The Reveille 1-28-21

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RESOLUTION

REMOVAL Two Faculty Senate members withdrew their proposal for an AAAS course requirement after it failed to receive the necessary support.

THE REVEILLE ARCHIVES

NEWS

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LSU Health Shreveport researchers created technology used in the production of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.

ENTERTAINMENT

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“It’s an episode that is subpar to its predecessor, but remains just as beautiful as the ocean.”

SPORTS

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Claire Coppola looks to take advantage of her extra year of eligibility as LSU beach volleyball continues its quest for a championship.

OPINION

Read on

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“We have to come together as a community to show these individuals we will not tolerate their behavior.”

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

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‘STALL TACTIC’

Anti-Blackness course requirement resolution withdrawn from LSU Faculty Senate

BY MADELYN CUTRONE & REED DARCEY @madelyncutrone & @byreeddarcey Two LSU Faculty Senate members withdrew their proposal to require all undergraduate students to take an introductory African and African American Studies (AAAS) course after the body passed a motion to move it to committee. The two senate sponsors saw the motion as a “stall tactic” and felt it proved the University and the Faculty Senate are not yet ready to confront antiBlackness at LSU. During the Jan. 25 meeting, five senators and several LSU departments aired logistical concerns about the resolution, specifically highlighting the lack of information surrounding its implementation. Following this, Political Science Associate Professor Daniel Tirone proposed a prewritten motion to send Resolution 20-05 to a special committee to address those concerns.

The resolution’s co-sponsor, Entrepreneurship & Information Systems Associate Professor Sonja Wiley, then withdrew the resolution “in an effort to mitigate stall tactics, delay techniques and the ultimate ‘watering down’ of the primary objective and purpose of the resolution.”

Multiple senators who offered public comment at the meeting said that while they valued inclusion and diversity and supported efforts to promote these values at the University, they needed more information about the resolution and preferred to review it in committee before agreeing on its implementation.

This frustrated Wiley and Child and Family Studies Professor Cassandra Chaney, the resolution’s other co-sponsor, who were seeking a firm commitment from the body, with resolve to settle logistics later. If the senators were unwilling to commit, Wiley said, then she, Chaney and the authors were unwilling to devote even more time and energy to a likely fruitless cause.

“You’re damn right I’m mad.

I’m mad about what went down,” Wiley said. “I’m mad because Cassandra [Chaney] and I have been used.”

“This is all window dressing,” Chaney said. “It’s just made to appear as if LSU is progressive and cares about the experiences of Black people.”

“We are tired and we are exhausted from the invisible workload of diversity at LSU,” Wiley said. “We have worked on this for almost a year — we have put in blood, sweat and equity. We have been doing it for no money but out of passion.”

Wiley and Chaney previously held discussions with the creators

of the resolution — Religious Studies and AAAS Associate Professor Stephen Finley, Sociology Associate Professor Lori Martin, English Associate Professor Chris Barrett and Vice Provost for Academic Programs and Support Services Matthew Lee — and agreed to withdraw if a motion was passed to committee the bill.

“[The resolution] was meant to offer an opportunity for students to think differently about the world...It could have been another step in helping to cultivate better citizens.”

STEPHEN FINLEY

Religious Studies and AAAS Associate Professor

“We, the committee that wrote the resolution, understood that this was a possibility and agreed that if this happened that we would refuse to be part of a process aimed at delaying the resolution and/or de-centering antiBlackness,” Martin wrote in an email to the Reveille.

While Tirone said he understands the frustration those involved with the resolution are experiencing, he said committees are an integral part of the Faculty Senate’s functioning. The senate has 14 standing committees, not including special committees designated to specific policies.

“I am confident that the committee that was proposed would have made every possible effort to find a solution that would have made a significant improvement in the way the very real concerns at the heart of the original resolution are incorporated into the curriculum given the constraints faced at LSU,” Tirone said. “The proposal would have found support among a broad coalition of the faculty.”

Wiley and Chaney both pointed out that copious research had already been conducted prior to the resolution’s proposal, arguing that nothing further should have been required.

“It is unfortunate for our deserving LSU students, that Dr. Chaney and I do not have the personal or professional capacity at this time to continue researching and investigating a matter that has already been thoroughly studied, explored, documented, published, courses created, taught and a resolution written about,” Wiley said.

Because the resolution was

withdrawn, no further action will be taken regarding this specific policy, although others like it could be proposed.

Resolution 20-05 would have implemented AAAS 2000 as a required course for all LSU undergraduates as part of their Integrative Learning Core (ILC) obligations, which allow students to select courses with overlapping material and receive additional “proficiencies” in areas like ethical reasoning, intercultural knowledge and competence, quantitative literacy and written communication.

The course focuses on “antiBlackness” and the history of racism in Louisiana, as well as on LSU’s campus. The resolution originated with LSU’s new Black Student Athletes Association (BSAA), which approached Martin last summer about facilitating a curriculum change.

“The resolution came to be as a result of a long history of antiBlack violence, one of the organizing principles of the country and its social and political life,” Finley said. “[It] was meant to offer an opportunity for students to think differently about the world and about a country that often avoids the subject in polite conversation. It could have been another step in helping to cultivate better citizens.”

The authors felt this course was necessary for all LSU students because the material is generally overlooked in high school classrooms. Wiley also suggested that faculty and other University employees take the course, noting that anti-Blackness has been a consistent theme at the University since its inception.

Several senators and professors felt that while the course covers African American history, it did not adequately include other cultures and races, such as Native Americans, in its curriculum.

“We are tired and we are exhausted from the invisible workload of diversity at LSU. We have been doing it for no money but out of passion.”

SONJA WILEY

Entrepreneurship & Information Systems Associate Professor

Wiley and Chaney responded to these criticisms by explaining that the course was not meant to be anything other than a tool used to inform students about anti-Blackness, as requested by the Black Student Athlete

Association.

“When it comes to diversity, I’m all for it,” Wiley said. “[But] this resolution wasn’t about multiculturalism and diversity broadspectrum. This resolution was speaking specifically to the Black hatred, the Black racism that exists on this campus, in this city, in this state and in these United States.”

Yale and UCLA, among other universities, are examining the possibility of implementing a policy similar to LSU’s Resolution 20-05, but most of these universities’ proposed classes are broader in their scope of diversity.

Other concerns included the financial cost of hiring enough professors to teach the additional sections of the course. In order to accommodate the approximate 6,000 students in every LSU freshman class, an additional 131 sections of the class would need to be added, according to Math Professor Julia Ledet.

“The most resource-intensive, but likely most beneficial format would be to have students in sections of no more than 35 to 50 students, which would require scaling up from three sections a year to over 100,” Tirone said in the meeting. “These considerations must be taken into account because policies which aspire to advance important goals will fail if they cannot be effectively implemented.”

The Board of Supervisors promoted AAAS from program to department status on Jan. 15, granting the unit significantly more resources for hiring, researching and expanding its array of classes. However, Religious Studies Associate Professor Stuart Irvine said he fears the cost of hiring so many new AAAS professors is that there would be very little money left over to fill faculty vacancies in other departments.

Based on their concerns, senators in support of the motion to committee the resolution insisted they were acting in good faith.

The authors of the resolution are skeptical.

“We know a stall when we see one,” Wiley said. “I’m tired of being played. I have done diversity work for free for far too long, and if I’m not going to be on a committee that’s going to have policy that reaches fruition, I’m not doing it.”

Reaction from the LSU community has been mixed — some students say they’re relieved the bill was withdrawn, while others are indignant at the “anti-Blackness” of LSU’s administration.

“I’m ready for a change. I’m tired of working and not seeing a change,” Wiley said. “It’s beyond disappointing; it’s heartbreaking and it’s frustrating.”

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NEWS

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STUDENT GOVERNMENT

This Week in SG

BY CAROLINE SAVOIE @carolinesavo

REWARDING RESEARCH

MARY ALTAFFER / Associated Press

Vials with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine are seen in a cooler before being thawed at a pop-up COVID-19 vaccination site at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Jan. 26, in the Bronx borough of New York.

LSU Health Shreveport helps in development of COVID-19 vaccine

BY HENRY WELDON @HankWeldon3 One of the vaccines available to Louisiana residents, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, utilized technology created by researchers at LSU Health Shreveport in its development.

Dr. Robert Rhoads, professor emeritus and former head of the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology at LSU Health

Shreveport, helped develop the technology which was used in the production of the vaccine.

Rhoads holds seven patents related to mRNA, or messenger RNA, a string of biological code that is read by ribosomes to make proteins needed by the cell, according to a press release issued by the LSU Office of Research & Economic Development.

For the Pfizer-BioNTech CO-

VID-19 vaccine and other COVID-19 vaccines, mRNA can instruct the body to create fragments of proteins that look like the coronavirus spike protein.

This process can prime the immune system to defend the body if real coronavirus is ever detected, according to the press release.

“Both the Pfizer and the Moderna vaccine are mRNA vaccines,” Dr. Chris Kevil, vice-

chancellor of research for LSU Health Sciences Center, said. “mRNA stands for messenger ribonucleic acid and mRNA is the bit of nucleic acid material that is transcribed from DNA.” Kevil said developing a COVID-19 vaccine was complex and required extensive research going into production.

“That mRNA goes to typical-

see VACCINE, page 4

STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS

LSU MTC performs, rehearses in new ways

BY ANNE MARIE WHERRITT @amwherritt LSU’s Musical Theatre Club (MTC) experienced canceled performances during the spring 2020 semester, and this semester the club is getting back to work in a new way.

In March 2020 MTC was preparing for its performance showcase known as Singeaux, where members perform individual and collaborative numbers from different musical productions. Rehearsals were cut short March 13 when the University announced it would close due to COVID-19.

“I was bummed,” digital art sophomore Maddy Lewis said. “I

joined in September, and I finally felt like I was getting to know everyone in the club.”

Before everyone had to leave campus, MTC did something special for its unexpected last rehearsal - the members rehearsed as though they were performing for an audience.

“I put so much work into my Singeaux musical numbers,” theatre performance junior Nathan Catalanotto said. “I was heart-broken when I found out it was over; it was so unexpected.”

When the fall 2020 semester started, MTC found a way to get the returning students involved and raise some money for the club.

Lewis participated in “MTC’s Mu-

sical Madness,” where members performed virtually through MTC’s Instagram page. They made it into a competition so they could raise money - every dollar sent through Venmo counted as a vote.

“It was a friendly competition,” Lewis said. “I did not care who won or lost because I was having a good time getting back to performing.”

People competed through either acting or singing. They sent their videos to the social media director, who then posted the videos on the club’s Instagram page.

MTC performed “Twisted the Musical” this past fall semester. It was the club’s first show with an audience since last spring. Mem-

bers emailed video auditions and received the cast list through email. Shortly after receiving the cast list, they met via Zoom and discussed what was expected if they wanted this show to be a success.

“It was a great surprise to find out we were performing in front of an audience for Twisted,” Catalanotto said.

All members of the cast were required to wear masks, sanitize work stations, get temperatures taken and get tested for COVID-19 as often as they could. The cast stayed spaced out during rehearsals and were only called to re-

see THEATER, page 4

Branches of LSU’s Student Government are gearing up for the semester by finalizing committees, holding meetings and preparing for the upcoming election and new administration.

Speaker Marina Cole said that she and SG President Stone Cox have had open lines of communication about the affairs of their respective branches since the semester began. She said Cox is eager to start signing legislation before his successor is voted into office.

“Stone and I want to end this year on a better note than it started, opening the door to branch cohesion,” Cole said.

“Stone has been straight up with me - he wants legislation on his desk to sign. With the ideas from both of our branches, I know we can really advocate for students this semester.”

The executive branch and Senate held a joint meeting Jan. 19 to plan the financial aspect of that advocacy. The branches delegated the responsibilities of programming and idea-gathering to the executive branch, and Senate committees will decide what initiatives to put money toward.

“I’m looking to spend up to $100,000 on projects that students have been asking for,” Cox said. “We’re reaching out to students for ideas via social media, then we’re going to pass those ideas to Senate to review. The ones they decide on will be put on the ballot in the spring. This is a truly holistic SG strategy.”

Cox’s Chief of Staff Patrick Cormier said that the plan to dedicate a spot on campus to the NPHC sororities and fraternities is at the top of the executive branch’s agenda. The working plan is to increase the price of Greek fees across all Greek organizations on campus in order to fund NPHC plots. Cormier said that representatives from SG are in conversations with administration to “get the ball rolling.”

Members of Freshman Leadership Council started writing their first pieces of legislation that can be enacted. Both the executive branch and the Senate pitched in to put at least $1,500 toward the best piece of legislation.

On Jan. 24, the executive branch started writing transition documents to train the new administration in SG processes and procedures. The branch compiled its administrative and professional contacts they accumulated during its time in office to pass down to the successors.

Thursday, January 28, 2021

page 4 GREEK LIFE

LSU fraternities work to remain connected without events

BY ANNE MARIE WHERRITT @amwherritt Despite COVID-19 regulations preventing LSU Greek Life from hosting events and parties similar to the ones in previous years, fraternities on campus have worked together to remain connected during the pandemic.

When the fall semester started, fraternities adapted from hosting multiple parties during the semester to none. According to Acacia President Grant LaPeyronnie, Acacia has seen its pledge numbers drop by almost 10 members since the beginning of the spring 2021 semester.

“It is hard to have a fraternal sense of community,” LaPeyrronie said. “We cannot get together and feel that sense of community like we used to.”

When fraternities plan to host events, they must now have protocols in place to follow in an attempt to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Interfraternity Council President Navy Coggins said fraternities have to get events approved by LSU through Tigerlink, a website to make sure an event is appropriate and follows COVID-19 regulations.

Pi Kappa Alpha hosted an event with the LSU Student Health Center amid COVID-19.

VACCINE, from page 3 ly a cellular organelle called endoplasmic reticulum, and then it’s converted by something called ribosomes to a protein,” Kevil said. “Then that protein is shuttled throughout different parts of the cell and goes on and does whatever it does.”

Rhoads was able to help develop the technology at LSU Health Shreveport which contributed to a COVID-19 vaccine being developed, because he had years of past experience working with mRNAs, according to Kevil.

“It’s interesting because at our university here [LSU Health Shreveport], one of our professors, Dr. Robert Rhoads, had a very storied and rich career in studying mRNAs and how cells use mRNAs to make protein,” Kevil said.

Originally, BioNTech, a German biotechnology company, was using the technology developed by Rhoads and LSU Health for cancer research. After the pandemic began, efforts were shifted to use the technology to help with the development of a COVID-19 vaccine.

“Roughly at the end of 2019, it became apparent that the virus ran out of control in Wuhan, and I have colleagues over in China, and it became pretty clear that if they were able to get a copy or a sequence of the mRNA from that virus that was infecting everybody in Wuhan, that they could make mRNA based vaccine, and that’s what they did,” Kevil said.

The fraternity hosted a flu shot drive outside of its house Nov. 11, 2020, organized by the fraternity’s Health and Safety Chairman, Milton Khonsari.

Members of fraternities are required to fill out the daily symptom checker if they want to enter an event. Interfraternity Council Vice President of Recruitment Chad Boyd said he wants to make sure that everything is being conducted as safely as possible.

“The biggest thing we can do is ensure everyone’s safety,” Boyd said. “That is our main focus moving forward.”

Fraternities are informed by the University to wait to host an event until they know how to host an event as safely as they can.

“There are a lot of unknowns, and restrictions are constantly changing,” Coggins said. “We are working with the LSU administration constantly and are hoping for normal to return soon.”

Acacia is still allowing members to participate in their meal plan. Members can eat in the house, but they are encouraged to pick up their meal and leave unless they already live in the house. Members are allowed to socialize in the common area of the house, but masks are re-

quired at all times.

Boyd said fraternities have opened themselves up to more than just social events. He said this gives the members a sense

Scientists Ugur Sahin and Ozlem Tureci used technology developed by Rhoads when the vaccine was being developed.

“They utilized the same technology BioNTech did, that they licensed out from us and other places to make the mRNA vaccine for SARS-CoV-2. The thing that’s so unique and actually unprecedented is the fact that they could create that vaccine literally overnight,” Kevil said.

Members of the LSU community shared their gratitude to this big accomplishment for LSU Health Shreveport and Rhoads among other doctors.

LSU Interim President Thomas Galligan shared his appreciation for the hard work Rhoads and the rest of the LSU community played in helping develop a COVID-19 vaccine.

“We are immensely proud of Dr. Rhoads’ work,” Galligan said in a press release.

of the networking within their fraternity; members can see the opportunity to obtain resources for themselves outside of a social setting.

“Even after this is over, Greek Life has gained something here,” Coggins said. “This has opened Greek Life up to more than just events and parties.”

COURTESY OF CASEY HARLESS

Pi Kappa Alpha hosts a flu shot drive Nov. 11, 2020 in partnership with the Student Health Center.

THEATER, from page 3 hearse if it was their scene.

“I loved that we had the opportunity to rehearse in person,” theatre studies junior Noah Catalanotto said. “However, I miss getting to sit next to my friends at rehearsals, and I definitely miss giving them all hugs.”

“Twisted” was performed Nov. 5 and 6. MTC advertised an online form with an option of a Zoom link of a live streamed performance or to reserve a seat to watch the show in person. It was performed in the Greek Amphitheater, and 30 people were allowed to enter the

theater. The cast performed with masks and the audience was required to keep their masks on.

“Yes, it was difficult to perform with a mask on,” Noah Catalanotto said. “However, as an actor, I have learned a lot of techniques to act with my body, my eyebrows and my eyes.

“We put all of our focus into the audience to express our feelings,” Nathan Catalanotto said.

MTC is preparing and rehearsing for its spring musical, “Theory of Relativity.” The performance, as of now, is not going to have an audience due to the spike of COVID-19 cases.

SIPHIWE SIBEKO / Associated Press

A volunteer receives a COVID-19 test vaccine injection, developed at the University of Oxford in Britain, on June 24, 2020 at the Chris Hani Baragwanath hospital in Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa. Politicians and public health leaders have publicly committed to equitably sharing any coronavirus vaccine that works, but the top global initiative to make it happen may allow rich countries to reinforce their own stockpiles while making fewer doses available for poor ones.

COURTESY OF KIM TRAN

LSU MTC performed “Twisted” Nov. 5-6. 2020 while taking precautions against COVID-19.

ENTERTAINMENT

REV R ANKS

ALBUM

WHOLE LOTTA RED Mario Judah

The EP catches your attention and never loses it. I don’t want to listen to a 24-song album. Judah’s “Whole Lotta Red” is shorter, and I’d much rather that than listen to an album where I disliked half the songs. We do have a taste of what Judah can put out there, but it is still too early to see if that viral stardom is going to last.

Britney Young @byoun99 NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES

LUPIN Netflix

If I were to write the adjectives to accompany “Lupin” on Netflix’s slide-by promotion screen, I would pick slick, cerebral and suspenseful. The final chapter hits viewers with a double whammy. Not only do we stumble off the precipice, our hands slip further, and we’re left dangling by a finger.

Ava Borskey @iamavab

SINGLE

SKIN

Sabrina Carpenter

If “Skin” is a response to “Drivers License,” then I think it’s an unnecessary one since Rodrigo doesn’t call out this other girl in her lyrics. As a song, I think “Skin” is a solid, catchy tune. I will say I don’t like it as much as “Drivers License,” but that’s beside the point. Carpenter is a great vocalist and that shows on this track.

Olivia Deffes @liv_deffes

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‘Euphoria’ Special Part Two is just as beautiful as the ocean

BY CONNOR MCLAUGHLIN @connor_mcla It’s been almost two months since “Euphoria: Trouble Don’t Last Always,” the first of two special episodes for the show, was unleashed upon audiences across HBO’s streaming platform. The episode followed a relapsed Rue Bennett (Zendaya) conversing with her NA sponsor, Ali (Coleman Domingo), during Christmas Eve. Equally breathtaking and unconventional, it was unlike any other episode in the show as it took place within one single location and was unafraid to get down and dirty with the show’s darling central character. The episode’s successor, however, is a much different, if not more emotionally compelling story.

Released last Friday night via HBO Max, “Euphoria: F*ck Anyone Who’s Not a Sea Blob” begins with a close-up of a distressed Jules Vaughn (Hunter Schaefer) as an unseen woman’s voice asks her, “Where do you want to start?” Visibly uncomfortable by the question, she hesitates to answer and responds with an “I don’t know.” The woman restates her question: “Why’d you run away?” She doesn’t answer.

Instead, we match cut to an illuminated eye. We then bear witness to a ‘greatest hits’ recap of her and Rue’s relationship told quite literally through Jules’ eyes as Lorde’s “Liability” hauntingly plays in the background, under-

lining the raw emotion within the scene. The scene lasts for the entire runtime of the song, where every powerful lyric is felt as the light shining on Jules’ iris as well as the show’s title fades into nothingness. The poetry of the scene is unparalleled, so to me if there was any one way to bring “Euphoria” back to its cinematically dazzling roots, this would be it.

Set during a counseling session with her therapist Dr. Mandy Nichols (Lauren Weedman), Jules has just recently returned back to the East Highland area where she discusses the events that transpired in season one and how they personally affected her. By doing this, the episode jumps back and forth between the present and past where light is finally shed on the reasoning behind the choices made in the first season, namely her relationship with Rue and the blackmail she receives from Nate Jacobs/ Tyler (Jacob Elordi). This allows for the audience to truly see everything in perspective which makes the already complex relationships of the characters even more so. Aided by Jules’ purehearted narration, the clarity provided offers nuanced, if not heartbreaking, insight into the past, present and future.

The episode, co-written and produced by Schaefer, marks a true showcase for her, Jules and the entire transgender community. There is a major outpour of love coming from the trans community online that deems this

special episode a truly relatable, landmark hour of primetime television. Her portrayal of the life of a transgender woman is earnest and entirely authentic which paints her a flawed individual that doesn’t want to be a transgender woman, but rather herself. It’s absolutely beautiful to behold.

However, I personally don’t feel like the entire episode contains all of the profound emotional potency of “Trouble Don’t Last Always.” This isn’t to say the episode is not moving, because it is.

I just find myself more partial to Rue, yet nearly everything about the episode heightened my love for the show, and Jules as a character tenfold.

Now, with season two on the far horizon, it’s impossible for me to imagine “Euphoria” without these two special episodes with both of them perfectly bridging the gap between the premiere and sophomore seasons. They bounce off each other perfectly too with “Euphoria: F*ck Anyone Who’s Not a Sea Blob” serving as the definitive antithesis to “Trouble Don’t Last Always.” So, by allowing Jules’ reliability as a narrator to juxtapose Rue’s unreliability, the former is finally given a chance to tell her story candidly without it being construed by the other’s viewpoints as it typically was depicted in the first season. In short, it’s an episode that is subpar to its predecessor, but remains just as beautiful as the ocean.

ALBUM

CHIP CHROME & THE MONO-TONES The Neighbourhood

The Neighbourhood stripped their former identity in order to take on the musical experience “Chip Chrome & The Mono-Tones.”

The American indie-rock band utilizes its unique music style to tell the story of Chip Chrome, a silver-painted wannabe musician with something to prove. While it may not be The Neighbourhood’s best project yet, the songs that did impress me are worth listening to again.

Emma Jackimowicz @emmajackimowicz Read the full reviews online at lsunow.com/entertainment

COURTESY IMBD

Thursday, January 28, 2021

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Thursday, January 28, 2021

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Students take notes on Jan. 20 while social distancing in MC 2010 in West Hall.

Mass communication freshman Julia Jackson takes notes on Jan. 20 while social distancing in MC 2010 in West Hall.

COVID CLASSES

BY KRISTEN YOUNG

Mass Communications Professor Roxanne Dill teaches class Jan. 20 while social distancing in MC 2010 in West Hall.

LSU students learn in different types of classroom environments during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Students listen to the lecture on Jan. 22 while in History 2057 in the Cox Communications Academic Center.

Mass communication and political science sophomore Katherine Manuel pays attention in French 1001 on Jan. 21 while in Lockett Hall.

French professor Tara O’Donnell instructs her class on Jan. 21 while teaching French 1001 in Lockett Hall.

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SPORTS

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C PP LA’S COMEBACK

LSU beach volleyball’s Claire Coppola to keep celebrating in extra year of eligibility

BY JOE KEHRLI @joekehrli9 One of the six returning members of LSU’s beach volleyball team is amped up about her extra year of eligibility to compete with her team, which she calls her family.

“Winning the national championship has been our goal since day one,” Claire Coppola said. “Nothing has changed.”

The countdown has begun.

There are 102 days left until the national championship and it remains the primary focus of the team’s practices.

Coppola, native of Scottsdale, Arizona passed on job opportunities, making it official that she is fully committed to finishing what the team started last year before COVID-19 ended its exciting season.

Pressing the rewind button to the very moment Coppola first stepped foot on LSU’s campus five years ago, she recalls the familial connection and aura she found in Baton Rouge. This family feeling is unique to LSU, and she said would not have been found at any other school.

“The minute I walked on campus, I knew I wanted to come here,” Coppola said. “[Head Coach Russell Brock] was so kind, he wanted to know how my family was doing, and I knew if I was going to travel halfway across the country to go to college, I wanted to go into a family-type atmosphere, and that is what LSU is.”

While her time at LSU is not

BASKETBALL

LSU basketball bounces back with 78-66 victory

BY ANTHONY MOCKLIN @ anthony_mocklin

obvious advantages of comfort and communal support, but its also provides Coppola the sense that her family is with her.

While she has remained on the short-list travel team, there are a handful of her teammates who do not have that opportunity, so home events the whole team is able to attend is critical.

One of her favorite experiences playing for the Tigers

The LSU men’s basketball team (11-4, 6-3 Southeastern Conference) traveled to College Station, Texas to take on Texas A&M (7-7, 2-6 SEC) in Reed Arena on Tuesday night. The Tigers picked up a 78-66 win after suffering two straight losses to No. 8 Alabama and Kentucky.

“Proud of our guys,” said Head Coach Will Wade. “I thought it was a great response. We had to find a way to win. It isn’t easy to come back from what we went through the last couple of games. We had our best practice of the year yesterday. We were ready to go.”

Freshman guard Cameron Thomas once again led the way in scoring with a game-high 28 points with four rebounds and four assists. Junior guard Javonte Smart added 19 points while accounting for nearly half (9) of the team’s 22 assists.

Thomas got off to a hot start but struggled shooting the ball as the game went on. He finished 8-of-21 from the field and 3-of-13 from deep but was a key part of LSU’s rally down the stretch.

“I got into a better rhythm early on by shooting some twos, midranges and floaters,” Thomas said. “We were down. I knew we

see COPPOLA, page 10

see BASKETBALL, page 10

THE REVEILLE ARCHIVES

LSU junior, Claire Coppola (14) spikes the ball during the Tigers’ match against USM at the LSU Beach Volleyball Stadium on March 23, 2019. quite finished – she is currently pursuing a second master’s degree in business – she was able to break ground at the team’s new facility two years ago.

Since the world is now in a time in which social distancing and practicing safety protocols take precedent, the amount of time she spent enjoying the facility this season has been reduced.

However, Coppola said that no other programs’ facility rivals LSU.

“It is beautiful,” she said.

“Everything from the sand, to the locker room where we all could hang out and the atmosphere it produces. I have never felt an atmosphere like that. It is electric.”

The facility represents so much more than a “lockerroom” to Coppola. To her, it is an extension of a family room that is essential in team bonding.

Home events come with the

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

LSU beach volleyball: how the program climbed to the top

BY LILLIAN O’CONNELL @ lillyoconnell1 Many LSU students are unaware of the powerhouse beach volleyball program that calls Baton Rouge home. In just seven years, LSU has become one of the most prestigious beach volleyball programs in the country.

The success didn’t come without hard work, as the team worked its way from the ground up. The Tigers went from barely knowing how to play on the sand, to being ranked No. 1 in the nation last year. How were they able to sit on the throne of beach volleyball last year?

It all starts with good coaching, and LSU a National Coach of the Year, Russell Brock with a strong team to back him up LSU started its official varsity sport sand volleyball programin the spring of 2014.

Fran Flory, LSU indoor volleyball coach, led the sand team from 2014-2016, before Brock took over in 2017, when sand volleyball was still new to many universities.

In 2015, the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association decided to add beach volleyball to its program, and the teams would begin playing in the spring of 2016. At that time, only eight other schools took part in this program, with LSU being one of them.

In the blink of an eye, Brock brought the team to the next level. LSU beach volleyball went from a new program to a top contender in the conference.

He worked with many freshmen and referred to them as the “dream team,” helping them to grow into the players they are today. Last year, in the 2020 season, they climbed all the way to the No. 1 ranking before CO-

VID-19 put a halt to the season.

We can tell that Brock has had his eyes set on that No. 1 ranking since the beginning, and he accomplished what he fought for.

One of the players who was known for helping the LSU team to that No. 1 ranking is Taryn Kloth.

She led the team to win many sets during last year’s season.

Unlike most of the girls who came here as freshmen, Kloth was an athlete at Creighton for most of her college experience until 2019.

Kloth credited the family aspect that the program exemplified as the selling point to getting her into Baton Rouge.

“The biggest thing for me is the people down here,” Kloth said. “Everyone cares for you and wants to see you have great suc-

see VOLLEYBALL, 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

Thursday, January 28, 2021

COPPOLA, from page 9 was last spring, playing the No. 1 ranked UCLA team. Entering the match, LSU was ranked No. 2 and knew what it had to do.

“There was a record-breaking number of fans there,” Coppola said. “It was incredible and made us play better. It added so much hype.”

The beach volleyball facility on campus, located behind the Cox and Journalism buildings, will host three home tournaments this season. Even with COVID-19 regulations, Coppola hopes to see Tiger fans in the stands for her final time playing beach volleyball.

Coppola has decided that she will not pursue a future with beach volleyball following her stint at LSU. For the foreseeable future, she plans on using her bachelor’s degree and two master’s degrees in the business world.

Coppola is a leader on and off the sand. Yes, she is a seasoned veteran with four years’ experience, but she is also a role model to her young teammates. Being able to foster an environment that encourages everyone’s best efforts is just as much as a ‘momentum swing’ as is a block.

The 6-foot-1 blocker is more than an athlete. Coppola says her purpose here is to “support everyone and to have fun.”

While watching any of her numerous highlights clips the viewer can feel the emotion she pours into the game.

“Every match is important,” Coppola said. “We respect all the teams we play. I get feisty, and playing with her [Nuss] balances me out. I’m going to get crazy and that hypes both of us up, and I love getting loud … it makes your time playing more enjoyable.”

For Coppola, jumping up and down and yelling is a way to spark the team’s energy, which translates to victories. This is something she has grown accustomed to here in Baton Rouge. Over the course of her collegiate career, Coppola has earned many awards and recognition, but none as valuable as achieving 100 wins with her partner, Kristen Nuss. Nuss has been at Coppola’s side since day one. They have not only shared court one together; they have also shared dorm rooms.

“I would not want to do it with anyone else but her,” Coppola said.

It has been said that Coppola is the yin to Nuss’ yang. One is full of emotions and energy, and the other balances that energywith calmness and determination. The dynamic duo fuels off one another’s passion for the sport of beach volleyball like a pair of sisters going through life.

“I have felt so lucky to play four years with her,” Coppola said. “On and off the court, she is the most steady person I have ever met. Looking back on this experience in future years, I will feel so lucky that I was able to spend it playing with her.”

It was noted that Nuss was the first senior to claim the extra year of eligibility. This left her partner, Coppola, with no other option.

“I bleed purple and gold; you know I am coming back,” Nuss said.

“That made it an easy decision for me,” Coppola added.

Together they have accomplished the life-time achievement of 100 wins together. Only two other pairs have achieved this in collegiate history.

While Baton Rouge is more than 1,400 miles away from Scottsdale, Coppola has made this place her home. She enjoys the spirit and pride the residents share, the culture and most importantly the cuisine.

“I am big on cute and local places to eat,” she said. “A lot of great food and great atmospheres, too.”

Coppola left one of her families in Scottsdale and joined a new family in Baton Rouge. She could not leave her family when the opportunity presented itself.

She is a loyal teammate and the energy behind the beach volleyball team.

H I R I N G a new

TIGER

VOLLEYBALL, from page 9 cess, and it is an honor to be an LSU athlete.”

The team is compromised of 28 girls who are eager to play and hungry to win this 2021 season.

The program has changed since she has been here, and they will take what they learned from last season and apply it to this one, hoping to strike similar success as before.

Kloth did not shy away from the idea that the competition will

BASKETBALL, from page 9 needed some big shots and that’s what I do. I come through in the clutch and make big shots for my team. I just took what they gave me.”

LSU opened the game on a 3016 run before the Aggies cut the lead to just three late in the first half. Sophomore forward Trendon Watford sank two free throws to give the Tigers a 41-36 lead at the break.

Texas A&M took its first lead of the game with 13 minutes left in the second half. They held it for over eight minutes before LSU stormed back on an 18-0 run to close out the game thanks to a couple of clutch three-pointers from Thomas.

Texas A&M’s surge had also been fueled by a barrage of threepointers, but the Aggies could only watch their lead melt away as

be hard, but she is eager for all the season will entail.

“Everyone is going to have a super team because all of the schools’ seniors came back,” Kloth said. “It is going to be a battle for every single game that we play.”

The LSU program has come a long way over the past few seasons, but it is far from where it wants to be. The previously ranked No. 1 team is hungry for a championship. This might be their year. the Tigers held them scoreless in the final 8:50 of the game.

“We knew they were gonna make a run just like we did,” Watford said. “The game got close, but we kept our heads up. We wanted to pressure them. They had hit a few tough threes off the dribble and we just wanted to make them drive and finish over me, Darius (Days) and Sharife (O’Neal) at the rim. We just tried to make it tough for them, and it worked out.”

LSU will return to the Pete Maravich Assembly Center against Texas Tech on Saturday afternoon for the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.

“We haven’t necessarily played up to our capabilities all season,” Wade said. “We’ve been a bit up and down, haven’t been able to get into a rhythm on some things.

Hopefully (Saturday vs. Texas Tech) will be a chance to show the team we think we have, the team we think we are.”

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OPINION

page 11

University should cut ties with Rouses, condemn white supremacy GOING SOUTH TAMIA SOUTHALL @tamiabrem_ As we begin to confront the disgraceful actions that took place at the Capitol on Jan. 6, discussions have sparked on campus regarding the University’s ties with some notable participants who were there that day.

Donald Rouse Sr., co-owner of the Rouses supermarket chain, posted Facebook pictures of himself and former Rouses personnel director Steve Galtier at the protest.

In 2019, Rouses signed a multiyear contract with the University that would make it the official supermarket of LSU Athletics.

LSU Board of Supervisors member Collis Temple Jr. started the conversation on how the University should cut ties with the supermarket at a Jan. 8 board meeting.

Shortly afterward, the Student Senate drafted a resolution to preserve

Rouses’ sponsorship with the University on the grounds that Rouse Sr. hadn’t actively participated in the actual siege of the Capitol. The resolution was later taken down.

Our University is a leader in the state. The actions of its affiliates and sponsors reflect upon the institution itself. The administration has an obligation to its students and community to condemn insurrection and demonstrations of white supremacy.

Officials at the University should not only condemn these actions verbally; they must also take physical action. Tom Galligan’s administration should cut ties with Rouses and any other businesses whose executive personnel participated in the protest.

Donald Rouse Sr.’s involvement in the protest alone is cause to sever the relationship with the supermarket. He and other insurrectionists threatened our democracy when they stormed the Capitol, and anybody that protested should be held accountable, even if they did

not participate in the siege directly.

Our community needs to hold all local participants accountable for their actions. Rouse Sr. and Galtier were not the only local business affiliates at the protest, after all. Cinda Vanmerrienboar, the wife of the owner of Baton Rouge’s Red Zeppelin Pizza, was also present.

Trump is a symbol of white supremacy and hatred in this country.

Our University shouldn’t support any business that stands behind or shares his values. I will never understand why somebody would elect Donald Trump into office, let alone risk their life in a pandemic to keep him there.

If the University is as committed to diversity and inclusion as it says, then it should cut ties with Rouses supermarket and any other business that evidently doesn’t share that same commitment.

They’ve apologized for their actions, but their apologies hold no substance. They are not sorry for their actions. They are just sorry

that what they’ve done might affect their business operations.

We have to come together as a community to show these individuals we will not tolerate their behavior.

Clearly, they only care about

what’s in their pockets — so we need to hit them where it hurts most.

Tamia Southall is a 20-year-old mass communication junior from New Orleans.

THE REVEILLE ARCHIVES

The Rouses Market located at the intersection of Burbank and Lee in the Arlington Marketplace on Nov. 12, 2018.

New Orleans microplastics spill reveals gaps in state environmental policy SULLY’S SCOOP CLAIRE SULLIVAN @sulliclaire Aug. 2, 2020: the CMA CGM’s cargo ship Bianca was docked at the Port of New Orleans when a storm hit. Two poorly secured shipping containers containing nurdles — microplastic pellets that are melted down to form larger plastics — spilled into Durban Harbor.

French transportation company CMA CGM quickly drafted a team of lawyers to assist them in evading responsibility for the environmental disaster, refusing to disclose how many pellets had been lost in the spill in fear of admitting culpability.

In fact, the spill wasn’t even reported to the Coast Guard until New Orleans residents began to notice strange plastic particles washing up on the shoreline. Unfortunately for those concerned citizens, the Louisiana government chose not to launch an investigation into the incident.

Weeks were spent passing blame between different agencies until officials issued a recommendation to CMA CGM, asking it to clean up the mess. In that time, hundreds of millions of nurdles were lost to the Gulf of

Mexico forever.

Unsurprisingly, it turns out, a simple “pretty please” isn’t enough to get a corporation to do the right thing against its own financial interests; at the advice of an unspecified insurance company, CMA CGM cleaned up only the Governor Nicholls Wharf, leaving miles of shorelines still coated with nurdles.

With the help of other scientists, LSU Coastal Environmental Science professor Dr. Mark Benfield began researching the spill and eventually estimated that around 743 million nurdles had fallen into the Gulf of Mexico that stormy night.

Local citizens rolled up their sleeves and spent hundreds of hours recovering nurdles from shorelines. Volunteers with Nurdle Patrol, a non-profit that aims to collect data about nurdle pollution, went to work to understand the scope of what had occurred. A petition for the EPA to help clean up the spill amassed tens of thousands of signatures.

While these efforts are incredibly inspiring, this burden should not have been placed on the citizenry alone. Volunteer groups are no replacement for the speedy and competent government response that should have occurred in the wake of such a disaster, and this

failure to act will be felt deeply by our ecosystems.

As Dr. Benfield explains, organisms often mistake nurdles for food, which is problematic for several reasons. Though the nurdles themselves are non-toxic, as they spend time in the water, they soak up nearby toxins and pollutants.

This means when an organism ingests one of these nurdles, it maybe getting exposed to a variety of harmful substances.

In addition, plastic consumption can cause organisms to feel mistakenly full, leading them to slowly starve over time. Microplastics can also clog their digestive tracts, which sometimes results in death.

We cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the New Orleans nurdle spill, which is why it is necessary for us to understand why exactly this response went so horribly wrong.

First, plastic is — quite incorrectly — not classified as a hazardous material under the Clean Water Act (CWA), meaning the existing legislation does not spell out a proper framework to hold CMA CGM accountable.

The science has made the dangers of plastic pollution abundantly clear, however, and it is long past time to amend the CWA to represent the true danger plastic

pollution poses to our aquatic ecosystems.

Despite this, the state and local governments could have taken other steps to hold CMA CGM responsible. One potential strategy could have been not allowing the company to dock in Louisiana until it either launched a thorough cleanup effort or supplied the financial support for others to do so.

In any case, members of the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality should have launched a cleanup effort to recover as many nurdles as possible as soon as they were made aware of the issue.

Still, the New Orleans nurdle spill doesn’t have to be a story of corporate apathy, government negligence and environmental destruction. With the continued power of activists and volunteers, it can reflect our ability as citizens to fight corruption and enact change.

With one Formosa plastics plant in Baton Rouge and another potentially being built in St. James Parish so far, we must create strict guidelines to prevent corporations from polluting our local environments.

“We’ve discovered that there’s chronic pollution of nurdles along the Mississippi River, likely originating from all these plants,” Dr. Benfield said of his team’s find-

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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.

ings. Formosa plastics is a “serial offender” of the CWA and contributes significantly to nurdle pollution in Louisiana.

Unfortunately, the failures of the LDEQ continue even now. In a December phone call, LDEQ Press Secretary Greg Langley stated that the department is monitoring neither the progress of the cleanup nor the environmental impacts of the spill, and he affirmed that the LDEQ had never mandated a cleanup by CMA CGM. The Louisiana government allowed a foreign company to get away with dumping hundreds of millions of nurdles into the Gulf of Mexico. To this day, officials show no apparent interest in recognizing the impacts of this environmental disaster. Evidently, they’re content with allowing children, working people and other unpaid citizens to spend their spare time combing through the sand to collect the plastic debris.

It is shameful that the state government can find it within itself to give billions of dollars in tax breaks to the oil industry but cannot muster the resources to protect our fragile ecosystems from environmental disasters.

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

Quote of the Week “If you aren’t in over your head, how do you know how tall you are?”

T.S. Eliot

poet 1888 — p1965

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Thursday, January 28, 2021

Academic participation looks different for everyone — and that’s OK DOM’S UNCANNY DISCOURSE DOMENIC PURDY @tigerdom16 The phrase “class participation” has appeared on nearly every syllabus I have received thus far in my college career. For some, it means a chance to unlock new connections with the material and academic peers; for others, it’s a minefield of potential embarrassment and social anxiety.

Professors establish early on in the semester that they expect students to engage with their material, but they often fail to consider what level of participation students might be comfortable with or even what that engagement will look like in the classroom.

According to a study from NYU, “...72% of those surveyed felt that an increase in classroom involvement would lead to academic improvement.” Meanwhile, “56% of the students felt that their

knowledge and understanding of math would improve if they participated more frequently.”

Despite this data, however, it’s hard to say that regular participation is for everyone. College is a unique experience for each of us, so we shouldn’t all be expected to engage in the same way.

Some, including myself, find that engaging in class conversation is the best way to learn about more abstract concepts. I personally can’t be expected to passively digest the concepts of political theory; I have to converse with the professor and interrogate the material.

But not everyone functions this way. Others find the idea of engaging in class discussion not as liberating and informative, but terrifying.

“It depends on the student,” history junior Chandler Clegg said about class participation. “When it comes to people who are in school for something that they’re really passionate about, I think most of them do participate, but only when the material engages with their interests. When it comes to a

course that I genuinely enjoy, or if the course material is engaging, I always participate and I think the same applies to most people.”

Participation — even in our Zoom-filled world — is not as simple as just talking about the material. Real estate in a class discussion is valuable, so sometimes students are reluctant to participate because they want to make sure that what they have to say is worth sharing and a worthy addition to the tapestry of the conversation.

Social fears can overwhelm the minds of students who find the idea of participation a nightmare.

Anxiety makes it nearly impossible for those individuals to engage with their classes, even if they are truly passionate about what is being discussed.

“In larger classes, I feel extremely nervous because if I get the question wrong, it will feel like a public execution,” animal science sophomore Caroline Babin shared about her own experience with the subject. “In small classes, though, I feel more of a sense of community. People are more likely to help

in those smaller classes.”

Education is not an exact science. Some people learn differently from others, so requiring “class participation” can be a boon to one student and a bane for another.

Sure, there’s some benefit to increased participation, but there’s also a severe detriment that can come from requiring an unwilling student to participate in an environment in which they feel uncomfortable.

There’s no reason to end class

participation entirely, but sometimes we need to silently engage with ourselves and interrogate our own understanding of a concept instead of participating in open dialogue — and that’s alright. Everyone has the right to decide how they’re going to participate in a class, be it through active involvement or thoughtful introspection.

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

EMILY SCHEXNAYDER / The Reveille

LSU business junior Cody Harris studies on Jan. 25 in the Student Union on LSU’s campus.

Letter to the Editor: COVID-19 and climate change is the convergence of our demise

BY JONATHAN MOSS It’s been over 13 months since the American National Center for Medical Intelligence first became aware of COVID-19 cases in Wuhan, China.

With the number of daily reported cases remaining high and its position as a global power now diminished, the United States enters a winter of transition: Trump’s out, Biden’s in.

The Biden administration will bring a renewed faith in medical expertise, a commitment to American allies and perhaps most importantly in the long term, an acknowledgement of climate change. Though the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic will rightfully take precedent throughout the beginning of the Biden presidency, addressing the climate crisis must not be put on hold.

Our nation has seen over 400,000 COVID-19 deaths with no end in the near future. While the incompetence of the Trump administration is largely to blame for this, we as the American people are not without fault.

Our collective actions have contributed to the death toll and the continuation of this pandemic.

If we are able to defeat this virus and return to the sense of normalcy we enjoyed in previous years, make no mistake we will still be staring down the barrel of the loaded gun that threatens our very existence: the ever-warming planet.

Successfully staving off environmental catastrophe requires not only the industry-wide mobilizations, which often garner the most media attention, it requires wholesale changes to the way

we live our lives; a comprehensive rethinking of society. If COVID-19 were a test to see how we as a society can respond to existential threats, we have failed.

Such as COVID-19 has changed the way we live and interact via masks, social distancing and quarantining, combating the climate crisis will alter transportation, consumerism, the ways in which we get our food and American life itself.

The very ideals in which the

quintessential American Dream is rooted will change. Our aspirations for American life must elevate beyond the inhabitation of suburbia, our dependence on automobiles and the reinforced capitalist dogma in our educational system which conflates economic value with societal worth.

Unless we as a nation are able to recalibrate our economic systems and feelings toward the environment, there is little hope

for the continuation of our privileged existence. Will we be able to make the changes needed to reverse the trend of global warming?

We failed to make the needed changes in response to this pandemic, so I have little hope that we will correct the error of our ways amid this climate crisis.

There are many layers to climate change (and COVID-19) denial; some social (i.e., demographic shifts), some economic

COURTESY OF ASSOIATED PRESS

Students set fire to a replica of Earth during a worldwide protest demanding action on climate change, in Milan, northern Italy, Sept. 27, 2019. The protests are inspired by Thunberg, who spoke to world leaders at a United Nations summit that week.

(i.e., rural America’s decline, globalization).

But, like COVID-19, the impending environmental disasters stemming from global warming will ravage our most-vulnerable communities. And so long as a substantial portion of the population denies the existence of a threat and powerful vested interests control the narrative, our collective ability to respond and adapt will be compromised.

So when we face the brutal truth that legislation alone will not be the end-all for the climate crisis, will we still be able to change?

A second Trump term would’ve assured future climate catastrophe, but unless systemic changes in both federal policy and the way in which the American people comprehend the issue are made during Biden’s first four years, irreversible damage may still be done. Limiting global warming to the internationally agreed-upon 2°C threshold may be impossible at this point, and even that would mean longer heat waves, more wildfires, wetter tropical storms and millions of preventable premature deaths.

COVID-19 proved that, at this point in history, we are incapable of adjusting our lives to match the needs of our reality and will refuse to act in an egalitarian manner.

J. Robert Oppenheimer famously said, “...now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds” after the 1945 Trinity tests for the first atomic weapons. If we choose to maintain the status quo and refuse to change the way in which we live, we face the same fate.