The Reveille 12-2

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MEET THE NEW BOSS

Brian Kelly officially becomes the 33rd head coach at LSU. Read on

page 2 NEWS

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LSU commuity mourns the loss of Norimoto Murai, the longtime agriculture professor and researcher.

ENTERTAINMENT

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The entertainment staff chimes in on their favorite places to visit in Louisiana’s capital.

SPORTS

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How will a coach from Norte Dame fare at LSU? Look into what he has done before touching down on Tuesday.

OPINION

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“For years, membership on the Board has not been taken as seriously by governors as it ought to be.”

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

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TALKING TITLES

Brian Kelly expects multiple championships: ‘He’s here to sustain it’

BY REED DARCEY @byreeddarcey On Nov. 22, Brian Kelly was asked if he’d consider leaving Notre Dame for another head coaching gig. He implied that it would be difficult to lure him away.

“Unless that fairy godmother comes by with that $250 million check,” he said, “my wife would want to take a look at it first. I’d have to run it by her.”

Eight days later, Kelly boarded a charter flight with LSU Athletic Director Scott Woodward, LSU President William Tate IV and some other LSU athletics executives. Woodward, as he loves to do, had gone fishing and lured in a prize catch. His bait: the expectation of championships, the allure of a recruiting hotbed and the enticement of a seemingly boundless reserve of cash. Kelly signed his new contract thousands of feet in the air — This is where a new era of LSU football officially began.

“I want to be under the bright lights, on the Broadway stage,” Kelly said Tuesday.

Kelly said his conversations with Woodward were clear and direct. There was little-to-no negotiating, and the two sides had reached an agreement within 45 minutes, after Woodward reportedly waged a late blitz to land Kelly.

Kelly was one of the first candidates Woodward reached out to when he began his search, The Athletic reported, but he initially declined the offer. In the build-up to LSU’s final game of the regular season against Texas A&M, rumors connecting Oklahoma Coach Lincoln Riley to LSU ran rampant through the college football world. Riley said Saturday night that he would not be the coach at LSU, surprising many, and by Sunday afternoon, Riley had agreed to be the next coach at USC, surprising even more.

Did Woodward have a deal in place with Riley? What was the extent of their conversations, if they happened at all? Woodward and Kelly offered no answers at a press conference Tuesday.

“LSU fans love a winner, and that’s why they’ll love Brian Kelly,” Woodward said. “All he does is win. He’s not here to taste success. He’s here to sustain it.”

News broke Monday evening that LSU had a deal with Kelly.

Kelly sent a text to his team in South Bend, Indiana, at 10 p.m., informing them of his decision.

He met with them face-to-face nine hours later, when he spoke to the team in a brief, four-minute address. He said he couldn’t pass up an opportunity for a new challenge and thanked them for a great run.

Kelly then hopped in an SUV,

met with Woodward, Tate, executives Verge Ausberry and Stephanie Rempe, and boarded his flight to Baton Rouge. This was a big moment for Woodward— here, the hire of his life, the reason he returned to his hometown Baton Rouge, was completed.

The contract Kelly signed made him the highest-paid public school coach in the country.

He’ll receive $95 million in base salary over 10 years. Incentives will push that figure over $100 million: As long as he is still

walked to a van, he waved to the few dozen fans who came to see him touch down. The van took him straight to the football operations building, where he met with his new players for the first time.

“I’m here because I wanted to coach the very best players in the country that are afforded the best resources in the country and play in the best conference in the country,” Kelly told them.

“That’s an incredible challenge for a football coach.”

wouldn’t try to bring recruits who are committed to Notre Dame, in contrast to Riley, who reportedly wants to bring Oklahoma commits to sunny Los Angeles.

“Lincoln Riley can do what he wants,” Kelly said Tuesday on the Dan Patrick Show. “Brian Kelly is going to do what he wants.”

“You gotta fight for them,” Kelly said of in-state recruits.

“It’s hard to get them out of Louisiana.”

Kelly said that he “certainly” will try to bring over assistant coaches from South Bend, how-

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ABBY KIBLER / The Reveille

LSU football head coach Brian Kelly, athletics director Scott Woodward, and LSU President William F. Tate pose for a photo Wednesday, Dec. 1, while gifting a “Kelly” jersey during a press conference held in regard to Kelly’s recent hire at the Bill Lawton Room in Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La. LSU’s coach on July 1 of every year, his salary will jump half a million. Every time LSU is bowl eligible, Kelly will get a $500,000 bonus. LSU athletics will pay for his move south. They’ll give him two cars, a $1.2 million allowance to purchase a house and 50 hours of annual rides on a pri-

Reportedly joining Kelly in December is five-star in-state quarterback recruit Walker Howard, who is expected to enroll early at LSU. Howard was excited about the Kelly hire, he said publicly. Notre Dame and Kelly recruited him, and Howard considered joining the Irish.

I’m here because I wanted to coach the very best players in the country that are affoded the best resources in the country and play in the best conference in the country.

BRIAN KELLY

Tigers head coach

vate plane.

When the plane landed, Kelly descended the stairs and walked across a purple carpet. While he

Howard will headline a class that Kelly said Tuesday he will prioritize as he transitions to his new job. He implied that he

ever. Notre Dame is making a push to retain offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, The Athletic reported. Irish Defensive Coordinator Marcus Freeman is rumored to be a candidate for the head coaching position in South Bend. In 2021, Ed Orgeron tried to hire Freeman as his defensive coordinator, but Kelly landed him instead.

LSU defensive backs coach Corey Raymond, running backs coach Kevin Faulk and strength coach Tommy Moffitt will reportedly stay in Baton Rouge, but definitive reports on who will and will not be on Kell’s staff are premature, the coach said. He has yet to meet face-to-face with any of LSU’s coaches.

Once he puts a staff together, Kelly said his group will be “aligned” with his goals, attitude and culture. “Alignment” was a recurring theme throughout Kelly’s presser. Numerous times, the new coach urged fans that he, Woodward and Tate are all on the same page. Their values align, he said. It was one of the reasons why he took the job.

“I just felt like it was something that I had to take on,” Kelly said. “I believe that I can make a significant difference here.”

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CORRECTIONS & CLARIFICATIONS The Reveille holds accuracy and objectivity at the highest priority and wants to reassure its readers the reporting and content of the paper meets these standards. This space is reserved to recognize and correct any mistakes that may have been printed in The Daily Reveille.

If you would like something corrected or clarified, please contact the editor at (225) 578-4811 or email editor@lsu.edu.

ABOUT THE REVEILLE The Reveille is written, edited and produced solely by students of Louisiana State University. The Reveille is an independent entity of the Office of Student Media within the Manship School of Mass Communication.

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NEWS ‘A ROLE MODEL’

LSU community mourns loss of longtime Agriculture professor

BY DOMENIC PURDY @tigerdom16 Norimoto Murai, an accomplished LSU professor and researcher of 37 years who instilled in his students a strong work ethic and love for science, died Nov. 20 in the hospital after being struck by a vehicle while biking near LSU’s campus. He was 77.

Murai was biking on Stanford Avenue around 11 a.m. on a Saturday morning when he was struck by a vehicle just blocks away from his home. The driver stayed on the scene while Murai was transported to the hospital, where he later died from his injuries, according to The Advocate.

Murai was a successful professor and researcher in LSU’s College of Agriculture, where he was awarded over $2 million in competitive grants, including from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Murai was very active, even in his old age. He biked and worked out at the UREC at least three times a week, and walked and ran around the University Lakes six days a week since 1985, said his wife, Andreana Lisca.

The couple married in 1977 after meeting in Madison, Wisconsin, where Murai attended graduate school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

courtesy of LSU AgCenter

He completed the Boston Marathon three times, ran the 110-meter hurdle and specialized in the hammer throw on his college’s track and field team.

He was also a proficient skier and graceful ice skater, skills he learned from his father in northern Japan’s alps, Lisca said. Murai and his wife recently became grandparents in August and were looking forward to watching their grandson grow.

“I joked that we would be so old or maybe not around anymore to see him graduate high

school and college,” Lisca said.

“Norimoto said that now things could be done, and we could live longer, and when I said, ‘Yeah right, don’t think so,’ he said, ‘You never know.’”

Murai was born on March 4, 1944, in Sapporo, Japan. He received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science from Hokkaido University in 1966 and 1968, respectively.

When Murai moved to the United States, he received a doctorate degree. in botany and biochemistry at the University of

page 3 ACADEMICS

Students return to in-person exams

Wisconsin-Madison in 1973. As a doctoral candidate under the supervision, Murai studied the RNA of tobacco.

Murai shared his passion for science with his students at LSU, incorporating them into his research as he became one of the first biologists to genetically modify plants in this manner. In 1998, Murai filed a patent that encoded mutated genes within crop plants which allowed resistance to Imidazolinone, a class of powerful herbicides that inhibit certain enzyme production.

“Dr. Murai was a brilliant and passionate scientist,” K. Sata Sathasivan, one of Murai’s former graduate students, said. “He has been a caring advisor to his graduate students, post-doctoral fellow, and staff members. He wanted the best out of his graduate students, and he offered his best to make them succeed.”

Sathasivan, currently an associate professor at the University of Texas’s department of molecular biosciences, studied under Murai from 1987 to 1990 at LSU as the professor’s second graduate student.

Sathasivan recalls that Murai helped guide his career as a positive role model, instilling a “passion to teach” that would follow him even 30 years after graduating.

“Seeing the students’ success

After a three-semester hiatus from in-person exams, LSU students are preparing to return to the stressful environment of proctored testing in Himes Hall. Many students, who arrived at the university in 2020 or early 2021 have likely only ever known online exams. like psychology sophomore Daniel Powell.

“There are a lot of students, including myself, that have spent their entire college experience thus far taking online exams or asynchronous exams,” Powell said. “It is much easier to have a due date and do exams on my own time than it is to have a set date for an in-person exam, and it feels like I’m being deprived of valuable time that could be spent elsewhere.”

Like many students, Powell is dreading the stressful test-taking environment in Himes Hall.

“The most stressful part for me will likely be the abrupt return to a dead-silent room for final exams,” he said.

Accounting junior Hayden Distefano said he’s moderately excited to return to campus to take his final exams. One con-

see MURAI, page 4

see TESTING, page 4

BY HENRY WELDON @hankweldon3

COVID

Pfizer pill could cut COVID hospitalizations and death

BY BELLA DARDANO @BellaDardano A new antiviral pill developed

by Pfizer cut hospitalization and death risk in COVID-19 patients by nearly 90% in clinical trials, the pharmaceutical company announced earlier this month. LSU health professionals say the drug shows promising results, especially for high-risk individuals, but cautioned that vaccines are still the world’s greatest weapon against the pandemic.

The Pfizer drug, called Paxlovid, would be given to patients soon after they develop COVID-19 symptoms, and could be prescribed and taken at home as a treatment for the virus, potentially relieving overburdened Louisiana hospitals and healthcare workers.

Another similar pill developed by pharmaceutical company Merck was recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Julio Figueroa, chief of infectious diseases at LSU Health New Orleans, says the research is promising even though it hasn’t been

published in peer-reviewed journals yet.

“Both this drug and the Merck drug, although they work differently, are very promising from the perspective of having a drug we could use very early on with COVID-19, especially with high-risk individuals,” Figueroa said. “This would be very, very helpful.”

In Louisiana, Figueroa says the drug would be helpful to have because of the state’s relatively low vaccination rate, and high percentage of high-risk individuals.

As the world braces for the new Omicron COVID-19 variant, which was recently detected in the U.S., only about 55% of Louisianans have received at least one COVID-19 vaccination, according to USAFacts.

“Although we are a small state, the number of COVID infections we’ve had per capita have varied, but we’ve been the highest at some times, and certainly hospitalizations have also been high,” Figueroa said. “Louisiana would have a really helpful impact, especially in preventing death.”

Dr. Nelson Perret, the medical director at the LSU Student Health Center, thinks the preliminary studies for Paxlovid look promising. He compared the drug to Tamiflu, an antiviral drug for influenza, since it must be given early to be effective and reduce hospitalization in flu patients.

“It’s not like a vaccine,” Perret said. “It doesn’t so much prevent the disease, as you treat it as you

get it.”

Perret says if the results are peer-reviewed and the FDA approves the drug, the pandemic has the potential to slow down in the U.S. and decrease morbidity and mortality.

“I do think you will have less cases if you can stop the COVID inflection early, you will have less transmission,” Perret said. “But I don’t think it’s going to completely

wipe it out. I think it’s gonna be just like Tamiflu is with the flu.”

Despite the promising results, Figueroa says getting vaccinated is still key in preventing the spread of the virus.

“This is going to be additional measures that we can use for people who have breakthrough infections or who have primary infections without vaccination,” Figueroa said.

courtesy of NOLA.com

Thursday, December 2, 2021

page 4 MURAI, from page 3 as your success was a very important lesson I learned from him,” Sathasivan explained. “He treated his students like tough parents who love their children.

Every semester, he would have the students clean the lab thoroughly, and then take them all for a delicious pizza party.”

Murai was also committed to seeing projects through to completion, Sathasivan said. He recalls a time when Murai took a second project away from him and didn’t let him work on it again until he completed his first one.

courtesy of Andreana Lisca

“He was a role model for being disciplined and organized, working hard with laser-sharp focus, bringing projects to completion, conducting research with rigor and getting the research findings published on time,” Sathasivan said.

Jeffery Hoy, a senior professor of agriculture and natural resource management, did not work with Murai professionally, but they were close friends outside of work. Hoy recalled Murai’s frequent bike rides around the Uniersity Lakes, a low-stakes poker group the two were a part of and his contributions to work functions.

“He liked to cook,” Hoy said.

“We’d have these social events and he would always cook something and bring it when all our families got together.”

From 1985 to 1991, Murai was a tenured associate professor in the Department of Plant Pathology and Crop Physiology at LSU, where he held a full position as a professor starting in 1991 until his death.

Murai held membership in multiple professional organizations throughout his tenure studying the molecular biology of plants, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Society Plant Physiologists and the International Society Plant Molecular Biology.

TESTING, from page 3 cern he raised was trying to remain in good health throughout the entirety of finals week.

“Nobody wants to deal with being sick during finals week or while trying to study,” Distefano said. “It’s unfortunate that we are facing, or feel we are facing, a high likelihood of contracting some illness. Whether that be COVID-19, influenza, a stomach bug or whatever.”

Digital advertising senior Joshua Garibaldi said he would prefer to take his exams online.

THE REVEILLE ARCHIVES

LSU students wait in a line that stretches to the Quad to enter the LSU Testing Center in Himes Hall on Sept. 19, 2019.

THE REVEILLE ARCHIVES

Students wait in line to enter the Center for Assessment and Evaluation on Wednesday, October 14, 2015, in Himes Hall.

“I’m not fond of taking them in-person because I feel more relaxed and focused at home,” Garibaldi said. “I’m kind of nervous, and I approached this year differently from last year with more discipline because most of the classes are in-person.”

Political communication senior Bryce Billiot plans on studying ahead of time, saying he’s a bit nervous about taking in-person exams again.

“I will need to study ahead of time a little more than I have in the past couple years and things should go well,” Billiot said.

Computer science sophomore Saugat Ghimire isn’t too excited about the return of in-person exams, he said, because he feels like his professors have been rushing too much material the past couple of weeks.

Like Powell, Ghimire said it will take some time getting used to the new testing set up.

“I think the hardest part about in-person exams will be adjusting to the environment,” Ghimire said. “I’ve gotten so used to taking exams at home. I think in-person exams are going to be more stressful.”

Pick up your copy of the Dining Guide in a Reveille Rack on campus or visit www.lsureveille.com/themag/

ENTERTAINMENT

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THIS WEEKEND IN BR Want to see your event in The Reveille?

Email information to editor@lsu.edu.

FRIDAY AT 4

BY AVA BORSKEY @iamavab

DECEMBER

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Festival of Lights | North Boulevard Town Square Take a walk through downtown Baton Rouge on Friday, Dec. 3, and find yourself in a Winter Wonderland for the annual Festival of Lights at 222 North Blvd. starting at 4 p.m. You can enjoy live music, live nativity scenes and more. At 6 p.m., join Mayor Sharon Weston Broome as she lights up the city’s Christmas tree and nearly half a million twinkling lights on the street. A fireworks show on the Mississippi River will follow.

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Brasshearts Brass Band | Red Stick Social Get your funk on Saturday, Dec. 4 at the Red Stick Social when Brasshearts Brass Band teams up with Bad Bongo. The night is sure to be a party filled with New Orleans style music. The show starts at 7 p.m. at Red Stick Social, 1503 Government St., and tickets cost $10.

SUNDAY AT 8

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DECEMBER

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SATURDAY AT 7

DECEMBER

A Rural Life Christmas | LSU Rural Life Museum Take a trip with the Ghost of Christmas Past to a 19th century Louisiana Christmas celebration. Enjoy musical and dance performances, along with living history demonstrations, like woodworking and openhearth cooking. Have fun all day from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. when the time comes to close out the night with a bonfire lighting. A Rural Life Christmas will be held on Sunday, Dec. 5, at the LSU Rural Life Museum, 4560 Essen Lane. Admission is $10.

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Thursday, December 2, 2021

page 6 BATON ROUGE COMMUNITY

Reveille Roundtable: What’s your favorite spot in Baton Rouge?

BY THE REVEILLE ENTERTAINMENT STAFF

AVA BORSKEY

CONNOR MCLAUGHLIN

My favorite place in Baton Rouge is probably Perkins Rowe. Perkins Rowe is a onestop for shopping, eating and just hanging out with friends.

My favorite place in all of Baton Rouge is Atomic Burger on the corner of Burbank and Lee. I’m a sucker for a good burger or slider, and no one does them better than this local burger joint.

MADELON DAVIS

GIDEON FORTUNE The Mississippi River Levee is a favorite spot in Baton Rouge–and it’s my favorite spot in the world. I can look at all the cows–and even moo back if no one is around–as I bike toward L’Auberge casino.

EDDY HAGE

For me, becoming a regular at New York Bagel Co. was everything. It is my go-to spot for anything. Hungover? Go to New York Bagel Co. A big test? Go to New York Bagel Co.

Brew Ha-Ha! is a cafe on Jefferson Highway in Mid City with a huge variety of drinks and pastries. My favorite drink there is by far the Vietnamese coffee.

CAMPUS LIFE

Some end-of-semester boosters as we near the finish line

BY MADELON DAVIS @MadelonDavis As the end of the semester quickly approaches and finals loom over our heads, the struggle to stay motivated is in full swing around campus. But do not worry; there are plenty of things you can do when procrastination strikes.

Going to LSU is a blessing for its many outdoor areas to explore while taking a break from studying. Taking a walk around the lakes is a great way to remove yourself from your indoor cave. Getting your blood pumping and having a breath of fresh air allows your brain to reset after long hours of staring at your notes or a computer screen. The lakes are 3.9 miles, so if taking that long walk isn’t what you’re looking for, just walking up and down sorority row can suffice.

Gas prices have been high, but a short drive with your favorite friends is worth the loss of a few miles. Having time to talk about anything other than school gives

your brain time to decompress from all the stress. Psychology and marketing sophomore Lily Ray said she loves going to sonic with her friends as a study break.

“Surrounding myself with people who uplift me and make me feel calm and happy really helps,” said Ray. Not everyone has access to a bathtub, especially if you live in a dorm, but taking a bath is really helpful. Enhancing your bath is always fun when adding in scented Epsom salts. Walmart sells Dr. Teals for $4.87, which is a cheap option for an on a budget college student. They have scents like lavender and eucalyptus. Dr. Teals sells Melatonin Sleep Soak with essential oils, which would be great to use while unwinding after a day of stress.

There are endless possibilities of what to do when unwinding from the stress of finals. Just remember you are not defined by your grade; take some breaks and do your best.

MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille

Herget and Miller Halls sit across Campus Lake on Oct. 9 in Baton Rouge, La.

Thursday, December 2, 2021

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FILM

32nd annual New Orleans Film Festival showcases global films

BY CONNOR MCLAUGHLIN @connor_mcla After surviving the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and numerous other obstacles, the New Orleans Film Society was back with a bang for the 32nd annual New Orleans Film Festival (NOFF). Spanning from Nov. 5 to Nov. 21, the hybrid film festival offered both in-person and virtual screenings with over 170 films offered at different venues across the city.

By emphasizing diversity, the festival served as the perfect outlet for creators worldwide as filmmakers from nearly 104 countries submitted more than 3,000 films to this year’s festival. The lineup contained 28 world premieres and 11 U.S. premieres.

According to the NOFF website, “films directed by women and gender non-conforming directors account for 64% of the lineup, and films helmed by directors of color make up 73% of the lineup, with 36% of films coming from Black directors.”

Additionally, 60% of the films were made in the American South and Louisiana-made films represented 22% of the lineup

COURTESY OF NEW ORLEANS FILM SOCIETY

and the directors of selected films represented 24 different nationalities.

There was even some LSU staff with works showcased at the festival. Creative writing and screen arts professor Zack Godshall presented his feature-length documentary, “The Laughing Man,” at the Broad Theater. The film is about Thomas Alan Williamson, a part-time

actor, he met while working on another project. Professional-inresidence Glen Pitre also served as producer and screenwriter on the documentary “Mary Queen of Vietnam” which serves as a behind-the-scenes look at the annual Tet Festival in New Orleans.

With a plethora of independent films, documentaries and short films, there was also a great

selection of “Spotlight Films,” typically high-profile pictures from well-established filmmakers. This year, the Opening Gala film that kicked off the festival was Mike Mill’s “C’mon C’mon,” starring Joaquin Phoenix and newcomer Woody Norman, at the Orpheum Theater.

Set in New Orleans during the third act, the film follows a documentary filmmaker tasked

with taking care of his nineyear-old nephew. It’s a warm, soulful film about families and their fault lines that deserve to be seen, but the most special thing about the screening was that Mills was in attendance for a Q&A after the film.

“It was an amazing experience watching a film in the Orpheum Theater, and getting to see [Mills] before and after and listening to him talk about making the film was so cool,” said baton Rouge resident Jane Lynam. “It just felt really cool being in the same place that it was made in while watching it.”

Other Spotlight Films that premiered included Sean Baker’s “Red Rocket,” which revolves around a former porn star who returns to his Texas hometown, featuring New Orleans actress Judy Hill. Additionally, Kenneth Branagh’s personal love letter “Belfast;” Céline Sciamma’s “Petite Maman,” who also directed “Portrait of a Lady on Fire;” Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s “Memoria,” that won the Cannes Film Festival’s 2021 jury prize, and Reinaldo Marcus Green’s “King Richard” about the father of Serena and Venus Williams screen at the festival.

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SPORTS Column: ‘THE BRIGHT LIGHTS’ Why Brian Kelly is a

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OPINION

good hire

PETER RAUTERKUS @peter_rauterkus

It’s hard to find a bigger name or better resumé in college football than Kelly’s—outside of Nick Saban’s. Kelly has led Notre Dame to seven 10-win seasons since 2010. He has the most wins of any active college coach, and has a winning percentage that is second among coaches with at least 15 years of head coaching experience. Kelly has actually led the Fighting Irish to more playoff ap-

When searching for a new head football coach, it was clear that LSU Athletic Director Scott Woodward wanted to make a splash, hire someone with a winning pedigree and a great resumé.

Having hired the winningest coach in Notre Dame history, it’s safe to say Woodward accomplished his goal.

Brian Kelly coming to LSU is a hire that few expected, but one that many believe will be a “home-run” hire. It has been met with criticism from some, but when looking at the objective facts of Kelly’s career and what he has accomplished, it is easy to be on board with the decision to hire him.

His success at Notre Dame has been astounding, especially when

see KELLY, page 9

see COLUMN, page 9

ABBY KIBLER / The Reveille

Brian Kelly holds up the letter “L” for LSU Dec. 1, during a press conference held in regard to his recent hire as LSU football’s new head coach at the Bill Lawton Room in Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.

LSU to pay no-nonsense coach Brian Kelly$100 million over 10 years

BY DYLAN SANDERS @DillySanders “He’s an organized dude. He’s gonna get that place right,” current Chicago Bear and former Notre Dame tight end Cole Kmet said while hanging out with former players in a Twitter Space late Monday night.

The “he” in this situation is newly announced LSU Head Coach Brian Kelly. The space went on for hours as former, cur-

rent and incoming players joined together to share their shock at the news.

Rumors linking Kelly to LSU started swirling Monday afternoon, and most brushed them off as another coach trying to get a raise at his current school. But no, LSU had found their guy, and a wild coaching search had come to an end.

Many went into a spiral after it was announced ex-Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley was going to

USC, and UL-Lafayette Coach Billy Napier had taken the Florida job.

There was a feeling in the Baton Rouge air that LSU Athletic Director Scott Woodward had failed, and that LSU was going to panic and hire a “Plan C” type of coach.

Instead, he got one of the most successful active coaches in college football. Kelly’s contract with LSU will pay him $95 million, plus incentives, over 10 years. He landed in Baton Rouge Tuesday afternoon.

FOOTBALL

Kelly, Woodward, Tate aligned: ‘That is what the draw is’

BY JARED BRODTMANN @_therealjarbear What word did Brian Kelly use to dive into his introductory press conference?

“Alignment.”

“This is so much about alignment,” Kelly said. “Alignment relative to this university, the goals, what is in store for LSU athletics as a university. That is what the draw is for me.”

Kelly was clear that this was a perfect crossing of paths. From Athletic Director Scott Woodward’s interest in hiring the veteran college football coach to Kelly’s reciprocal interest in joining the athletics’ all-star cast of hires to the head coach’s family expressing their desire to pursue this opportunity with him, everything converged in a short, decisive period of time for Kelly to be hired as LSU’s 34th head football coach.

“There was no plan in place, as I entered the 2021 season, that I was looking for another opportunity,” the former Notre Dame coach said. “We had a great football team that we were developing, but when you get an opportunity to talk to Woodward, and he presents a clear vision, plan, and opportunity. It was an exciting vision for me to look at.”

ABBY KIBLER / The Reveille

Newly hired LSU football head coach Brian Kelly throws a thumbs up to LSU fans Nov. 30, before he takes the van back to LSU at the BTR Jet Center located in the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport.

Indeed, it seems that Woodward had a heavy hand in completing this hire. Kelly repeatedly mentioned Woodward’s quick, to-the-point 45-minute pitch to take the LSU job that convinced him to conference with his family and board the private jet to Baton Rouge. Kelly packed his things, briefly told his players goodbye

in a four-minute speech, and left with his new boss. After weeks of searching, Woodward found his next prized hire to join Kim Mulkey and Jay Johnson.

One thing was made clear: This was Woodward’s decision to steer into Kelly’s line of vision.

Kelly repeatedly commented that this was not “his” coaching search.

Woodward came to him, made the pitch and won the seasoned coach over. Kelly may believe that there was something so organized and melodious about the events that brought everything into place, but Woodward was the maestro that devised the tempting music. This is his seventh symphony.

“From the time I grew up in Baton Rouge selling peanuts at Tiger Stadium, until the day I returned as athletic director in 2019 and every day since, many things have changed,” Woodward said.

“But through all these years, from my first memories of this place, until the second I stepped up to this microphone today, there is one constant that I know has never changed. Never has, never will.”

Woodward took a dramatic pause, and he delivered a truth anyone familiar with the university can attest to.

“LSU fans love a winner,” he punctuated. “That’s why I know LSU fans will love Brian Kelly.”

As Kelly talked through questions, it became clear that the configuration of goals between himself and LSU was real. This is a prime opportunity for him to pursue a championship, and LSU is the school that was willing to pay to make it happen. After all, the coach will be making a base sal-

ary of $9.5 million dollars per year without incentives to boot. Kelly has a goal to win, and LSU has a goal to pay whoever can achieve that. Alignment is right.

Kelly is ready to go to work, too. He cited meeting with the team yesterday as a start to build trust, but that will have to be fostered over time. He has to assemble a staff, get waist-deep in recruiting as early signing day approaches and begin laying out expectations for his players in an attempt for them to be as self-disciplined as possible. That is surely a lot for him to cover.

Part of the requirement to be leveled with the university and its goals means to be centered with the state. Kelly will have an Ed-Orgeron sized hole to fill in that respect; it will be difficult to match the South Lafourche Parish native’s charisma and knowledge of Louisiana culture. That doesn’t mean Kelly’s not going to try.

“This is my first day in Louisiana; I didn’t know what this meant until today,” Kelly said as he made the signature “L” hand gesture. “I know what it means today. I’m going to learn a lot more as we go. But our family, we’re going to immerse ourselves into the culture of Louisiana. We’re not here to change anything; we’re here to get changed by it.”

Thursday, December 2, 2021 KELLY, from page 8 pearances than LSU has had, but LSU finished theirs with a championship. That championship is what Kelly is missing to solidify his already great, nearly hall-offame career.

The Irish’s win over Stanford on Saturday propelled Kelly’s squad to the No. 6 spot in College Football rankings. If chosen for the top-four, it will be Notre Dame’s second consecutive playoff appearance and third berth in four years. Throughout his tenure in South Bend, Indiana, Kelly boasts a 113-40 record.

Before his time with the Fighting Irish, Kelly spent three seasons with the Wildcats of Cincinnati from 2007 to 2009. There, he won 34 games and lost only six.

His departure from Cincinnati actually has a lot of parallels to the Notre Dame departure. Kelly left during the bowl season, while Cincinnati was ranked No. 3 in the BCS standings.

A big initial worry of the public with Kelly came with recruiting: Could he escape the midwest and get big names?

He has never coached further south than Cincinnati. In the 2022 class, he has landed recruits out of South Carolina (5-star linebacker Jaylen Sneed), multiple out of California, Washington, Texas, Georgia, Louisiana itself and more. Coaching and recruiting out of South Bend has given Kelly the opportunity to recruit across the country. Locking down Louisiana and fighting off other SEC schools are other challenges, but

page 9 Kelly has proven he can get great players.

Baton Rouge will also give Kelly a talent pool and level of athlete he’s never had, which should be reason for excitement, given what he’s done with what he had before.

One big thing that former players rave about when it comes to Kelly is his organization. Kelly is all about business—a no-nonsense coach, players say. Many believe that LSU needs a guy like that to bring the team back from the many stories of dysfunction that have been shared since 2019.

It’s also very obvious that at least the offense was disorganized for a lot of the season, based on the play fans saw on the field.

There is plenty to like on the surface of this hire, but also plenty to worry about. Kelly is 31-27 against top-25 teams. Notre Dame consistently finishes the season at the top, with two playoff appearances, but Kelly’s teams have yet to win it all. While Kelly’s criticisms of on-field play are there, much more prevalent is a notable tragedy that has some LSU fans questioning Kelly’s character: the 2010 death of Declan Sullivan, then a 20-year-old student videographer for Notre Dame football.

Sullivan was atop a hydraulic lift, videotaping practice, when strong winds toppled the lift and sent Sullivan to his death. An independent investigation later found that staffers were concerned about the weather that day, and that Sullivan had objected to filming practice to at least one staffer.

Kelly said he looked at the fore-

cast, thought the weather would be ordinary and called for normal outdoor practice, even though the National Weather Service advised wind gusts could reach 60 miles per hour that day. Notre Dame was levied a large fine for the accident.

“Most importantly, Coach Kelly’s players and programs exemplify excellence in all aspects of the student-athlete experience—

in competition, in the classroom and throughout the community— and he shares our values and vision for elevating our university and our state,” Woodward said in a press release.

“We’re thrilled to welcome him and his family to Baton Rouge, and we are excited to work with him as we add to the championship legacy of LSU Football.”

Kelly and his wife, Paqui,

ABBY KIBLER / The Reveille

LSU football head coach Brian Kelly, athletics director Scott Woodward, and LSU President William F. Tate pose for a photo Dec. 1, while gifting a “Kelly” jersey during a press conference held in regard to Kelly’s recent hire at the Bill Lawton Room in Tiger Stadium.

COLUMN, from page 8 you look closer at the context.

Since Lou Holtz left Notre Dame in 1996 following a tenure that included a national championship, four head coaches have coached at Notre Dame and posted winning percentages of .583, .583, .565 and .729, respectively.

Obviously one of those stands out from the others and that is the .729 winning percentage that Kelly posted over 12 seasons in South Bend. The reality at Notre Dame is that it is much harder to win there than it may have been in the earlier days of college football. In the 1980s, when Holtz was head coach, Notre Dame was the main attraction in college football.

Its TV deal with NBC meant that it was the only team guaranteed to be on TV every week, making it the premier brand in all of college football. Now, Notre Dame does not have the same draw it once had. With the playing field equal in terms of exposure, not being located in a talent-rich state and being limited in choosing players because of academic restrictions, Notre Dame is simply unable to attract the same kind of talent that schools like Alabama, LSU, Ohio State, Georgia and others can.

Given these factors, the consistent success that Kelly has had at Notre Dame has been astonishing. Being the winningest head coach at a school where it

ABBY KIBLER / The Reveille

The LSU Tiger Band drum major leads the performance Nov. 30, at the BTR Jet Center located in the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport. is more difficult to win now than it has ever been is a remarkable achievement.

Some will argue that he’s never won a national championship and that his record against top teams is not great, but that has everything to do with the context of the current situation at Notre Dame. It is nearly impossible to win a national championship competing against programs like Alabama and Clemson due

founded the Kelly Cares Foundation, which has given nearly $6 million to support breast cancer research since 2008.

“I could not be more excited to join a program with the commitment to excellence, rich traditions, and unrivaled pride and passion of LSU Football,” Kelly said. “Our potential is unlimited, and I cannot wait to call Baton Rouge home.”

to the extreme talent disadvantage Notre Dame has compared to these programs. Kelly’s success and consistency at Notre Dame shows how capable of a coach he is. When the handcuffs are taken off of him in recruiting, one can only imagine the success he could have at a program like LSU. Another common objective some fans have is that Kelly may not fit the culture of LSU and Louisiana. Kelly is from Massachusetts

and spent his entire coaching career in the midwest, so coming to LSU will be an adjustment.

However, when it comes to culture, there is no more important aspect of culture at LSU, or anywhere, than winning. When Nick Saban came to LSU prior to the 2000 season, the same concerns were raised. He was from West Virginia, spent his entire career to that point in the midwest and was unfamiliar with Loui-

siana and the south. Four years later, he had a national championship and made LSU a relevant football program again and was beloved by the entire state.

Obviously, there is only one Saban, but he is an example that winning is the culture that matters most at LSU, and Kelly has done that more than any other football coach LSU has ever hired.

Kelly may not be the entertaining character that Ed Orgeron and Les Miles were, but he is a serial winner—unlike those two proved to be. All of the sound bites and funny moments are great, but as proven by Orgeron’s downfall, fans get tired of all that when the wins stop coming. You won’t get the sound bites, the shirtless jogging or eating grass with Kelly, but you will get wins.

With the current state of the program, having a leader who is all about taking care of business and consistency is what the program needs right now after the failures of the last two years.

I never like to label a coach a “home run hire” on day one because it’s hard to really give a judgement until games start.

However, Kelly has all the characteristics of a coach that fits LSU for what the program needs right now and of someone who can win at a high level. Time will ultimately tell whether or not Kelly is the ultimate “home-run” hire, but on the face of it, there isn’t much reason to believe why he can’t become that.

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THE Daily Commuter Puzzle ACROSS 1 Balmy 5 Connors or Norris 10 __ the kill; there for the climax 14 TV’s “Unhappily __ After” 15 Scoundrel 16 Slangy reply 17 “__ Marleen”; WWII song 18 Unproven charge 20 …FDR, HST, __, JFK… 21 Actor Garcia 22 Drape pullers 23 Furniture dings 25 Olive Oyl’s hairdo 26 Like tunes that stay in your head 28 Hate 31 Actress Kirstie 32 Sherpa or docent 34 __ opener; small kitchen appliance 36 Committed perjury 37 Sits for a photo 38 Gray wolf 39 Dieter’s concern: abbr.

40 Bakery product 41 Word attached to mouth or cycle 42 Magazine editions 44 “Taxi” or “Cheers” 45 Printing store chain 46 Butt heads 47 Terrible 50 Red and Dead 51 __ truck; car puller 54 Dry white wine 57 Actress Seymour 58 All __ up; in shreds 59 Clamor 60 Dentist’s directive 61 Houston & Elliott 62 Daisylike flower 63 Trial run DOWN 1 Unite metals with heat 2 Very eager 3 Determined; unyielding 4 Presurgical scan 5 In a bad mood

by Jacqueline E. Mathews

Created by Jacqueline E. Mathews

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55 “Cat __ Hot Tin Roof” 56 Negative replies 57 __ down; make a note of

OPINION

page 11

LSU Board of Supervisors does not inspire confidence SULLY’S SCOOP CLAIRE SULLIVAN

@sulliclaire

An oil company president, a handful of CEOs, a chairwoman of a firearms distributor, a few lawyers—and not one educator among them. It’s not exactly the demographic you’d expect from the board that governs our university.

As established in the Louisiana constitution, the LSU Board of Supervisors is comprised of 16 members appointed by the governor and approved by the state Senate for staggered, six-year terms, alongside one student representative who serves a one-year term.

Its stated purpose is to “supervise and manage the institutions, statewide agricultural programs and other programs administered through its system.” Yet, not a single member of the Board comes from academia, which seems odd considering its power over an institution of higher education.

This isn’t to suggest that Board membership should be exclusively reserved for professors. Members with background working in education at any level should be welcome—and expected—on the Board.

Those with firsthand knowledge of the state of education and agriculture in Louisiana are vital assets to running what is, after

all, an agricultural and mechanical university. Community organizers who have worked to improve education in Louisiana would also make excellent additions to the Board.

It is difficult to see what—outside of political favor—motivated Gov. John Bel Edwards to appoint Board members with no background at all in education, agriculture or true public service. This is certainly not to unequivocally declare every Board member unfit and poorly motivated, but rather to suggest that we should look more critically at why the governor made the appointments he did.

Can the governor say that he honestly chose the best members and experts he could to chair the Board? That all his appointments were motivated out of what was best for the university, not politics or self-interest?

Personally, I’m not convinced.

This isn’t just a problem with Edwards. For years, membership on the Board has not been taken as seriously by governors as it ought to be.

But maybe the makeup of the Board wouldn’t be so important if not for the corruption that follows it time after time.

The Board is notoriously unresponsive, and even actively hostile, to the concerns of faculty and staff.

Take the infamous election of F. King Alexander as president of the university in 2013. The pro-

cess that preceded his tenure was highly secretive, eventually resulting in a lawsuit from the Advocate and then Reveille Editor in Chief Andrea Gallo. A unanimous vote of no confidence from the Faculty Senate did nothing to change the mind of Board members, who proceeded to elect Alexander despite

time in years in May 2021 to vote overwhelmingly in favor of a vaccine mandate.

Though the resolution was ultimately tabled, the Board’s willingness to support it lays bare a fundamental disrespect for the wishes of faculty from the administration.

This is the same Board that ea-

MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille

LSU Faculty Senate President Mandi Lopez addresses the room on Nov. 15, 2021 as the Faculty Senate meeting begins in the Howe-Russell Geoscience Complex in Baton Rouge, La. loud protests from faculty.

Though many of the Board members have changed since then, the trend of disregarding university employees has not.

More recently, the Board appeared resentful of faculty criticism of COVID-19 protocol, going so far as to support a resolution to dissolve the Faculty Council, which was activated for the first

gerly pushed the narrative that all those involved in the university’s egregious Title IX failures were long gone. They embraced the paltry slaps-on-the-wrists for athletic administrators involved in grave misgivings of justice.

And during recent Title IX training, Board member Jay Blossman complained, to the agreement of others, that “you can’t even say

good morning anymore,” a disappointing level of analysis from someone supposedly addressing what is a horrifying history of the university’s incompetence dealing with sexual violence.

This is, of course, not to mention that Board members with knowledge of former football coach Les Miles’ conduct failed to heed then Athletic Director Joe Alleva’s recommendation to fire him—that is, until his football record slipped.

Again, there have been changes in membership since then, though we should consider if the corrupt motivations that kept the Board from kicking out Miles have really changed. Considering the silence from the Board on head football coach Ed Orgeron’s alleged failure to report rape and sexual harassment, it seems they haven’t.

As a student, the Board’s leadership does not inspire confidence in the university, and neither does the process by which many of them were appointed.

The Board sometimes feels like a disconnected part of the university, one which students often ignore, yet its members are worthy of our attention and critical eye.

After all, the Board is meant to serve the university.

It’s time we ask more of that service.

Claire Sullivan is a 19-year-old coastal environmental science student from Southbury, CT.

Restoring trust demands renaming campus buildings CHARLIE’S ANGLES CHARLIE STEPHENS

@charliestephns On Aug. 11, 2020, then LSU Interim President Tom Galligan announced that the university’s Board of Supervisors instructed him to create a building name evaluation committee, saying, “LSU is committed to eliminating building and place names that are a reminder of a racist and segregated past and that inhibit our students’ learning and full inclusion on campus.”

The committee hasn’t met since March, supposedly due to one of its members—Verge Ausberry—being engulfed in the university-wide sexual assault scandal. Ausberry was suspend-

ed for 30 days and banned from attending the 2021-2022 football season games.

Yet, Ausberry welcomed newly hired head football coach Brian Kelly on the tarmac at the Baton Rouge airport on Tuesday. Doesn’t seem like much of a punishment to me, but that’s beside the point.

President William Tate IV— who started his tenure at the university in July—has emphasized restoring trust between the university administration and students, yet his actions have yet to show that commitment.

“I actually would have never started that committee,” Tate recently told the Reveille regarding the building name evaluation committee. Tate is keeping the committee intact but has al-

ready revealed his cards.

This is the same committee that the Board of Supervisors in-

ABBY KIBLER / The Reveille

LSU President William F. Tate IV accepts some red beans and rice on Nov. 15, 2021 prior to the LSU Faculty Senate Meeting in the Howe-Russell Geoscience Complex.

structed Galligan to create.

“Painful”—that’s how Tate responded when asked to comment on the University of South Carolina’s racist building names.

He went on to express support for the building renaming committee there that would eventually recommend the university rename 10 buildings. They were ultimately never renamed and Tate commented little on the report.

Tate talks a lot about trust.

“Why would anybody trust you? What I have to focus on is, what do we say we’re going to do? And did you do it? And if you deviate from that, that’s a problem,” Tate said to the Reveille.

Well President Tate, the university promised to rename these buildings.

Editorial Policies and Procedures EDITORIAL BOARD Lara Nicholson

Editor in Chief

Enjanae’ Taylor

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News Editor

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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 editor@lsu.edu 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.

On Aug. 11, 2020, LSU stated that they were “committed to eliminating building and place names that are a reminder of a racist and segregated past and that inhibit our students’ learning and full inclusion on campus.”

If we students are to trust you, shouldn’t you follow through on the promise that the university made? Renaming buildings is not a laborious act; as the university showed with the renaming of Middleton Library, it can actually be a swift process.

Keep the promise that the university made, Tate, “and if you deviate from that, that’s a problem.”

Charlie Stephens is a 21-year-old political communication junior from Baton Rouge.

Quote of the Week “They were savoring the bitterness of a parting they could still confuse with reconciliation.”

Isabel Allende

author Aug. 2, 1942 — present

Thursday, December 2, 2021

page 12

Despite flaws, choosing LSU was the best decision of my life SAM’S TWO CENTS SAMUEL CAMACHO @SamuelE17713784 The weather. A failing grade on a test. Stress. The economy.

Donald Trump. People are always going to have something to complain about. The list goes on and on.

If you’re an LSU student, you probably complain about the university’s adminstrators and officials, its crumbling infrastructure and its student activities. But you don’t hear about a classroom not having Internet access or a major power outage in dorms, which is the clear reality for universities in many other countries.

We’re extremely privileged and, though we don’t act like it, the constant spewing of grievances have taken too much space in the discourse on campus.

Let me be clear—as a member of this school’s newspaper, I wholeheartedly believe in the importance of voicing our opinions. We are a generation that doesn’t step back from confrontation at the sight of wrongdoing.

Were we supposed to keep quiet when the French department knowingly hired a serial

rapist who sexually abused several students, including a high school student? I don’t think so.

Were we supposed to ignore the students who, after paying thousands of dollars to the university in housing bills, saw their dorm rooms flooded with black water? We’re better than that.

Nevertheless, the reiteration of the cons has made it seem like there aren’t any pros.

Despite all these valid complaints, the reality is that getting an LSU education is one of the greatest decisions you can ever make.

In one ranking, LSU placed second in early-career pay compared to 23 other universities in Louisiana for bachelor’s degree earners. Tulane University came first, with a difference in annual pay of only $2,000. But this slight advantage is greatly offset by the immense gap in cost of attendance—going to Tulane can cost you up to $60,814 in tuition and fees alone, making LSU a much more affordable option that yields similar results in pay.

The difference between cost and earnings reflects the value of a university; basically, LSU gives you the best bang for your buck, so it’s little surprise that LSU was ranked as one of “America’s Best Value Colleges”

by Forbes.

More than just pay, which is incredibly important, LSU has countless opportunities that, frankly, we neither appreciate nor enjoy enough.

For example, studying a semester abroad can be cheaper than staying in-state because of LSU’s bilateral exchange agreements. You can study anywhere from Brazil to France and spend less than you would in Baton Rouge.

And yes, like at all universities, students struggle with getting involved and making friends. However, if anyone could make a stranger feel welcome, it would be a kind-hearted, open-armed Southerner.

I can’t possibly detail all of the reasons why LSU is a great university in one column. Nor does anyone want me to fill the pages of this issue with statistics on why an LSU education is a worthwhile investment.

However, for any uncertain incoming freshmen, I have only one thing to tell you: You’ve made the right choice.

Personally, after choosing to move to the United States, choosing LSU was the best decision of my life.

Samuel Camacho is a 21-yearold economics junior from Maracaibo, Venezuela.

MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille

Memorial Tower stands tall on March 21, surrounded by flowers and other plants on LSU’s campus.

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