The Reveille 2-14-22

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Val e ntin e’s Day Spe ci al Edition Mond ay, Fe b r u a r y 14 , 2 022

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LSU SUPER BOWL LVI

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

B-16 Hodges Hall Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, La. 70803

Four LSU alumni played on both NFL teams in Sunday’s Super Bowl crowd in Sofi Stadium Super Bowl 56.

In a Super Bowl that felt like LSU was playing in, the Joe Burrow to Ja’Marr Chase connection of old came up short for the Cincinnati Bengals in the team’s first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history since 1989.

This game featured four active

BY NICK OMBRELLARO & JACOB VERDIN @NOmbrellaro & @JacobHVerdin LSU alumni Odell Beckham Jr. and Andrew Whitworth hoisted the Lombardi trophy Sunday evening for the first time since the organization’s move to Los Angeles in front of a home

players who came from LSU in total, but it was Whitworth and Beckham who capped off their fairy tale season with a championship.

Beckham exited the game early with a knee injury, but not before he managed to score the first touchdown of the game on an impressive catch in the cor-

ner of the endzone. Whitworth came into this game fresh off winning the Walter Peyton Man of the Year and was a key contributor in what might have been his final career NFL game.

No matter how Super Bowl 56 ended, an LSU Tiger was guaranteed to receive their first Super Bowl Ring.

Odell Beckham Jr., Rams Wide Receiver Beckham’s best game during the postseason was in the NFC Championship Game with nine receptions for 113 yards, which was complemented by Cooper Kupp’s 11-of-14 receptions for 142 yards and two touchdowns.

Beckham still has the ability to make dynamic plays with

the ball in his hands, and, working in tandem with Kupp, he found exploits in the Bengals’ defense. McVay loves to scheme receivers open and largely targeted Eli Apple, the weakest starting member of the Bengals secondary, all Sunday night.

top-10 all-purpose yards games in school history.

When paired with Jarvis Landry, Beckham turned into a cheat code. The duo was the first pair of receivers to each record a 1,000yard season in the same year.

LSU 2011-2013 The Rams have one of the greatest players to put on the Purple and Gold every Saturday, Odell Beckham Jr. During his junior year in 2013, Beckham averaged 20 yards per catch and recorded four of the

Andrew Whitworth, Rams Left Tackle The most experienced and tenured member of NFLSU and oldest player in the NFL, Whitworth is nearing the end of his career and had one last goal remaining: a Super Bowl ring. After winning a BCS National Championship when Nick Saban was the coach at LSU in 2003, Whitworth was drafted by the Bengals in 2006 and joined the Rams in 2017.

The three-time All-Pro, and four-time Pro Bowler

turned 40 this past December and is signed through the 2022 season. Although he is still under contract, Whitworth has hinted this week that retirement may be likely after this game.

“We’ll see. More than likely this will be it. There’s always a scenario, but to me, I think I’ve accomplished about everything that I’d wanna accomplish in my career and I’ve got a lot of other things I want to do,” Whitworth told People

Magazine.

The offensive tackle of the Rams won the Walter Payton Man of the Year award for his Big Whit 77 Foundation, which benefits families and youth in his local community.

This is the Rams’ second Super Bowl appearance in four years, having lost to the Patriots in Super Bowl 53, and first super bowl victory since the start of the century.

what we did all season,” Burrow said after the loss.

Despite coming up short, Burrow put together another solid performance, adding 263 yards and a touchdown while being harassed all game by the Rams’ stout defensive line. Burrow may not have provided the storybook ending in this game, but at just 25 years old with a young team, this will not be the last time he has a chance to make history.

In the AFC Wild Card round, the Raiders quarterback Derek Carr was intercepted with 12 seconds left and just two yards

LSU 2001-2005 The sheer size of this man is maddening, standing at 6 feet 7 inches and weighing 322 pounds, Whitworth gave his matchups nightmares. Whitworth set an LSU record of 52 consecutive starts, and in his four years he never sat out of a game. The sheer dedication to ignore limiting factors and to go out and perform for LSU made him a gritty favorite. During the 2003 National Championship season, Whitworth started all 14 games and led the team in total snaps played with 920 snaps.

away from the endzone. Following an interception against the Titans with 20 seconds left in a tied game, Burrow hit Chase and then Mixon to get into field-goal range, eventually leading Evan McPherson to drill a 52-yard field goal to win.

When chances were dimming in the AFC Championship against the Chiefs in overtime, another timely interception followed by a 42-yard drive had McPherson once again bringing the Bengals a victory, this time punching their ticket to the Super Bowl.

comeback from an 18-point deficit.

One could argue that with Chase at the helm, the Bengals have a top-five receiving trio in the league; the ability for each to open passing lanes up for the others is noteworthy. Chase commanded the most attention during the AFC Championship Game, and, although he was able to have a nice stat line of 6-54-1, Tee Higgins was able to make the most of his opportunities during the game, completing six receptions for 103 yards to lead the team in receiving yards.

Editor-in-Chief LARA NICHOLSON Managing Editor ENJANAE’ TAYLOR Digital Editor JAYDEN NGUYEN News Editor JOSH ARCHOTE Deputy News Editor BELLA DARDANO Sports Editor JOE KEHRLI Deputy Sports Editor PETER RAUTERKUS

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LSU 2018 & 2019 In just two seasons with the Tigers, Burrow climbed to second place in career passing yards (8,565) and first in career passing touchdowns (76). To top off his already impressive resume, Burrow led his team to a national championship after the undefeated 2019 season. Burrow was not only rewarded for his efforts with a national title, but he also became one of only two LSU players in history to be named a Heisman trophy winner.

Ja’Marr Chase, Bengals Wide Receiver Leading the Bengals in receiving stats this postseason, Ja’Marr Chase has been the same game-changing receiver he was during the regular season. Despite fielding some strange interviews and questions during recent media day coverage, Chase has lived up to what the Bengals needed from him when he was drafted fifth overall. His longest play came against the Titans when he caught a pass at the line of scrimmage and flipped field position, picking up 57 yards in the process.

His single touchdown that came against the Chiefs played a part in the Bengals’

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Joe Burrow, Bengals Quarterback Joe Burrow kept cool these playoffs despite making an 18-point comeback in the AFC Championship Game and overcoming nine sacks against the Titans. All three games this postseason have been nail biters – and the Super Bowl was no exception.

“He’s a warrior, a pure warrior. A stone-cold killer. Said if there’s one QB he wants to play for, it’s Burrow,” Bengals cornerback Chidobe Awuzie said about Burrow’s toughness on Sunday.

“I’m still going to celebrate with the guys and reminisce on

NEWSROOM

LSU 2018-2020 Alongside Burrow during that 2019 season was his right hand man, Ja’Marr Chase. These two were an explosive duo who still prove they can torch defenses alongside one another. Chase started his tenure at LSU the same year Burrow did and managed to work his way up to the No. 4 spot on LSU’s career receiving touchdowns leaderboard. In the 2019 National Championship game, Chase led the team in receiving yards (221) and receiving touchdowns (2). His blazing speed combined with his sharp route running skills makes defensive backs across the league lose sleep.

Layout/Ad Design MALORIE NGUYEN Layout/Ad Design BRIANNA WESSELHOFF

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.

A single issue of The Reveille is free from multiple sites on campus and about 25 sites off campus. To obtain additional copies, please visit the Office of Student Media in B-39 Hodges Hall or email studentmedia@ lsu.edu. The Reveille is published biweekly during the fall, spring and summer semesters, except during holidays and final exams. The Reveille is funded through LSU students’ payments of the Student Media fee.

NEWS ONLINE DATING Red flags, confidence boosters, odd dates

BY MADDIE SCOTT @madscottyy As LSU freshman Maddi Boshra was grieving a messy breakup, she found solace in the popular dating app Hinge, where users can match with and respond to each others’ profile prompts.

Boshra swipes through potential partners while her dorm roommates – which she refers to as “the council” – watch over her shoulder and either approve or disapprove each profile.

Boshra found herself staying up hours at night talking to people on the app. She once stayed up four hours texting a girl she was clicking with.

“I’m so happy I had the experience of dating apps because it makes me see that I am capable of having a life without my ex,” Boshra said.

Boshra has a photo album on her phone of “wild” and “mind-blowing” accounts where she and her suitemates wonder what the person was thinking when they made their profile.

Forty-eight percent of adults aged 18 to 29 report they have used online dating platforms, according to a 2020 study by the Pew Research Center.

Apps like Tinder, Bumble and Hinge have only grown in popularity since the pandemic made meeting people more difficult.

Political science freshman Sydney Faulk uses all three of those apps. She says her overall experience is positive, espe-

page 3 DIVERSITY

LSU Black History Month celebration

BY CHANDLER MCINTOSH @GeauxChandler18

up to her in public and say they recognized her from her online dating profile, and she usually doesn’t know who these people are.

“Literally I could be walking around with my friends and a random guy will come up to me and talk about it,” Faulk said.

International business and Spanish sophomore Lizzie Allert is not currently on any dating apps but used to have Tinder and Hinge. She shared concerns about the transpar-

LSU’s African American Cultural Center will host an array of events in the coming weeks to celebrate Black History Month.

The Clarence L. Barney Jr. African American Cultural Center partnered with the Black History Month Student Committee to create a calendar with activities catered to all LSU students.

“The Black History Month calendar is the most extensive it has ever been,” said Percy Jackson, director of the Center. “It is exciting because there are a lot of events for students to choose from.”

Upcoming events include the following: MLK Food Drive Feb. 14 - 21 Organizations are invited to donate food to the LSU Food Pantry. The organization with the highest weight of food will win the Food Drive Award.

UMOJA Block Party Feb. 16 from 12 - 3 p.m.

The Center will host a block party featuring minority student organizations at its office.

ELEVATE: The Chop Feb. 17 from 6 - 7:30 p.m.

LSU Black Male Leadership Initiative will host their fourth annual “The Chop” in conjunction with their ELEVATE series, where undergraduate students

see DATING, page 4

see CELEBRATION, page 4

CAILIN TRAN / The Reveille

cially since she’s found multiple relationships and friends from the apps.

She often swipes through the apps as her friends watch, and they predict whether she’ll match with each profile, which makes it feel like a “video game.” She also describes online dating as a “confidence booster,” and receives validation from those she matched with.

According to the Pew Research Center, young women are more likely to report negative interactions on online dat-

ing platforms. Six out of 10 female users aged 18 to 34 said in a survey that someone from a dating app continued to contact them after saying they weren’t interested.

Faulk went on to describe the stigma associated with each dating app, saying everyone on Tinder specifically gives “red flags.”

“The bad thing about online dating is that you’re meeting them in the way they’re presenting themselves on their online profile,” Faulk said.

She often has strangers walk

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Scott-Rovere ticket jumps into SG presidential race

BY CORBIN ROSS @CorbinRoss5 Political Science juniors Devin Scott and Isabella Rovere announced their campaigns for student body president and vice president in January. Major policy issues they stressed were increasing inclusivity and opportunities for minorities at LSU, furthering Title IX reforms and creating better dialogue between students and administration.

The Scott-Rovere ticket iscurrently running against the Rise and Evolve tickets. Scott and Rovere announced their campaign Jan. 16 on Instagram and Twitter in a minute-long video.

“Devin and I believe in our university’s potential,” Rovere said in the video. “We are ready

to put in the work to revive the broken systems and put in the work in order to best serve the student body.”

Scott is the Student Government chief policy officer and co-chair of the Black Male Leadership Initiative.

“I’m from Robinhood, so I grew up in north Baton Rouge.

LSU is, of course, like, 15 minutes down the road so coming here was not really in my reach, per say, because typically Black men don’t go to college, let alone Black men that are from Baton Rouge,” Scott said.

“When I came here there were a lack of programs and initiatives for Black students like myself, and minority students in general, and I started to take the initiative to create

see SG, page 4

DEVIN SCOTT / The Reveille

Devin Scott and Isabella Rovere announced their intent to run for student body president and vice president Jan. 16.

Monday, February 14, 2022

page 4 DATING, from page 3 ency of online dating after being catfished by someone who used photo editing to appear more conventionally attractive.

“Not only are you just protecting yourself and your own personal safety, but you’ve got to protect your mind and your soul and everything,” Allert says.

Allert believes her main reason for downloading the apps was “vanity” after downloading them during a time of boredom. Flirting with others behind a phone adds an extra

SG, from page 3 those spaces and programs.”

Rovere is a former chair of the president’s student task force for sexual assault. She is currently forming an Advisory Council for Power-Based Violence, which will advise the Title IX office on issues relating to sexual assault.

“The Advisory Council for Power-Based Violence is something that I’m really a driving force on this semester,” Rovere

CELEBRATION, from page 3 can gather to have open conversations about difficulties faced by men of color and receive a haircut in real time. ELEVATE is a Black Male Empowerment Speaker Series aiming to instill positive energy and knowledge into identifying men at LSU. The event will take place at the Bill Lawton Room in Tiger Stadium.

BWEI Phenomenal Woman Feb. 17 from 5 - 7 p.m.

The annual Phenomenal Woman award celebration, hosted by the Black Women’s Empowerment Initiative, will celebrate Black women at LSU at the LSU Student Union-Magnolia.

Career Development of Students who Identify as Black/ African-American Feb. 23 from 12:30 - 1:30 p.m.

Black LSU students can attend a career development Zoom event to understand the unique needs and experiences of stu-

layer of dopamine, Allert says, because she doesn’t have to keep a front.

“I would recommend them [online dating apps] to other LSU students, especially with not all of our classes being in person quite yet,” Allert said.

In the same study, 11% of adults aged from 18 to 29 said dating apps are not at all safe, 27% said dating apps are not safe, 58% said dating apps are somewhat safe and 4% said dating apps are very safe.

While political science sophomore Parker Simpson has found several committed rela-

said. “Within that policy point, it’s about bringing awareness to the entire student body and giving the students a voice in order to advise administration.

That’s something you don’t really hear about a lot, the students giving recommendations to administration and them actually being heard.”

The candidates said they’re also looking into establishing a service leadership group that would connect students to com-

tionships from online dating, he believes there are also dangers when it comes to safety.

He also uses the main three dating apps.

“Through dating apps, I’ve met some cool people, but there are a lot of weirdos out there,” Simpson said.

Hearing of sketchy stories from his friends’ online dating experiences, Parker says people need to be careful, even himself having experiences with “obsessive” people.

While he believes the close proximity of people his age is convenient for dating on a col-

lege campus, he also believes the concept of online dating is weird.

“I am rating another human based on how attractive I think they are,” Simpson said. “It’s like you’re itemizing someone’s whole being based on their profile. It feels very not natural.”

Mass communication freshman Liam Haley’s overall experience of online dating is good and he continues to use the apps in hopes of finding a committed relationship. Though he recognizes the disparities between men and women.

“You hear stories all the time of people meeting up on dates and something terrible happening,” Haley said. “I feel like it’s worse for women definitely.”

Haley says online dating is not a “one-size-fits-all,” and can promote a “self-destructive” behavior when used in bad mental standing, believing one shouldn’t use the apps to “fuel an unhealthy habit.”

“Overall, dating apps are pretty good,” Haley said. “Just be careful and don’t change who you are for some random person you saw on your phone.”

munity service work so that when hurricanes hit the state, students will be ready to serve communities across Louisiana.

“Our big pillars are: believe, provide and serve,” Scott said.

“When we came here freshman year, campus was, like, way more lively and our biggest goal is to revive that campus that we all know and love at LSU. There’s also a lot of broken systems right now, Title IX, etc., so we’d like to make those

systems work to serve the student body.”

Scott and Rovere said one of their main driving points is having students’ opinions and concerns be brought to the forefront for administration to hear.

“A lot of decisions are made at the top that students never ever hear about and before you know it, it’s affecting you and you don’t have a decision in that,” Scott said. “I think a big

part of that is finding ways of listening to student voices by creating more leadership councils and student organizations that will be able to consult with President Tate.”

The presidential campaigns are expected to ramp up efforts over the coming months as election day nears. Elections take place on March 30 and the results will be announced April 1 at 4:30 p.m. Students will be able to vote through TigerLink.

dents who identify as Black and explore strategies and resources to help students through the career development process.

Soul Food Fest Feb. 24 from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Takes place on Tower Drive.

Afro-Latinx Black History Month Speaker Feb. 24 from 5 - 6 p.m.

Lorinda Sealy and Thyra Buchanan will speak about the intersection of the African diaspora in Latin American and how it applies to Baton Rouge at Capital Chambers.

The Center has collaborated with LSU organizations such as Black Student Union, Black Graduate Professional Student Association, Iota Tau Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Inc., LSU Student Health Center and others to plan the events.

Jackson remembered the significance of Black History Month celebrations during his collegiate experience and said JALEN HINTON / The Reveille

LSU students raise their hands during Black Minds Matter panel at LSU African American Cultural Center on Feb. 20, 2020.

FRANCIS DINH/ The Reveille

The Clarence L. Barney, Jr. African American Cultural Center sits Feb. 13 on Veterans Drive on LSU’s campus.

he wants students of color to feel empowered knowing their history, one deeply rooted in a legacy of contributions and achievements.

“Education on Black history and moments in Black history that were very significant in the past as well as events that are currently in the present will be shown through the Black History Month events,” Jackson said.

“Participants should also get an opportunity to connect with other students from all backgrounds and engage in a setting that promotes community.”

Jackson believes that Black History Month events contribute to the retention of minority students, as the events allow students space to identify their cul-

ture and a sense of belonging.

Byron Hansley, an LSU sophomore and AACC ambassador helped plan the events in conjunction with the Black History Month Committee. “[Students] should be able to find a community that is going to accept them for who they are during these events,” Hansley said. “All races, backgrounds and beliefs should participate.

Even if you don’t classify as a person of color, you should come to each event because they are very informative.”

Previous events such as “Dear Black LSU” have allowed Black and minority students to find communities within a large university. Hansley believes that having a space where students

feel comfortable speaking about difficult experiences is crucial in a primarily white institution.

Codee Jones, an LSU senior, has been a member of the Black Student Union, an organization within the AACC. She is proud of the work that the Black Student Union has put toward sponsoring Black History Month events on campus.

“I think the AACC and Black History Month add value to Black students’ college experience,” Jones said. “I’ve gained friends and engaged in business for the Black Student Union.

These events allow students to volunteer and connect with the Black Student Union events after Black History Month comes to an end.”

ENTERTAINMENT

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THIS WEEK IN BR

Want to see your event in The Reveille?

Email information to editor@lsu.edu.

MONDAY AT 1

BY REVEILLE ENTERTAINMENT STAFF @Reveilleent

FEBRUARY

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TH DIY Valentine’s Card LSU Library Lobby The LSU Library Programming Committee is supplying students with the materials to make their own free Valentine’s cards.

COURTESY OF LSU LIBRARY

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“RENT” Production Raising Canes River Center

THURSDAY AT 6

COURTESY OF RAISING CANES RIVER CENTER

The 25th anniversary of Jonathan Larson’s “RENT” will be showing in the recently renovated Raising Canes River Center. Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. show are available on ticketmaster.

TUESDAY AT 7:30

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The Chop Bill Lawton Room - Tiger Stadium LSU’s Black Male Leadership Initiative will host its fourth annual “The Chop,” a safe discussion space for Black men at 6 p.m in the Bill Lawton Room in Tiger Stadum. Local CEO Cameron Jackson will be in attendance, and 25 free haircuts will be provided.

COURTESY OF LSU BLACK MALE LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE

Thursday, November 18, 2021

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Thursday, November 18, 2021

I’m not a photographer, You make my heart

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I’ll never let you geaux.

ROAR. but I can definitely picture us together.

No. 9 on the field but No. 1 in my heart

CUT A CARD

Enjoy these Reveille Valentine’s Day cards Graphics by Cailin Tran

Our love is front page NEWS.

Are you a parking ticket?

Because you’ve got “FINE”

written all over you.

SPORTS Aifuwa’s Ascent

Mulkey’s praise of Faustine Aifuwa, ‘She’s in the best shape of her life’

BY TYLER HARDEN @ttjharden8 Faustine Aifuwa has been a major part of the LSU women’s basketball team’s success. When Coach Kim Mulkey first stepped into the program, she expected a lot out of Aifuwa, especially considering she is a graduate senior and a leader of the team.

“Bigs have to play a longer period of time for me and not just play half court,” Mulkey said in a press conference leading up to their matchup against Georgia.

“We like to go foul-line to foulline, that’s where games are won.”

Aifuwa knew she would have to work in the offseason in order to have the ability and stamina to stay in games for long periods of time. Up to this point, her hard work paid off.

The ability for Aifuwa to be on the court for longer periods of time took a lot of dedication and commitment in the offseason. She worked to get in better shape and paid attention to her diet to put herself in the best position possible not only for this season, but for her future seasons beyond college.

“I did lose some weight,” Aifuwa said in the press conference leading up to the Georgia matchup. “I was paying attention to what I was eating and getting

page 8 MEN’S BASKETBALL

Tigers holds off State for a home crowd

BY HENRY HUBER @HenryHuber_

just something me and Coach [Mulkey] have talked about, she expected me to be in shape and be able to keep up in transition and the style that we play.”

Coach Mulkey also wanted

LSU men’s basketball’s Saturday night game against Mississippi State was very similar to its previous game against Texas A&M, with that the first half was near perfect and the second half—not so much for Head Coach Will Wade and the Tigers.

While the Purple and Gold managed to pull out wins in both games against the Aggies of Texas A&M and the Bulldogs of Mississippi State, these second- half slips have turned stellar performances into ones where they just barely ended up getting by with a win.

On paper, the causes of this drop-off in production against Mississippi State were obvious, with turnovers and shooting percentages from the second half jumping off the page when compared to what LSU managed in the first half.

The game opened, and the Ti-

see AIFUWA, page 9

see BASKETBALL, page 9

CHYNNA MCCLINTON/ The Reveille

LSU women’s basketball graduate student center Faustine Aifuwa (24) catches a pass Jan. 16, during LSU’s 8264 win against Vanderbilt in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on North Stadium Drive in Baton Rouge, La. myself ready for the pros and stuff like that.”

Aifuwa finished last season playing a total of 713 minutes.

This year, with six games remaining in the regular season, she has already played 548 minutes with an average of 22 minutes per

game. Along with the remaining conference games, and potentially a deep postseason run, Aifuwa should surpass her minutes played from last year considerably.

“This is the most amount of minutes I’ve played my whole four or five years,” Aifuwa said, “that’s

BASEBALL

The Baseball Advancced Stat Sequel: FIP Calculations

BY JARED BRODTMANN @_therealjarbear Thanks to some great feedback on the first edition of The Reveille’s exploration into baseball advanced statistics, I decided to follow up with the sequel looking into LSU’s pitching with non-conventional baseball statistics. Hopefully, it performs more like Empire Strikes Back than Attack of the Clones. (What was George Lucas thinking?

Midichlorians? Really?)

Everyone is relatively familiar with the two most common averaging statistics used for pitching: earned run average and walks-hits per inning pitched. ERA is just the number of earned runs a pitcher allows multiplied by their innings pitched, then multiplied by nine innings, while WHIP is the sum of hits and walks allowed divided by the pitcher’s inning pitched. Their relevance is absolutely here to stay. But an interesting advanced pitching metric is field-independent pitching, or FIP. FIP takes out all of those pesky, irritating chores that is defense from position players and only cares about one factor: The pitcher and what he

controls by himself. That means strikeouts, walks, hit-by-pitches and home runs are the only events that can affect FIP. These actions are weighted differently in the FIP equation, which you can find below: FIP = ((13(HR)) + (3(BB+HBP)) – (2(K))/(IP)) + FIP Constant FIP Constant for SEC = 3.60 Here’s the cool part about this time around: Instead of using standardized values to compute the stat I wanted that may not be perfectly accurate to the league where analysis is occurring, the raw data required to calculate the FIP constant for the SEC was available for last season. This means these FIP numbers can be counted on to be remarkably accurate. FIP reads exactly like ERA, as a measure of runs per nine innings, making it easy for new fans to read, understand and compare FIPs of their favorite players. I also included basic measures for players’ strikeout-to-walk ratio and strikeouts, walks, and home runs per nine innings.

Let’s get to the numbers for returning LSU players who threw 20+ innings last season: If I had to pick one player to spotlight, it’s Ma’Khail Hilliard.

PETER NGUYEN/ The Reveille

LSU baseball sophomore right-handed pitcher Will Hellmers (48) answers questions before practice Jan. 28, in Alex Box Stadium on Gourrier Avenue in Baton Rouge.

In his fourth season with LSU, he threw his most innings since he tallied a whopping 76 his freshman season in 2018, when LSU was coming off replacing all three of their weekend

starters in Alex Lange (drafted), Jared Poche (drafted), and Eric Walker (Tommy John surgery).

His sophomore year saw him regress with a permanent move to the bullpen but re-emerged last

season as an important player to eat a lot of innings. Truthfully, outside of Landon Marceaux, he was LSU’s most consistent pitch-

see BASEBALL, page 9

Monday, February 14, 2022 AIFUWA, from page 8 Aifuwa, who is a 6-foot, 5-inch center, to be more of a post presence in games.

“She’s got a beautiful face-up jumper,” Mulkey said of Aifuwa, “she’s so strong in there, I want her to do some back to the basket posting up.”

In the team’s last seven games, Aifuwa has most definitely made herself a presence. She has scored double-digit points in four out of the last seven games, and has grabbed at least five rebounds in the last seven games, including a 20-point, 14-rebound, doubledouble performance in the team’s road-win over Ole Miss.

“From what I’ve been told, she’s [Aifuwa] in the best shape of her life,” Mulkey said, “She’s never run the floor as well as she’s running it now. She’s [Aifuwa] just having a very good year,” Mulkey added.

Mulkey thinks of Aifuwa as a valuable leader on the floor because of seniority and experience.

“She is an older senior, she’s been around a while, so she doesn’t get too rattled,” Mulkey said, “she’ll get aggravated at herself when she misses an open shot, but we wouldn’t be where we are without those bigs.”

For Aifuwa, making improvements to her game in the offseason and dedicating herself to the success of the team was about more than just this season. The LSU women’s basketball program

page 9 has not been in a better spot to make a substantial postseason run since they made the Sweet Sixteen in 2014. Now that a coach of Mulkey’s stature and experience heads of the team, Aifuwa knew she had to do what it takes to leave her legacy in the program along with the other seniors.

“It means a lot to me,” Aifuwa said. “Starting out in the preseason and all the hard work that we put into it, it feels great seeing it all come together.”

While this season has been everything Aifuwa could have wanted, the thought that it is her final season at LSU has yet to become a reality for her.

“It hasn’t really hit me yet that it’s my last year,” Aifuwa said, “but I’m taking it one step at a time,

one game at a time, and just enjoying it with my team.”

Aifuwa’s mentality toward this season is how all the seniors, and all the players on this year’s team seem to be approaching this season. As long as they take things one step at a time and play one game at a time, staying true to themselves will come easy. But aside from the wins and losses, Aifuwa just wants to enjoy her last season in the Purple and Gold with her teammates. With this mentality, the team is destined to go on a deep postseason run, and hopefully bring a National Championship back to Baton Rouge. Thanks to the hard work and commitment Aifuwa made in the offseason, she very well may play a great part in making that happen.

CHYNNA MCCLINTON / The Reveille

LSU women’s basketball Head Coach Kim Mulkey raises her hands to get the crowd excited Feb. 10, before LSU’s 73-67 win against Georgia in the PMAC.

BASEBALL, from page 8 er, and the numbers reflect that sentiment. Hilliard held a phenomenal 4.42 K/BB ratio, and with a low BB/9 statistic to add, he was able to effectively command the plate. It’s interesting that his FIP was lower than his ERA, considering his signature pitch is his curveball that loves the lower third of the zone, theoretically inducing many groundball outs. I think it’s a testament to Hilliard’s great fastball command and the pitch mixing with his big hook that he aided from the FIP analysis.

Devin Fontenot showed some good and some bad. His clean 10.53 K/9 in 34.2 IP tells you, if you didn’t already know, that Hilliard’s teammate from the same recruiting class likes to strike people out. He’s a flamethrower, hitting 96-97 with his fastball, but also has a nice slider to keep his opponents off balance. However, he struggled with some command last season, and it reared its head in the numbers and with a slight drop in draft stock. A 5.53 BB/9 needs improvement, and although his ERA was a fantastic 2.89, the FIP of 4.10 can indicate some of those control problems. If he can get those walks down while also making sure he’s not leaving too many pitches over the middle of the plate, Fontenot is the most talented pitcher on the roster—scouts will recognize

BASKETBALL, from page 8

MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille

LSU men’s basketball senior guard Xavier Pinson (1) drives toward the hoop on Feb. 12, during LSU’s 69-65 win over Mississippi State at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on North Stadium Drive in Baton Rouge, La.

gers went 14-23 (61%) after starting 0-8. After missing their first eight shots from the field and going scoreless through the first four-and-a-half minutes of the game, the Tigers found the net with a Brandon Murray layup, and then the shots finally started to fall. This is a substantial difference in first half production the Tigers have shown the previous games of the season.

They would make five of their next six shots, going on a 12-0 run, and ultimately finished the half shooting a respectable 45%.

The second half wasn’t entirely different from the first when it came to LSU’s shooting, as the Tigers would start the period 1-10 from the field but the key difference here was how long it took the Tigers to get going again.

At the 8:07 mark in the second half, LSU had scored just 10 points, and its lead had completely evaporated. Sure, they responded to that by putting up that same number of points in less than four minutes on a 14-2 run that stole the game for them, but losing momentum like that isn’t something you want to get used to doing–especially looking forward to the upcoming SEC Tournament and March Madness.

That, coupled with the increase in turnovers, nearly sparked disaster for the group.

Along with those problems, Wade also credited struggles with communication on de-

his strides.

The fate of LSU’s season may be in the hands of these five remaining sophomores. When COVID-19 rocked the team in March of 2020, the team unfortunately saw what may have been multiple stunning seasons from their talented staff diffuse into the “What if?” realm. Cole Henry, Marceaux, AJ Labas and Jaden Hill have all been drafted, and veterans Eric Walker and Matthew Beck are no longer with the team. This year’s team has just four pitchers from that team two seasons ago: Hilliard, Fontenot, Trent Vietmeier and Jacob Hasty.

Thus, it was the job of this freshmen group last year to come and play right away. Like most freshmen, they each had ups and downs, but everyone has something to like going forward. For Floyd and Coleman, it was their strikeout rates. For Edwards, Hellmers and Money, it was their relatively low walk rates. FIPs were curious, favoring some and hurting others.

Money’s stands out as the biggest difference, with a three-run difference in favor of his FIP to his ERA, showing how much of the short end of the stick he often got last year. At the end of the day, it is so crucial for these five, among other transfers and freshmen, to have good seasons because they are the only ones who have gone through a full SEC conference season. fense, citing that as a big difference between the two halves.

“It was our communication defensively, and on offense, we were settling too much,” Wade said. “It is a lot easier to communicate when our bench is in front of us, which is in the first half most of the time.”

The Tigers were able to get out of the hole due to a team effort, but they did have standouts in Tari Eason, who led the team in scoring for the sixteenth time this season, and Xavier Pinson through the late-game run.

Wade especially credited Eason’s three-point shooting ability with providing them with an edge.

“Tari [Eason] adding a new dimension to his game the last couple of games by making these three’s is huge,” Wade stated. “He’s not guardable when he’s making threes like this, three for six tonight.”

Wade highlighted the contrast between halves, stating that this team would be a force if they could together two halves like the first one. And with a 15- point lead and a total of 22 points given up, along with the 20-point lead and 16 points given up in the first half on Tuesday, it’s hard to argue with that.

Despite the second half collapse, this was still a huge win for the Tigers, who had previously lost two of their last three home games along with six of their last eight. The team is picking a pristine time to start winning again, as the end of the season approaches rapidly.

page 10

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38 Be in a bee 39 Recipe verb 40 Butter square 41 Part of TGIF 42 Speed contests 43 Keep 45 Most chaste 46 Sprite 47 Hamelin’s visitor 48 Road 51 Feasted 52 Word from Scrooge 55 Fleeting; temporary 58 Stay away from 60 Intentions 61 Seizes suddenly 62 Ravi Shankar’s instrument 63 Like pink cheeks 64 Elephant’s color 65 Office note DOWN 1 Command to Fido 2 Gap 3 Provoke 4 __-witted; stupid

by Jacqueline E. Mathews

Created by Jacqueline E. Mathews

5 Bouquet tosser 6 Johnson or Morrison 7 Clamor 8 Winter projectile 9 Large mugs 10 __ fu; means of self-defense 11 Dermatitis symptom 12 “Heart and Soul,” for one 14 Lunchbox treat 19 Stop 22 Gunfighter __ Holliday 25 Covetous feeling 27 Baby clothes fastener 28 Fragrant wood 29 Refuse to proceed 30 Make worse 31 “Sesame Street” fans 33 Bridge 34 Ten over __ is one 36 Bar soap brand

2/14/22

Saturday’s Puzzle Solved

©2022 Tribune Content Agency, LLC All Rights Reserved.

38 Changing positions 39 Unadorned 41 Telling __; lying 42 Mumbai dollars 44 Wee 45 Prune stone 47 Pushover 48 Have the lead role

2/14/22

49 Threesome 50 California team 53 Actor Sandler 54 Sandwich type 56 Where Meniere’s disease occurs 57 Org. for Hornets & Heat 59 Pep

OPINION

page 11

QUICK

Don’t waste your time on a Valentine’s Day first date MISSING IN ACTION MIA COCO @MiaMarieCoco1 While meeting up with your Tinder match for the first time on the most romantic holiday of the year might sound like a great idea, it can actually be a disaster for you and your wallet.

Valentine’s Day is commonly known as an exploitation of our feelings and affection, a marketing ploy to get people to spend as much money as possible on candy hearts and teddy bears.

A single person on Valentine’s Day will usually find any way to distract themselves from the endless public displays of affection, but sometimes they find a way to join in by going on a first date.

Problem No. 1 with first dates on Valentine’s Day is the fact that the people surrounding you are usually desperately in love, leading to increased feelings of affection on your part.

It’s easy to fall straight into the

honeymoon phase when you’re eating at the nicest restaurant in town and the live band is playing an array of love songs.

This may not seem like an issue at first until reality sets in, the music fades and the romance with it. Your first date was so carefully crafted to maximize the amount of love that your next few will pale in comparison. When you cannot seem to feel the spark you felt on the first night, you might find yourself wondering, “What happened to the guy I met on Valentine’s Day?” High expectations are rarely fulfilled, especially in relationships. Valentine’s Day sets the stage for the most romantic dates, and when you start at the top, it can only go downhill.

The disappointment that follows these extreme first dates might not always end relationships, but if it does not last, you’ll be reminded every Valentine’s Day of your first date with your expartner, potentially ruining the romantic holiday altogether.

Now, let’s say this first date

does not turn into a relationship at all. You avoid the disappointment, but your wallet is empty.

Dating is expensive enough already, but it is especially pricey on Valentine’s Day. Men in 2021 spent an average of $231 on the holiday, while women spent an average of $101. If the relationship does not continue, is it worth the time and money?

Rather than joining in on the romance, a single person on Valentine’s Day is better off treating themselves to personal chocolates and roses. No disappointing second or third dates and a full wallet, they have made an investment in their own happiness. If you’re still looking for a distraction from the holiday, find some single friends and make fun of romcoms all night.

It’s better than making fun of yourself later for wasting the holiday on somebody that won’t last.

Mia Coco is a 19-year-old political communication freshman from Alexandria.

TA K E S

SHOULD THE COVID-19 VACCINE DAY BEVALENTINE’S MANDATORY FOR STUDENTS? “When it comes to Valentine’s Day, I can’t help being nostalgic

“The COVID-19 should absolutely be mandatory LSU stufor the days ofvaccine Pixy Stix, neon red suckers and poorlyforscribbled dents work or attend classes onschool. campus.

I know lot of notes who fromlive, classmates in elementary But, in thea prespeople are going to argue an infringement upon their or ent, what’s better than athat dayit’s dedicated to reminding the rights people you it’s care about most muchbut youhonestly, love them?

Day that somehow unjusthow or unfair, it justValentine’s makes sense.” is all about what you make of it, whether that means roses, Marie Plunkett chocolates, a meal, a movie or none of the above.”

@MarieC_214 Drake Brignac @drakebrignac

“Yes yes yes. Not only because I want my life to return to normal — and is a creature capitalist createdI I “Valentine’s believe mass Day immunization is theofonly way to consumption do so — but because to sell the holiday almost feels like a hollow rephave longchocolate, relished theand opportunity to be micr-eaux-chipped

by LSU.”

resentation of love and empathy. The messaging surrounding the celebration of love is almost tainted by the intense marCécile Girard keting scenes that bookend the holiday in pursuit of profit. A @_cegi_ holiday truly celebrating love would be great, but I don’t think we will ever see that.”

Charlie Stephens @charliestephns

“Vaccines should not be mandatory. Some people, including myself, are highly wary of the rush on this vaccine. I do not think it has been “I think that Valentine’s Day is a consumer scheme but also tested long enough to know the every long-term effects.” a beautiful holiday.

Almost holiday is some type of con-

sumer scheme, as most require gifts, like Christmas and birthTamia Southall days. However, I think that celebrating love is important, even if it’s greed-focused. Gifts are an important way to connect with @tamiabrem_ loved ones.”

Buercklin “The University should require every person who is Kacey medically able to @0kacey1 get a vaccine for COVID-19. We are all desperate to return to a more normal world, but that cannot happen without mass vaccination. This “Valentine’s Day is a scam. Our culture of hyper-consumerism policy is necessary if we wish to resumeday more in-person instruction has tainted the biggest celebratory of its most popular reliand other traditional college experigion, every social movement and, with Valentine’s Day, idea Clairethe Sullivan

of love. Human emotion is just another way to coax the masses @sulliclaire into spending money. Everything we engage with as a society has been commodified. Valentine’s Day is another example of “No, do not believeand the COVID-19 howImaterialistic vapid ourvaccine cultureshould is.” be mandatory. If and

when the vaccine is accessible to everyone, I think itFrank is a personal Kidd decision. If someone is comfortable getting it, by all means, they should.” @FK446852315 Elizabeth Crochet

“Valentine’s Day is a big consumer holiday when it comes to @elizabethcro_ the flowers, the stuffed animals and the cards. All these things aside, it can be a fun day to spend with someone you love or even friends. It is also a good excuse to go get a nice dinner “Yes. It’s candy.” as simple as that. Once the vaccine is available to the larger and eat

Stabiler public, the priority should become promoting the Lura vaccination of the @lstabiler entire student, faculty and staff body. If you refuse to get the vaccine, then you won’t be allowed to ‘return’ to the pre-pandemic status quo...”

“While Valentine’s Day is a great way for people in love to celDomenic Purdy ebrate their relationships, the holiday itself is problematic. The premise of Valentine’s Day implies that you can only@Tigerdom16 celebrate your relationship on special days of the year, rather than celebrating every day. From a producer standpoint, this strategy ”COVID-19 vaccination should definitely be required for students on constitutes more revenue for corporations because people are campus.

The University already requires students to receive a number willing to spend more for special occasions. Monetizing the exof other vaccines ensure the safety is of aitscruel students, and faculty perience of loveto and relationships tacticstaff by producers members. this vaccine be any different?” to feed onWhy theshould emotions of consumers.”

BY EMILY TRAN

Editorial Policies and Procedures EDITORIAL BOARD Lara Nicholson Enjanae’ Taylor Josh Archote

Editor in Chief Managing Editor News Editor

Bella Dardano

Deputy News Editor

Claire Sullivan

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.

Evan Leonhard Mia Coco @evan_leonhard @MiaMarieCoco1

Quote of the Week “AS LONG AS WE’RE TOGETHER WE’LL NEVER WALK ALONE.”

Dolly Parton American singer 1946 — present

Monday, February 14, 2022

page 12

Editorial Board: Texas A&M censorship unacceptable

BY THE REVEILLE EDITORIAL BOARD Texas A&M president Katherine Banks informed student leaders at The Battalion, the university’s 129-year-old weekly newspaper, that they would be required to cease printing last Thursday, effective immediately.

“I think it’s a new era for The Battalion,” Banks told the publication. “It won’t be in print.”

Why would Banks make such a command? To reduce waste and promote sustainability? To divert funding toward creating scholarships for these student

COURTESY OF TEXAS A&M

Texas A&M President Katherine Banks told The Battalion student newspaper to discontinue print publications on Feb. 10.

journalists? Was it a response to possible supply chain issues at their printing press?

Nope — Banks, who selfadmittedly has little knowledge of journalism, made the decision with other members of higher administration to prioritize digital publication, despite The Battalion already having a 25-yearold website.

After outcries on social media under #SavetheBatt (and the realization that the publication can’t suddenly turn back on $61,000 in advertisement deals), Banks delayed her totalitarian command until the end of the semester.

So student journalists at The Battalion now have the asinine choice: Transition to the journalism department of the university and discontinue print publication, or remain a student organization but have its resources, newsroom and adviser stripped away.

Though one suspicious detail turns the tale from absurd to sinister, which is a new university policy that requires all university communications to receive higher approval, including social media posts, press releases, news media interviews and website postings.

The move from Texas A&M

THE EAGLE / Alex Miller

A collage of signs, magazines and newspapers line the walls of The Battalion newsroom, Texas A&M’s 129-yearold newspaper, which was ordered to cease printing by administration Feb. 10. administration isn’t in hopes of innovating digital student journalism. It’s not in the spirit of modernity. It’s not even about the print publication itself, if you ask this Editorial Board.

It’s about censoring content that may be critical of university leadership by forcing The Battalion into an approval system that it has never been beholden to previously — a clear violation of

the students’ freedom of press.

We at The Reveille stand by The Battalion, along with Texas A&M students, faculty and community members who oppose Banks’ clearly ignorant decision to cease printing in the name of censure, prior restraint and violating the First Amendment.

We hope this editorial may reach the eyes of Banks, Dean of Students Anne Reber or director

of Student Life Stefanie Baker.

And if it doesn’t, we’ll go ahead and send it over via president@ tamu.edu. In fact, feel free to send your own sentiments over as well if you also oppose suppressing free speech.

And while we don’t see President William F. Tate IV having the ignorance to mimic Baker’s decision, it still must be said: Don’t get any ideas.

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