage testing.”

Incentives for testing The University is also offering potential prizes for students who are chosen for mandatory testing and those who get tested on their own time.

Students who take advantage of on-campus testing--both those who choose to get tested and those selected for random testing-will be entered into a biweekly raffle to win incentives including Apple Airpods, an iPad and an Apple Watch.

The first raffle will start when the first round of students are tested, and the winner will be announced Jan. 28.

LSU Dining is also offering CC’s Coffee House vouchers to the first 1000 students tested at Coates Hall Testing Center.

Mass communication junior Ricky Bryant said he thinks incentivizing students to get tested

is a good idea.

“I am glad the University is incentivizing getting tested on campus,” Bryant said. “I hope the incentives really do empower more students to get tested more often.”

Daily Symptom Checker The QR code from the daily symptom checker will be used for entrance into high traffic areas on campus this semester.

Arbuthnot said this decision was made based on the feedback from the survey administration sent out to faculty, students and staff last semester. She said many students said that there were no repercussions for not filling out the daily symptom checker and that they had never been asked to provide their code on campus.

Arbuthnot said there won’t be set locations on campus designated as “high traffic.” She said it will vary as administration observes which areas have more

traffic each week.

Some potential locations are the Union, UREC, library and buildings that have multiple large classes.

When administration deems an area high traffic, there will be someone wearing a yellow vest asking for students’ QR code from the daily symptom checker at the entrance of the building.

“This is a great way to keep people doing the symptom checker if they’re going to be coming on campus, especially if they’re going to be around a lot of people,” Arbuthnot said.

The University will also have a call center available to answer any questions about COVID-19 from the LSU community beginning Jan. 18. The call center number is 225-427-1326.

LSU’s COVID-19 dashboard will continue to be updated with the number of active cases on campus.

THE REVEILLE ARCHIVES

The Kolache Kitchen operates during regular business hours at 4245 Nicholson Drive on Aug. 31, 2017.

BUSINESS, from page 3 “A lot of employees didn’t want to work. We’ve had to begin rebuilding.”

Nearby at The Kolache Kitchen, as students return back to campus, business is getting better.

“We’re near LSU, so once students left, that affected business a little bit, but now that school is back, things are picking up again,” William Hancock, an employee at The Kolache Kitchen, said.

The Kolache Kitchen struggled when the pandemic first began and orders were slowing down.

“During the start of the pandemic, there were not enough people buying stuff,” Hancock said. “We had to let a lot of employees go. Just managers were working.”

It’s not just local restaurants that are feeling the impacts of the pandemic. The Varsity Theatre is complying with the governor’s COVID-19 orders which currently has Louisiana in Phase 3 mitigation measures, including

a statewide mask mandate, and is closed indefinitely, according to its owner.

The CVS store on Highland Road hasn’t seen as much business as it usually does, but has started to see more people come into the store since the start of the second semester.

“We have slowed down, but since school has started, we’ve picked up to probably around 60 to 70% of our original numbers,” Katherine Stracner, an employee at CVS, said.

The main focus at CVS is ensuring that customers are wearing their masks and staying safe, according to Stracner.

“All of us working at CVS are risking our health with sick customers coming in just so we can pay the bills, and a lot of the customers don’t seem to respect that or respect that they need to wear a mask because we have a lot of kind elderly customers coming in who have no other choice and need their medicine,” Stracner said.

Stracner said around 90% of customers wear their mask when

they walk in, but for the other 10%, she has to “politely but forcefully remind them.”

“It’s really disappointing,” she said. “The lack of scientific literacy and basic human empathy is astounding.”

These are impacts that local businesses could be dealing with until a vaccine is readily available for the general public in Baton Rouge.

East Baton Rouge Parish has issued the Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) aimed at helping small businesses receive the help they need. The plan, which started April 3, provides small businesses with funds to pay up to eight weeks of payroll costs including benefits.

“Businesses with fewer than 500 employees may be eligible for forgivable PPP loans for up to eight weeks of payroll and other expenses due to the COVID-19 quarantine,” according to the East Baton Rouge Parish website.

There have been no reports of any local business closing permanently near the LSU campus due to COVID-19.

ENTERTAINMENT

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LAISSEZ LLE ES BONS TEMPS ROULER How to celebrate Mardi Gras at home this year

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One of the only ways to truly celebrate the Mardi Gras holidays is with decorations. That means it is time to pull out all of your purple-, green- and goldcolored decorations and beads to beautify your home just in time for the Carnival season. Any of those three aforementioned colors will workor even pulling out your colorful Christmas lights, glittery New Year’s decorations or your LSU themed items.

BY CONNOR MCLAUGHLIN @connor_mcla As a result of the ongoing pandemic and all the restrictions that come with it, Mardi Gras parades have been indefinitely canceled all across Louisiana. However, the holiday as a whole is not cancelled; it will just be different.

Whether you are a native Louisianian like me or just still trying to enjoy the holiday, you must be wondering how you are going to celebrate Mardi Gras this year with no planned parades or celebrations to look forward to. Thankfully, there are quite a few ways you can safely celebrate at home just as if you were catching beads and watching the floats go by in New Orleans on Fat Tuesday.

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Granted, there is an unfortunately short supply of the holiday in movies and television, but there are a few cinematic gems that feature Mardi Gras for those of you who prefer a more low-key way of celebrating. If you want to celebrate without all the noise and fuss of the holiday, make sure to put on “The Princess and the Frog” and not miss a beat of it so you don’t have to rewind to watch all of your favorite scenes.

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Seriously, where would Mardi Gras be without king cakes? These delicious circular pastry cakes are a staple of the Carnival season, which can be found at a number of grocery stores and bakeries throughout Baton Rouge. By bringing one of these mighty cakes home, you can bring the feeling of the holidays to your friends and family for a delectably good time. Some top tier king cakes come from Gambino’s Bakery, The Ambrosia Bakery and Thee Heavenly Donut.

Conversely, you can test your own culinary skills by baking your own king cake. There are a variety of different recipes that you can find online with a multitude of flavors.

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New Orleans is famously referred to as the “Jazz capitol of America,” so it would be sacrilegious to not play some classic jazz or zydeco music for your at-home celebrations. By putting on some Earl King, Louis Armstrong and Professor Longhair on shuffle, your household will surely sound like downtown New Orleans at the peak of Mardi Gras festivities. Check out our Media Monday Mardi Gras themed playlist.

FOOD & DRINK

Unique king cakes to make a unique Mardi Gras season

BY AVA BORSKEY @iamavab Mardi Maigre. Tuesday, November 17, 2020. The City of New Orleans canceled all Mardi Gras parades for 2021.

Though the big celebrations may be prohibited, there is no reason for Fat Tuesday itself to turn skinny. They can’t cancel king cake. The traditional Mardi Gras treat may be just enough to

sugar coat the hurt of a canceled carnival.

In a press conference, Beau Tidwell, New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell’s communications director, explained that due to Mardi Gras’ religious importance, the City of New Orleans cannot actually cancel the holiday.

“Mardi Gras 2021 is not canceled,” Tidwell said. “It is going to look different.”

Louisianians are famous for

embracing the different, and if you really want to make the most of the uniqueness of this year’s carnival season there are plenty of “different” king cakes offering the opportunity to do so.

As the King of Carnival Rex’s motto goes, “Pro Bono Publico.”

For the public good, let them stay home this carnival season. As Marie Antoinette said, “Let them eat cake!”

1. King Cake Bread Pudding, King Cake Parfait and Specialty King Cakes

COURTESY OF BREW HA-HA!

Located in the Highland Park Marketplace near Blue Bayou, Alexander’s Highland Market is a one-stop shop for unique king cakes. Creatively combining two Louisiana favorites, King Cake Bread Pudding is sold for $7.99 per pound Channeling the French, King Cake Parfaits topped with purple, green and gold sprinkled whipped cream goes for $4.49. In addition to the traditional king cake, Alexander’s offers specialty cakes, such as Turtle, Cannoli, Mississippi Mud and Tiramisu.

The Chantilly King Cake wears a fluffy white icing topped with fresh berries. The grocer also sells Eat Fit King Cakes that are low-carb as well as gluten, grain and dairy free.

2. King Cake Lattes and King Cake Cake Balls

4. King Cake Cupcakes and Pink Champagne King Cake

Eat your cake and drink it too. Brew Ha-Ha! at 711 Jefferson Highway has two-bite-size King Cake Cake Balls available in four flavors: original, lemon, raspberry or Zulu. While you’re at the bakery, be sure to grab a King Cake Latte with a frothy top, available in traditional, chocolate or raspberry, prepared hot, iced or frozen. Keto King Cake Cheesecake and Keto King Cake muffins are also available.

No knife necessary! Perfect to bring into work or class, Gourmet Girls makes gorgeous king cake cupcakes. Located on Lobdell Avenue near the Whole Foods, Gourmet Girls offers many specialty king cakes, including the new Pink Champagne King Cake filled with pink champagne mousse. Iced and sprinkled, this cake is pretty in pink and a great way to channel Spanish Town Parade energy in your own kitchen.

3. Make Your Own Boudin King Cake Remember a few months ago when everyone was having fun baking their own bread? Keep those good times rolling this Mardi Gras by making your own King Cake. This recipe for Boudin King Cake from George Graham is surprisingly easy to make. I made one with my grandfather last year, and we will definitely be doing it again.

Our pro-tip is to use Jerry Lee’s boudin — if you ask us, it’s the best in town.

Nothing beats the savory flavor of combining these two Louisiana delicacies.

COURTESY GOURMET GIRLS

Monday, January 25, 2021

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Monday, January 25, 2021

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PANDEMIC PERSPECTIVES:

CEDAR HALL DORM LIFE

LSU freshman Mackenzie Buras, a biology major, places a pot on the stove on Jan. 17 in the Cedar Hall kitchen.

A classroom sits empty on Jan. 15 inside Cedar Hall.

LSU sophomores and residential assistants Reagan Haik (left), a psychology and sociology major, and Kristian Thomas (right), a computer science major, walk through the front door on Jan. 16.

LSU freshman Ryan Castellon, a mass communication major, participates in a Zoom interview on Jan. 16 from his dorm.

LSU sophomore and residential assistant Kristian Thomas, a computer science major, returns a room key on Jan. 16.

A “Skip This Seat” sign sits on a couch on Jan. 20 in the first floor lounge.

BY MATTHEW PERSCHALL LSU residents of Cedar Hall show what it is like to live in a dorm during the age of COVID-19

LSU freshman Kristal Edwards, a mass communication major, reaches into a washing machine on Jan. 15 in the laundry room.

A sticker reads “Mask Required” on Jan. 16 on the divider at the front desk.

LSU freshman Zachary Haydel, a philosophy and political science major, works on his computer on Jan. 19 in the courtyard.

LSU sophomore and biological sciences major Mikayla Demolle organizes the temporary key binder on Jan. 13 at the front desk.

Classifieds

Monday, January 25, 2021

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ACROSS 1 “Early to __ and early to rise…”

4 Puts through a strainer 9 __ Minor; Polaris’ constellation 13 __ buggy; sand vehicle 14 Tehran native 15 Donna or Robert 16 Suffix for confer or refer 17 Smuggled goods 19 “Be quiet!”

20 Warbles 21 Loses hair 22 Put on, as makeup 24 “__ with Dick and Jane”; 2005 film 25 Pet bird 27 Ne’er-do-wells 30 On pins and needles 31 Blue __; largest mammal 33 Sprite 35 In a __; sulking 36 Noise 37 Unsightly mark 38 Break a commandment 39 Showed boldness 40 Bell’s invention 41 Arrogance 43 Cocktail area 44 Kettle & Barker 45 Robert or George 46 Fluttery tree 49 Rise’s partner, in phrase 51 “A mind __ terrible thing to waste” 54 __ dust; just sitting on a shelf 56 One who raised Cain 57 Shade provider 58 Sudden increase 59 Market section 60 Fanny 61 Femur/tibia connections 62 “__. Doubtfire” DOWN 1 Items on a bread tray 2 Charmingly appealing

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Created by Jacqueline E. Mathews

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SPORTS

page 9

LSU Men’s Basketball Updates

Upcoming Schedule Jan. 30 vs

Feb. 3 at

Feb. 6 vs

Jan. 13

Jan. 16

Jan. 19

Jan. 23

92-76

85-80

75-105

69-82

UPSET-HUNGRY

LSU women’s hoops puts up a hard-fought battle against Gamecocks

BY JARED BRODTMANN @_therealjarbear To be frank, this season was looking grim for the LSU women’s basketball team in the middle of January. It had just lost two close games to Alabama and Tennessee, putting it at a rocky 4-6 start and 2-2 in conference play. All of the high expectations Head Coach Nikki Fargas had for this team seemed to have fizzled away.

Then, a win over No. 7 Texas A&M, followed by a solid road win over Missouri, culminated to a massive game against perennial powerhouse No. 4 South Carolina. Averaging 84.2 PPG, this game was always known to be a challenge for LSU to compete in because of its offensive struggles at points this year.

But LSU did not cower. It was not intimidated by the brand the Gamecocks have built and their ability to bury teams in points.

Ultimately, great teams find ways

MEN’S TENNIS

Men’s tennis moves to 4-0

BY HENRY HUBER @HenryHuber_

held their opponent to a dismal 32.1% FG%. They never let South Carolina get into an offensive rhythm during this stretch, and it showed. A 25-23 LSU lead at the half put the women’s basketball

UTSA (1-2) drove many Tigers to three sets, but LSU (4-0) was still able to get it done, defeating the Roadrunners, 5-2. Four singles matches went to three sets, but the Tigers took two of those, along with taking the doubles point and two other singles matches.

After a rough outing against UL-Lafayette, a team that has lost by a combined score of 1-20 against its other opponents, there were questions regarding this match. One question in particular came to mind: Is it possible that UTSA could pull off the upset against the Tigers?

According to Coach Chris Brandi, UTSA was extremely underrated and talented, and the

see BASKETBALL, page 10

see TENNIS, page 10

KRISTEN YOUNG / The Reveille

LSU women’s basketball senior guard Khayla Pointer (3) drives to the basket Jan. 24, during LSU’s 65-69 loss against South Carolina in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on N. Stadium Dr. to win, and there is no doubt South Carolina is a great team.

The Gamecocks prevailed 69-65, but it was a hard-fought win that LSU made them earn.

“I thought our kids played hard,” Fargas said. “I thought we did some really good things in

the first half defensively to disrupt a talented South Carolina team.”

LSU dictated the tempo of the game in the first half and into the third quarter. With half court sets designed to confuse yet remain stout down low, the Lady Tigers

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Trio of prolific scorers lead Will Wade’s best LSU offense yet

BY JARED BRODTMANN @_therealjarbear In Will Wade’s four years as LSU basketball’s modern major general, his teams have averaged 80.9 PPG. For comparison, he’s surpassed each of LSU’s past three coaches’ offensive averages and has already put his name alongside legendary LSU coach Dale Brown, who guided his teams to an average of 79.2 PPG over his tenure.

It is no secret Wade’s teams are offensive powerhouses, but this year’s offense may be his best yet, and the best since Shaquille O’Neal played in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

The 2020-21 Tigers are averaging 85.2 PPG, best in the SEC and 10th in Division 1. Their 48% team FG% is also a conference high and ranks 41st in D1. The last LSU team to put up these types of numbers was the 199192 Tigers, featuring O’Neal in his junior season, shining with 24.1 PPG and 14.0 RPG. A whopping 114.7 ORTG, another conference

leader, puts an exclamation point on LSU’s claim as the best offense in the SEC. With freshman juggernaut Cam Thomas, whose favorite part of the floor to score from is “everywhere” and looks very comfortable doing just that, and veterans Javonte Smart and Trendon Watford who are having career seasons, the Tigers have a three-headed monster that has proven to be virtually impossible to stop.

Thomas is averaging 22.0 PPG, the SEC’s leader, but his unique value lies in his determination to attack. As a result, he gets to the free throw line and converts unlike any other scorer in the conference, with an average of 6.5 FTM on 7.2 FTA per game. Smart’s junior campaign has been tremendous, bumping his FG% up from 41.5% to 48.5% and his 3P% from 32.6% to a scintillating 46.4%. Watford has settled in as LSU’s second leading scorer, with his 18.1 PPG helping

see SCORERS, page 10

ABBY KIBLER / The Reveille

LSU men’s basketball freshman guard Cameron Thomas (24) shoots from the free throw line Jan. 16, during LSU’s 85-80 win against South Carolina at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on N. Stadium Drive.

page 10

Monday, January 25, 2021

GYMNASTICS

LSU gym ranked second in nation after defeating Georgia

BY MORGAN ROGERS @morgan_rogers On Friday night, LSU gymnastics (3-0) defeated No. 11 Georgia with a 197.200-196.375 win. The team surpassed Georgia in all four events, moving LSU to second overall in the nation.

Tensions were already high due to LSU Head Coach Jay Clark’s former affiliation with Georgia gymnastics as he was the head coach from 2009-2012.

Nonetheless, LSU acquired its highest overall floor score of the season despite lacking lead floor member Kiya Johnson.

Haleigh Bryant, who was recently named SEC Gymnast of the Week, gave LSU the victory on vault and in all-around. Senior Sami Durante finished the lineup on bars with a top score of 9.900

BASKETBALL, from page 9 world on alert.

However, as the second half went on, South Carolina started to play faster. After makes or misses, its players would already be out in transition running.

LSU could not recover in time, and the result was 30 fast break points for the Gamecocks on the game. The Lady Tigers couldn’t keep up, as easy bucket after easy bucket continued to swish through the net for South Carolina.

Khalya Pointer and Tiara Young led LSU’s scoring with 18 and 16 points respectively. Their aggressiveness was the catalyst for a lot of LSU’s offense. However, the team reached a funk towards the end, where open shots just weren’t falling anymore.

“We had some good looks, that’s the thing,” Fargas said. “We didn’t have to settle for jumpers, we had some dribble drive. I felt like sometimes we didn’t make

TENNIS, from page 9 Tigers already struggled against an inferior team earlier in the week, so it was certainly possible.

“When you play teams like [UL-Lafayette] and UTSA, this is a massive match for them,” Brandi said. “They get their guys jacked up to play and we have all the pressure, and honestly, [UL-Lafayette] and UTSA, I knew they had good talent.”

The Tigers held those questions at bay during doubles, easily handling business with a 6-3 win from No. 60 Ronald Hohmann and Rafael Wagner and a 6-2 win from Boris Kozlov and Nick Watson. However, singles were where things got more interesting.

Kozlov and Joao Graca each finished their matches in two sets to increase LSU’s lead to 3-0, but UTSA would crack the leaderboard next. Despite a hard fought second set that went to tiebreakers, Joey Thomas would

while senior Reagan Campbell scored a season-high of 9.950 to anchor the beam victory. Sarah Edwards earned her first career win on floor, finishing the fourth rotation of the night with an alltime high 9.925.

“I think the story of the night is what the senior class was able to do and the fight they brought,” Clark said. “The freshmen showed a lot of grit tonight as well in some tough places. The way we started and the way we finished shows what this team can do and the potential they have.”

LSU’s next meet is scheduled away on Jan. 29 against Auburn at 4 p.m CT. The Tigers will return home to face No. 1 Florida on Friday, Feb 12. Both meets will be televised live on ESPN2 or SEC Network+.

KRISTEN YOUNG / The Reveille

LSU gymnastics freshman all-around Olivia Dunne performs her bars routine Jan. 23, during the Tigers’ 197.200196.375 win against Georgia in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

the right read.”

“When you play a team like South Carolina, you got to know,” she added. “You’ve got to capitalize on everything.”

“We’re still just trying to put together a full game,” Pointer said. “We’ve had games where we’ve had big leads and we blow them, or we’ve had games where we’ve gotten into a big hole and we win them. This game, we were tic-for-tac with SC, one of the best teams in the country, and we’ve just got to find ways to pull it out.”

That shouldn’t mean the players need to hang their heads.

They took on a top-four team in the country head on and were so close to another marquee victory. Their defensive effort should not just be swept under and disregarded. The momentum is trending in the right direction for them.

“Our group is work in progress,” Fargas said with a bit of a smile. “I keep saying that, but I

see some great potential in this team. I really do. And I know we’re going to continue to get better.”

LSU women’s basketball senior guard Khayla Pointer (3) and LSU women’s basketball Head Coach Nikki Fargas talk strategy Jan. 24, during LSU’s 65-69 loss against South Carolina.

take the weight off the frontcourt from doing everything.

Wade’s teams have had offensive-minded players in the past: Duop Reath, Tremont Waters, Skylar Mays. But this team’s ability to have three legitimate shotcreating options that defenses have to be wary of sets it apart from the others. In 2018, LSU’s best team of recent memory, if Waters and Smart were not penetrating the defense and creating openings for other players, LSU’s offense could and would stall. Mays represented the idea of what the Tigers needed in a slashing guard but ultimately lacked the quickness and decision making to be a 20 PPG player. Thomas has turned into that guy. He has been fast yet methodical, breaking down on ball defenders in one-on-one scenarios. Teams have had to start helping much more on him, so it will be up to others to help give

drop the first point for the Tigers, losing his set, 2-6, 6-7 (810).

This would continue LSU’s losing streak in tiebreaker sets, as it had now lost five. Though the Tigers held a 3-1 lead at this point, each of the last three matches were in a third set and could go either way.

No. 90 Hohmann, who suffered a loss on Wednesday against UL-Lafayette, would be the one to vanquish any hope UTSA had to win. After struggling in the second set, he would catch fire in the third set, as he often does, clinching the match for the Tigers with a 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 win.

“It feels great to bounce back,” Hohmann said. “It was a rough loss in the last match we had, but I didn’t let that affect me and I got the team the win.”

Brandi liked what he saw from Hohmann in his third set, especially after struggling against UL-Lafayette and in the second set against UTSA.

“In the second set, it looked like he was going to lose his mind a little bit,” Brandi said.

“He got it back and then took care of business in the third set.

There was no doubt in the third set once he got a couple breaks.”

Tom Pisane would lose another tiebreaker set for the Tigers, but Wagner would finally break the tiebreaker-loss streak, winning his match 6-7, 6-4, 6-5 (7-4).

Brandi was happy to see them get the win and believes that these problems will become sparse once some of the younger guys get more experience.

“We have a lot of young, talented guys that are very inexperienced,” Brandi said. “Once they learn to just settle in and hang in there and deal with the ups and downs, they can be really good.”

The Tigers will continue their home stretch next Sunday, where they will look to increase their win streak against Rice and Incarnate Word.

LSU men’s tennis redshirt-freshman Ronald Hohmann hits the ball on Jan. 23, before LSU’s 5-2 victory against UTSA in the LSU Tennis Complex.

KRISTEN YOUNG / The Reveille

SCORERS, from page 9

him the space he needs again to isolate and work.

LSU does not have the hulking size in its backcourt like it did in 2018 with Naz Reid and Kavell Bigby-Williams, which is most likely contributing to its defensive struggles (teams are shooting 52.4% from two-point field goals, ranked 274th in D1), but Watford and Darius Days have done their part on the offensive end, with solid finishing from the paint and strong perimeter shooting to create more spacing for LSU’s aggressive guards.

While the defense has had its struggles, most notably in a gut-punch loss to Alabama on Tuesday where the Tigers gave up 105 points, just the slightest improvement on that end of the floor could launch this team from upper-level SEC contender to a top 16 team in the country, positioning itself well for a run in the NCAA Tournament. This offense is that good.

JALEN HINTON / The Reveille

OPINION

page 11

QUICK

University’s vaccine rollout plan lacks necessary transparency SAUCE BOSS CÉCILE CÉCILE GIRARD @_cegi_ In a Jan. 15 email, the University informed students it had received “a small number of initial doses” of the COVID-19 vaccine and had begun administering these doses to the most at-risk populations on campus.

Four days later, the administration released a pre-registration survey to assess the level of interest among students and faculty members in receiving the vaccine. According to WBRZ, 7,000 people — including myself — participated in the survey in the first 24 hours.

Besides these two official communications, the University has released little information about its vaccine rollout plan. It plans to follow the Louisiana Department of Health’s guidelines of prioritizing those in phases 1A and 1B, which includes hospital personnel and the elderly, but I wonder: once these groups are vaccinated, how will the rest of campus follow?

Will the middle-aged take precedence over young adults? Will living in on-campus housing with

a roommate or suitemates mean receiving priority over students living off campus? Will medical conditions or past COVID-19 diagnoses be taken into account?

The lack of transparency disturbs me for one simple reason: it invites the possibility that some people will be prioritized for vaccination solely on their status.

Ideally, the Facility Services and Dining Services staff, who are essential workers in daily contact with thousands of students, will be prioritized first, followed closely by any students with respiratory problems who live in on-campus housing and go to live classes. These populations — unlike some faculty members or University bureaucrats who can work from home — are constrained to the superspreading environment of a college campus.

Unfortunately, I doubt this is truly how the University will administer its vaccines, as it has already made abundantly clear that some students are considered more equal than others. From the infamous sleeping pods in the $28 million football locker rooms to the Title IX cover-ups exposed in fall 2020, the University has a long history of giving preferential treatment to its prized stu-

dent athletes, even at the detriment of other students.

I know that as a healthy 20-year-old with no pre-existing medical conditions, I will be at the very bottom of any vaccination priority list. And I’m perfectly fine with waiting my turn... as long as the people before me receive their vaccines for valid reasons, like risk exposure, essential worker status and medical need.

I am not, however, so willing to wait patiently if the University exhausts its vaccine supply first on football players, Greek Life or anyone else deemed somehow superior to the rest of the student body, especially since these groups are responsible for some of the biggest COVID-19 outbreaks on campus, including one notorious Halloween party.

Until the University releases further clarification on how the vaccine rollout will occur, I will remain skeptical about the equity of its plan. This pandemic has already exposed how deeply unequal our societal resources are divided — I just hope our school doesn’t perpetuate this disparity.

Cécile Girard is a 20-year-old psychology junior from Lake Charles.

TA K E S

SHOULD THE COVID-19 VACCINE BE MANDATORY FOR STUDENTS? “The COVID-19 vaccine should absolutely be mandatory for LSU students who live, work or attend classes on campus. I know a lot of people are going to argue that it’s an infringement upon their rights or that it’s somehow unjust or unfair, but honestly, it just makes sense.”

Marie Plunkett @MarieC_214

“Yes yes yes. Not only because I want my life to return to normal — and I believe mass immunization is the only way to do so — but because I have long relished the opportunity to be micr-eaux-chipped by LSU.” Cécile Girard @_cegi_

“Vaccines should not be mandatory. Some people, including myself, are highly wary of the rush on this vaccine. I do not think it has been tested long enough to know the long-term effects.”

Tamia Southall @tamiabrem_

“The University should require every person who is medically able to get a vaccine for COVID-19. We are all desperate to return to a more normal world, but that cannot happen without mass vaccination. This policy is necessary if we wish to resume more in-person instruction and other traditional college experiClaire Sullivan @sulliclaire

“No, I do not believe the COVID-19 vaccine should be mandatory. If and when the vaccine is accessible to everyone, I think it is a personal decision. If someone is comfortable getting it, by all means, they should.”

Elizabeth Crochet @elizabethcro_

“Yes. It’s as simple as that. Once the vaccine is available to the larger public, the priority should become promoting the vaccination of the entire student, faculty and staff body. If you refuse to get the vaccine, then you won’t be allowed to ‘return’ to the pre-pandemic status quo...”

Domenic Purdy @Tigerdom16

”COVID-19 vaccination should definitely be required for students on campus. The University already requires students to receive a number of other vaccines to ensure the safety of its students, staff and faculty members. Why should this vaccine be any different?”

CARTOON BY BRANDON SHEPHERD

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

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

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

Evan Leonhard @evan_leonhard

Quote of the Week “My destination is no longer a place, rather a new way of seeing.”

Marcel Proust author 1871 — 1922

page 12

Monday, January 25, 2021

University’s inauguration day message disingenuous SPILL THE TEA WITH MARIE MARIE PLUNKETT @MarieC_214 After the riots at the Capitol on Jan. 6, many of us waited with bated breath for Inauguration Day, hoping for a relatively peaceful transition of power. LSU Interim President Tom Galligan was no exception.

On Tuesday, Jan. 19, the Division of Strategic Communication sent another message in a seemingly endless stream of mass emails, this time linking to a YouTube video from Galligan himself. It was a little under a minute-and-a-half long. After watching the video, I really feel like someone needs to ask the question: why?

The video on the “tradition of the peaceful transition of power on Inauguration Day” was neither educational nor enlightening. Not only did it not really say much about “tradition,” it also didn’t offer any real information on the University’s stance on the riots or what the consequences would be for students who engage in similar acts of political violence in the future.

Despite speaking for nearly a minute and a half, Galligan didn’t say anything of value. A snappy Ronald Reagan quote followed by

some quips about American freedom and how our election process is “often emulated by other countries and admired by many people the world over” made up the bulk of his speech, finally ending with what the University presumably felt was a suitable call-to-action and asking that students “...foster greater unity on our campus, in our community and in our country.”

The audience wasn’t given any details or suggestions on how to achieve such unity beyond “reflect[ing] on the actions we can take,” but somehow I doubt that was anyone’s goal in making and releasing this video.

It just feels like a shallow attempt by the University so that it can pat itself on the back for “making a difference” and “mending fences” between students of opposing political beliefs. Clearly, I’m not the only one who thinks that.

Scrolling through the comment section under the Inauguration Day video was a real treat.

Many users pointed out that the video was alluding to the riots without actually addressing them, an obvious move on the University’s part to appease everyone in the community without ever taking a real stand. Galligan avoided buzzwords and controversial statements, throwing in a Reagan quote

to satisfy conservative viewers and a bit about respecting the transition of power for Biden supporters in the audience.

Others called out Galligan’s apparent “virtue signaling,” his seemingly disingenuous or feigned expressions of morality or compassion, as a ploy for him to secure his position as University president.

Regardless of Galligan’s intent,

the video didn’t look good. No amount of “good intentions” can come across as anything but shallow in a video with such little substance or real emotions.

I agree that the University should have made a statement for Inauguration Day — just not the one it ended up making. The University — and Tom Galligan — has a platform that reaches beyond the

student body, yet continuously fails to make real statements about matters that affect each and every one of us.

When will our administration stop turning a blind eye and actually take a stand?

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

CARTOON BY BRANDON SHEPHERD

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