The Reveille 2-8-21

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KRISTEN YOUNG / The Reveille

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Though professors are required to get department approval before moving in-person classes online, some are doing it anyway, leaving students frustrated and confused.

NEWS

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A new Student Government program allows students to donate meal swipes to other LSU students.

ENTERTAINMENT

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LSU alumni and former Tiger Band members perform in this years Inaugural Ceremonies.

SPORTS

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LSU hoops looks to rely on veteran players down the stretch in hopes to make NCAA Tournament.

OPINION

Read on

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“Although you could go for the basic box of chocolates and dozen roses, doesn’t your beloved deserve better?”

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

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‘A SLAP IN THE FACE’ Professors move in-person classes online despite COVID-19 safety

BY MADELYN CUTRONE @madelyncutrone During the first week of the spring semester, civil engineering freshman Carter Alphonso arrived at the French House for his first in-person class on LSU’s campus. He found one other student waiting in the room. They then realized the professor had quietly announced a switch from the originally scheduled in-person class to an online-only format.

“It was a little bit of a slap in the face,” Alphonso said.

Before the spring semester began, the University confirmed that campus would operate similarly to the previous fall 2020 semester with regard to capacity restrictions and class formats. As detailed in the Roadmap to Fall, classes of 100 or more students would be held online, classes of 11 to 99 could either operate online or in a large room and classes of 10 or fewer students should be held in-person unless the faculty member specifically arranged otherwise with the University.

Several students quickly discovered that professors were making decisions about class format regardless of the roadmap’s guidelines. The students’ University-issued personal schedules marked one or more of their classes as in-person, but days before the semester began, professors privately announced to the students that the class would operate fully online.

Executive Vice President & Provost Stacia Haynie said in order for a professor to alter the modality of a course, they must alert the provost’s office and gain approval from their respective department.

“Once faculty locked in their preferred modality, they were not given the discretion to change their modality,” Haynie said. “The expectation is that faculty would adhere to the modality that was selected prior to the beginning of the semester and reflected in the course offerings.”

In Alphonso’s class of 23 students, he said the room was arranged for proper social distancing and could have been safely operated in with masks and regular sanitation. He said the professor gave COVID-19 as a “blanket reason” for switching the class to Zoom, although she did not give any clear indication of why that

LSU and COVID-19 by the numbers

prohibited her from operating inperson.

“We’re obviously getting a lower-quality education than we’re paying for,” Alphonso said.

“I’m having to put in about three times the normal effort compared to when I took classes last year. Especially when I paid and planned to be in an in-person class, it’s unfair.”

While scheduling classes this semester, students could see beforehand if the class would be held in person or online. While some were listed as “TBA,” which typically meant the class was asynchronous, most were determined before scheduling began based on how many students were allowed to register for the class and the preferred modality of the instructor.

Ogden Honors College Communications Coordinator Jordyn Warren said Alphonso’s class was never intended to be in-person, and it being listed as such on the course schedule was a technical error. As of Feb. 7, the course is still officially labeled as in-person.

“After looking into this, the course being listed as in-person face-to-face was an error,” Ogden Honors College Dean Jonathan Earle said. “I’m sorry if students enrolled in the course and were surprised it would be offered remotely. But it’s a terrific course and I’m excited to be offering it, regardless.”

Haynie noted that once the schedule booklet is confirmed and open to students, changes typically are not allowed because the University does not want students to sign up for a class under false pretenses.

“We typically do not allow changes to course modalities, days or times after students have already started to register, as students enroll in courses with those very expectations in mind,” Haynie said.

“It’s promising something and giving another; it’s lying,” Alphonso said.

English junior Cameron Mathews had a similar experience to Alphonso’s and said that the change in her schedule made her question LSU’s commitment to their quality of education.

“We get emails [from the University], and it’s like, ‘we’re doing everything we can and we know everyone’s scared,’ but honestly,

I meet very few people who are scared,” Mathews said. “I meet very few people who do not want answers just as much as I do. I just wish they would be honest and be upfront. I don’t need to hear the same things over and over.”

In this class specifically, Mathews said her learning ability is significantly diminished by having to operate in an online format.

“I think it’s all about being immersive with foreign language, and it’s very difficult to do that online,” Mathews said. “It’s a weird dynamic.”

There are eight students in Mathew’s class, and per the roadmap’s guidelines, it should be operating in person as usual. On her schedule, it was Universityapproved to be doing so.

“Do I think that this is becoming complacent? Definitely,” Mathews said. “In our class specifically, there’s a lot of people who don’t show up at all. It’s uncomfortable because [the professor] doesn’t really care. If we were in class maybe he would say something.”

In previous semesters, attendance was mandatory in that professor’s classroom. Since the class moved online, their grading criterion has completely shifted, and other students say they don’t believe they’re learning as much because of it.

College of Humanities and Social Sciences Dean Troy Blanchard suggested that the department was still under the impression that Mathew’s class was operating in person, as it was scheduled to at the beginning of the semester. The professor did not secure department approval to move the course online.

Pre-medical nutrition science sophomore Mattie Robison said she was both surprised and disappointed to find that her class would not be held in-person as scheduled.

“While I understand that people are concerned about the health of their friends and family members, I don’t think that’s a decision that should be made by an individual teacher when administration clearly decides that students are allowed to be in-person and that it’s safe,” Robison said. “I feel like that’s a selfish decision that is not up to the teacher, [especially when] there

are already such strict guidelines to protect students.”

Robison felt that professors were robbing students of the inperson experience that they are paying thousands of dollars for by arbitrarily overruling the University’s guidelines.

“I could go to Kahn Academy or YouTube and get the same kind of stuff that they’re posting [for free],” Robison said.

Mass Communication Assistant Professor Ruth Moon Mari said that two weeks into the fall 2020 semester, she transitioned her hybrid in-person media ethics class to an online format after gaining approval from the late mass communication dean Martin Johnson. She listed several logistical concerns that caused her to do so.

“With all of the COVID safety restrictions, there were a couple of concerns that I realized would be really challenging as soon as I started teaching,” Moon said.

One of the concerns, Moon said, is that there would always be at least a few students unable to attend class due to quarantine or not passing the daily symptom checker. Because of this, she would have needed to provide a way for those students to access class as it was happening.

“That seemed logistically challenging and I wasn’t sure how to accomplish it in a way that would provide a good teaching and learning experience for both groups of students,” Moon said.

Additionally, Moon wasn’t sure how her typical discussionbased class would operate in light of the six-feet social distancing guidelines. Because of these two concerns, she shifted the modality of the class to online, where they met synchronously over Zoom for the remainder of the semester.

Moon said she can certainly understand why students would feel blindsided that their classes were suddenly moved to online after registering for an in-person course, but there are many factors professors are facing behind-thescenes that could have warranted the shift.

“We’re adapting to the same unknown circumstances that students are,” Moon said. “The academy is a slow place that is not used to a lot of change, so adapting takes a long time for a lot of professors.”

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NEWS FIGHT AGAINST FOOD INSECURITY LSU SG, Dining Services work to “swipe out hunger” on campus

BY KATHERINE MANUEL @kmanuel_2 About 1 in 3 college students experienced food insecurity before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study by the U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health. The study found that the pandemic has “made things much worse” for college students.

According to a Jan. 21 press release, the University implemented the “Swipe Out Hunger” program to help combat food insecurities on the LSU campus.

Swipe Out Hunger is a national program used at Cornell, Texas A&M, Florida State and other universities.

Between Jan. 30 and Feb. 5, LSU students with a meal plan could donate meal swipes to the program. As students entered the dining hall, an LSU Dining employee asked if they were interested in donating one swipe per meal period to the program.

Students interested in redeeming meals through the program can apply using the Swipe for Hunger form on TigerLink. After

SAVANNA ORGERON / The Reveille

The 459 Commons sits on Feb. 3 at 170 Campus Lake Road.

applications are reviewed and accepted, participants will be notified that meals have been uploaded to their Tiger Card. According to the form, participants must not already have a meal plan and meals through the program can only be redeemed at LSU dining halls. There is no financial obligation for students. Students can apply until Feb. 12.

Mass communication freshman Catelyn Greene said she heard about the program when she went to the 459 and was asked if she wanted to donate a meal swipe to Swipe Out Hunger.

“I think it’s awesome, I think it’s a great way to help others in the community,” Greene said.

She said she has donated meal swipes to the program.

“Everyone I’ve been with when I go eat with my friends, we all donate a swipe when the lady asks,” Greene said. “We think it’s awesome.”

According to the press release, Assistant Vice President of LSU Auxiliary Services Margot Carroll said SG brought the idea to Aux-

see SWIPE OUT, page 4

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TECHNOLOGY

‘Gear 2 Geaux’ provides students technology

BY AMBER BUETTNER @Amber_Buettner When students register for classes, they pay a technology fee that goes toward a program called Gear 2 Geaux.

The Gear 2 Geaux program is a way for students to rent electronics that they need for class from the library. The requirements to borrow equipment are being a full-time student, having a Tiger Card and returning borrowed items on time.

LSU Libraries Head of Circulation Elissa Plank said Gear 2 Geaux is a program the University has had for several years.

“Students, whenever they register for classes, pay for a tech fee and some of that fee goes to fund the purchase of electronic items such as laptops, video recorders [and] phone chargers,” Plank said.

The program was given additional funding by the CARES Act for the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund. It was given $70,000 to purchase more technology for students to use during the pandemic.

“Not only did they purchase

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FACILITIES

LSU Building Name Evaluation Committee continues research

BY MADELYN CUTRONE @madelyncutrone Following the public outcry for racial equality that arose during the summer of 2020, LSU created the Building Name Evaluation Committee tasked with taking a closer look at how the names of buildings and places on campus could be reflecting the University’s segregated past and impacting the inclusivity of current students.

Vice President of the Division of Strategic Communications Jim Sabourin said the LSU community can tentatively expect to see a list of names up for removal within the next few months. However, he said he’d be hesitant to put a timeline on the full renaming process, as numerous steps are involved in its approval.

Since the Board of Supervisors created the Building Name Evaluation Committee in August, the committee has focused most

of its time on creating a system to research and analyze any potentially divisive names on campus.

At this time, there are around 20 names under review.

“The 16 members of the Building Name Evaluation Committee are more than aware of how sensitive and important their work is and that’s why they continue to conduct exhaustive research on the people for whom about 20 buildings on our campus are named,” Interim President Thomas Galligan said during a Faculty and Staff Diversity Forum Feb. 3.

Galligan also described what the full process of evaluating, removing and deciding upon new names will look like.

“When the report is completed, it will first be evaluated by our existing Naming Committee, followed by Provost Stacia Haynie and myself, and then the Board Academics Committee,” Galligan said.

Galligan said the Board of Supervisors will have the final determination on the removal of any names from buildings on campus.

“So while this committee’s work is an extremely important step in the process, it really is just the first step in a long and thoughtful process that may or may not result in any building names being removed,” Galligan said.

Sabourin said that even though the process could be lengthy, it does not reflect LSU’s lack of commitment to the ultimate goal of making campus an inclusive place for students of all races.

“We do listen, and if we weren’t serious about making change we would not have removed the name from Middleton Library and we would not be going through this process,” Sabourin said. “It’s

see BUILDINGS, page 4

JALEN HINTON / The Reveille

The LSU Library, one of the buildings to be renamed, sits in the Quad on December 3, 2020.

Monday, February 8, 2021

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LSU under federal investigation over sexual misconduct claims REVEILLE STAFF REPORT LSU is under federal investigation for “safety practices” following several sexual assault complaints, according to The Advocate.

The U.S. Department of Education will examine if LSU violated the Clery Act, which requires universities to report on-campus crimes and address sexual violence. The 1990 federal act aims for transparency within campus crime policies.

The investigation will begin immediately and will focus on LSU Athletics and Greek Life, according to a Feb. 2 letter written to Interim President Thomas Galligan from the Department of Education.

According to the letter, the University is required to submit several documents to the Department of Education by March 19,

SWIPE OUT, from page 3 iliary Services. She said they “immediately” began to work with representatives from LSU Dining and LSU Student Affairs to create a pilot program to help meet the needs of students.

“Our hope is that we see a lot of interest in this pilot program and from it develop a strong, long-lasting opportunity for LSU students to both give and receive,” Carroll said.

SG Senate Student Auxiliary

including a copy of LSUPD’s daily crime log from 2016-2020, an “audit trail” showing LSUPD arrests and other reports and organizational charts.

LSU officials will be “in regular contact” with department officials during the investigation, according to the letter. USA Today reported that the investigation is “open-ended,” with no defined completion date.

“LSU is also advised that any failure to cooperate with the program review team will result in the U.S. Department of Education initiating an administrative action against the institution,” the letter read.

According to the letter, administrative action could include the “imposition of a fine” or the “limitation, suspension or termination of the institution’s Title IV program participation.”

LSU spokesman Ernie Ballard

acknowledged the investigation Feb. 5.

“Campus safety and the well being of those at LSU is always our priority, and following Clery guidelines for reporting and notifying the campus community is an important part of crime prevention that we take extremely seriously,” Ballard said.

The investigation comes three months after an article by USA Today examined LSU’s mishandling of sexual assault and abuse incidences. Several women came forward with allegations that they were sexually assaulted or abused by students and athletes, but said the University did not fully investigate their claims.

LSU commissioned an investigation from Husch Blackwell law firm over potential Title IX violations. Results from the report are expected later this month.

Protestors hold up signs Nov. 20, 2020 during the protest following the USA Today article about mishandled sexual misconduct cases at Tiger Stadium on North Stadium Road.

and Services Committee Chair Taylor Perrodin said the timeframe is shorter for the Swipe Out Hunger program because it is a pilot program at the University.

She said Auxiliary Services wants to see if the program will be successful at LSU. Perrodin said the goal of donated 2,000 meal swipes has been met.

Students can donate a meal swipe once each time they go to a dining hall to eat. The swipes will be evenly distributed among

the students who filled out the application to receive swipes on Tigerlink. She said they hope to have the Tiger Cards loaded by Feb. 14.

“When this fell into my lap as an initiative, I thought it was something that could really impact a lot of people,” Perrodin said.

She said she has received “a lot of good feedback” from students about the program.

SG Speaker of the Senate Marina Cole said there is a large per-

centage of students on campus who benefit and live off of food from the food pantry, but the food pantry is not sustainable for students.

“We really wanted this to be a jumpstart to helping food insecurity on campus,” Cole said.

“The food pantry is amazing, but we wanted to take it a step further — go the extra mile with the swipes.”

She said food-insecure students cannot just rely on the food pantry and they need

meal swipes.

“We waste so many swipes,” Cole said. “I remember freshman year, I wasted who knows how many that I wish I could have donated to someone else just because I didn’t feel like eating at the dining hall or I missed my time.”

Perrodin said other universities who use the Swipe Out Hunger program use it continuously throughout the year, and she said eventually LSU plans to “work up to that.”

GEAR, from page 3

classes if they needed a space in the library, we’ve provided a space to go. If they also needed earbuds, they could use the earbuds,” Plank said.

Strategic leadership management junior Collin Quijano’s favorite part of the program is that it is accessible for all students.

“Gear 2 Geaux is an easily accessible resource, since the service is provided through the library, which is a common building on campus for students,” Quijano said. “I feel like this is a very good use of the technology fee,

so there is available resources to checkout throughout the semester if needed.”

The library purchased 650 new laptops with the CARES Act funding. Students can go to room 241 at the access service desk in the library to check technology out.

“Purchasing this equipment will allow students to be able to complete course work and attend classes in this different environment that we have had to go to now in the middle of this pandemic,” Plank said.

[Renaming buildings] is one very small piece in the overall goal to make LSU a more inclusive place.

JIM SABOURIN

Vice President of the Division of Strategic Communications

JALEN HINTON / The Reveille

The first floor of the LSU Library sits Dec. 3, 2020 on LSU’s campus.

BUILDINGS, from page 3 not an overnight solution, there’s a lot of history at LSU. It’s not a matter of trying to erase that as much as it is to acknowledge and admit [past mistakes] and going forward making sure we don’t repeat any mistakes.”

Political Science Professor James Stoner, who is a member of the Building Name Evaluation Committee, said he has been “impressed by the seriousness, the diligence and the honesty of my fellow committee members.”

“Our discussions have been frank and have delved deeply into LSU’s complicated history,” Stoner said.

Sabourin acknowledged that the University is not naive in its

thinking that the removal or addition of names will be accepted by all members of the community, but said it is taking its time with this process to ensure that there are valid reasons behind what is removed and the meaning behind any new names that may be proposed.

“Looking at the naming of buildings in and of itself is not really doing justice to what LSU is trying to achieve here,” Sabourin said. “This is one very small piece in the overall goal to make LSU a more inclusive place. If a name of a building is what prevents students from feeling like they are truly a part of the LSU community, we have to look at that. It’s more than a movement, it’s what we want LSU to become.”

additional laptops for students, but then they also purchased some additional equipment that we have never been able to offer to students,” Plank said.

Plank said the money was also used to purchase webcams, microphones, mobile hotspots, HDMI cables and calculators.

“Purchasing this equipment will allow students to be able to complete course work and attend classes in this different environment that we have had to go to now in the middle of this pandemic,” Plank said.

Biology junior Robert Tyler said he knew about the program for a while and is an advocate for it and how it helps students. He likes that he is able to see his tuition money at work with Gear 2 Geaux.

“I know they’ve been renting laptops out for a while even before COVID, so it’s nice knowing that now people know about it,” Tyler said. “I would say it’s a great use of our tuition money because at least we get something out of it.”

The library has provided additional seating for students who have back-to-back in-person and Zoom classes and is now able to provide disposable earbuds.

“We got some money for disposable earbuds, so when students have online classes sandwiched between face-to-face

KRISTEN YOUNG / The Reveille

THE REVEILLE ARCHIVES

LSU sports administration sophomore Kenneth Remedies does his online Zoom class on Jan. 25 in the Student Union on LSU’s campus.

ENTERTAINMENT ALUMNI INAUGURATION

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From one hill to the next: LSU alumni perform in the Inaugural Ceremonies

BY AVA BORSKEY @iamavab Six LSU and Tiger Band alumni went from marching down Victory Hill to performing in the Inaugural Ceremonies on Capitol Hill.

“Politics are very, very divisive,” Master Sergeant Jason Sanders said. “But, you know, regardless of who it is, when you’re there, when you have the opportunity to participate and be a part of that process, it’s a huge honor.”

Sanders, who is originally from Athens, Alabama, graduated from the University in 1999 with a degree in music education. He is now a trumpet player with the United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own” and has performed in five inaugurations.

Bush, Obama, Trump and Biden make up the living presidents he’s played for, but immediately after joining the band in 2004, Sanders played the state funeral for Ronald Reagan, as well as the funerals for Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush in the following years. He was also on stage with Pope Francis when he visited the White House in 2015.

As the trumpet section leader and a senior producer for the Army Blues, the band’s jazz ensemble, Sergeant Major Graham Breedlove has been a part of seven different inaugural ceremonies. A native of Lafayette, a 1993 graduate and the 2011 Young Alumnus of the Year, Breedlove got the opportunity to play for Ronald Reagan with his high school band and has played for every president since.

“I was a part of Barack Obama’s [inauguration ceremo-

ny], which was cool because of the history there,” Breedlove said. “I was a part of this one with the COVID stuff, with the history there….I was a kid right out of college when I did Bill Clinton’s, and that was terrifying because there was just hundreds of thousands of people everywhere.”

But this year, when Master Sergeant Mike Hooke looked out from his position during the ceremonies, instead of seeing a sea of people, he saw a relatively empty mall. Nevertheless, he said he still has the best seat in the house.

A percussion player from northern Virginia, Hooke’s first presidential performance was actually during his freshman year at LSU for President Jimmy Carter, who spoke at the commencement ceremonies. Hooke went on to count off pre-game as the Tiger Band drum captain his senior year in 1997. Now a member of the U.S. Army Ceremonial Band and Herald Trumpets, this year was Hooke’s fourth inaugural ceremony.

Despite all the challenges of this year’s ceremonies, like managing social distancing and heightened security, members of the Army Band are used to adapting.

Hooke said rehearsal processes can be intense, as they cover nearly every possible contingen-

cy: When will this person arrive?

How long does the music have to be based on how fast we think this person will walk?

“As much as I whine during the day about being cold and

TIGER BAND ALUMNI

COURTESY OF TIGER BAND - @LSUTIGERBAND

being up early, at the end of the day, it is a pretty cool thing to be a part of,” Breedlove said.

Breedlove has saved all the security credentials from his performances and said he will have

a nice collection of scrapbook memories.

The Army Band’s participation in the inaugural ceremonies has been a time-honored tradition since it led the inaugural parade for President Calvin Coolidge in 1925. This year, due to COVID-19, there was no parade or inaugural ball, but many other aspects of the pomp and circumstance safely carried on.

Honors like “Four Ruffles and Flourishes,” “Hail to the Chief” and other fanfares served their functions for the ceremony, announcing arrivals and departures while familiar tunes like John Philip Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever” brought out a patriotic tone.

Breedlove was a part of the Pass In Review, an inaugural tradition where the band marches in front of the president and vice president as they stand on the Capitol steps. Sanders and Hooke were outside the White House for the arrival of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Sanders said you can’t help but look to the side with your eyes while standing at attention, trying to get a glimpse of the president or the rest of the entourage.

“But, in the end, I’m a trumpet player, and my job is to play

trumpet. To play those honors to represent everything that goes with that, which is myself, the unit, the Army and the President of the United States,” Sanders said.

Hooke said the performance sort of business as usual. After 23 years of active duty service, playing for politicians, appearing on big TV events like Super Bowl 50 and performing around Lady Gaga three separate times, Hooke said he was glad to be a part of something like an inauguration, but his nerves don’t take over anymore.

“I think the best thing that I got out of my time at LSU was versatility,” Breedlove said. “There’s almost no situation that I’m not comfortable with, and I think that’s a direct result of my time at LSU. I was allowed the opportunity to play in just about every musical setting imaginable.”

Sanders said, in hindsight, choosing the LSU music program was a fantastic decision, pointing to the several alumni involved with the inauguration.

In addition to Sanders, Breedlove and Hooke, University alumni Staff Sergeant Christopher Watkins, Master Sergeant Benjamin R. Cadle and Master Gunnery Sergeant Christopher McFarlane all performed in the ceremonies.

LSU alumna Julie Giroux composed the music used to introduce Vice President Harris.

“All my experiences at LSU, all the staff and faculty, my classmates, peers, everything about it is a part of my journey, and you know, without having gone through that I would not have these opportunities today,” Sanders said.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Cookie Craze: how Carlie Chiriboga started Carlie’s Cookie Jar

BY AVA BORSKEY @iamavab “Life is short, make it sweet.”

Old Dominion first sang that tune in 2018. If there’s one lesson the unpredictability of 2020 taught Carlie Chiriboga, it was just that.

Chiriboga first got into baking after coming across a YouTube video for red velvet cupcakes on her iPod Touch when she was 11.

By 12 years old, she decided to turn her hobby into a home bakery business, but it wasn’t until this past September that she began to make those dreams a reality.

A native of Lafayette, the communication disorders junior, transferred to LSU from South

Louisiana Community College, with the end goal of becoming a speech therapist.

In her major, Chiriboga learns the science behind language breaking down and classifying various speech sounds and studying how words and syllables can be combined in infinite combinations.

It was a similar fascination that first drew her to baking. As a young girl, Chiriboga was intrigued by the science behind it.

She was captivated by the idea that basic, simple ingredients, such as flour and sugar, could be combined to make so many different goods, whether it be bread, cupcakes or cookies — the latter of which is Chiriboga’s forte.

“I’m all about cookies,” Chiri-

boga said.

When she first started Carlie’s Cookie Jar, Chiriboga said there was a big difference between baking a dozen cookies and baking bakery quantities. She had to get larger pans as she got larger orders, sometimes upward of 300 cookies.

Chiriboga’s favorite part of the process is decorating. Even if it’s just a regular chocolate chip cookie, she spends time tweaking the treat with tweezers and reshaping the dough with spoons until she has the perfect cookie.

She recently started making Royal Icing-customized sugar cookies.

She gathers inspiration from all over and has baked cookie designs like Lucky Charms marshmallows and her newest favorite,

leopard print hearts.

“I’ve never taken a business class in my life,” Chiriboga said.

“I don’t really know that much about marketing or social media.

I think it’s just so much fun to learn as you go, and that’s what I’ve been doing.”

Holidays are her biggest sellers, but now that she has gotten into the swing of her business, Chiriboga also takes orders on her Instagram or Facebook pages for showers or other events. She hosts giveaways on her Instagram page (@carliescookiejar) around once a month.

“Life is so short, especially since the pandemic happened,” Chiriboga said. “Anything can happen. You might as well just do what you want to do and have fun

with it because you never know what’s going to happen.”

COURTESY OF CARLIE CHIRIBOGA

Monday, February 8, 2021

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Monday, February 8, 2021

REV R ANKS

FILM

Seven finest flicks of the 2021 Sundance Film Festival

BY CONNOR MCLAUGHLIN @connor_mcla Within the past year, it’s been a rough time for film festivals across the world. Major festivals, such as the 2020 Cannes Film Festival, were postponed indefinitely, with others either receiving the same treatment or having to bite the bullet and become a virtual festival instead of an inperson festival.

The 2021 Sundance Film Festival is a different story. Founded by legendary actor Robert Redford (who eponymously starred in “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”) in 1978, this festival has been a staple of indie filmmaking and diverse stories. Running from Jan. 28 to Feb. 3, the festival featured in-person showings at the Ray Theatre in Park City, Utah, in addition to virtual screenings from the comfort of one’s living room. There were even drivein premieres across the United States.

So, without further ado, here are seven films to look out for from this year’s Sundance Film Festival.

1. “On the Count of Three” (dir. Jerrod Carmichael) Winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Best Screenplay, Jerrod Carmichael’s directorial debut, “On the Count of Three,” tells a “different, darkly comedic tale about friendship” that “addresses heavy themes of depression, anxiety and suicide that’s rarely seen in cinema,” according to screen arts junior Ben Caplan. He writes that it “hit something deep in me and I plan on revisiting many, many times in the future.”

2. “Prisoners of the Ghostland” (Sion Sono)

drama that one will surely not want to miss.

6. “Judas and the Black Messiah” (dir. Shaka King)

Another insane Nicholas Cage fever dream film? Yes, please and thank you. Marking the director’s first English language debut, “Prisoners of the Ghostland” is a “Mad Max” style action drama that revolves around a bank robber (Cage) who must save the governor’s daughter from a postapocalyptic nightmare world before the bombs attached to his testicles explode. Count me in.

5. “In the Earth” (dir. Ben Wheatley)

Coming to theaters and HBO Max on Feb. 12, “Judas and the Black Messiah” chronicles the betrayal of Fred Hampton, chairman of the Black Panther Party, (Daniel Kaluuya) by FBI informant William O’Neal (Lakieth Stanfield).

Aside from being ever timely, this electric dramatization is already garnering major Oscar buzz and even a Golden Globe nomination for Kaluuya’s portrayal Hampton. Definitely add this one to your watchlist.

3. “CODA” (dir. Sian Heder) If anything, “CODA” is surely a movie to look out for. Caplan said that “there are no words to describe [“CODA”], it is sweet; it is smart; it is funny; it is at times tender; just an instant classic.”

This coming-of-age picture revolves around Ruby, the only nondeaf member of her family, who must balance saving her family’s fishing business and her passion for music and singing.

Just from that description, it sounds like an amazing feel-good film that everyone should be obligated to seek out.

After the middling reviews of his “Rebecca” (2020) remake, acclaimed director Ben Wheatley is back with another mind-bending thriller that stars Joel Fry and Ellora Torchia as a scientist and park scout trying to make their way through the arduous Arboreal Forest in search of equipment that could help stop the deadly virus ravaging the outside world.

It’s described by Caplan as being extremely trippy that “definitely will be a topic of discussion for years to come.”

7. “Passing” (dir. Rebecca Hall) Written for the screen and directed by Rebecca Hall in her directorial debut, “Passing” stars Tessa Thompson as a lonely housewife who runs into a former acquaintance played by a mysteriously nuanced Ruth Negga from her adolescence going through somewhat of a quarter-life crisis. The film is shot in stunning black and white that Caplan states “is an incredibly stylish aesthetic to an already brilliant film.”

The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, airing March 14, is one of the most highly anticipated award ceremonies that celebrates the successes of various music genres yearly. That is not to say all of the current nominees are more deserving than other projects released in 2020.

Some nominees that did stand out, like Beyoncé’s “Black Parade” and Doja Cat’s “Say So,” were appropriately nominated for Record of the Year alongside other famous artists such as Billie Eilish, DaBaby and Dua Lipa. However, there are other artists and tracks from this past year that deserved recognition in major categories.

This award ceremony tends to cause controversy when it comes to the nominees chosen by The Recording Academy; people

The Weeknd - “After Hours” One of the biggest snubs that everyone is talking about is The Weeknd’s biggest track of the year. “Blinding Lights” was not nominated for Record of the Year.

The track debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard Charts and is The Weeknd’s 10th top-10 hit, also making it one of Billboard’s Hot 100 Songs of 2020. However, the controversy surrounding this specific snub is that The Weeknd denied performing at the Grammys to perform at the Super

Little dialogue. Some action. Whole lot of landscapes. While I think “The Midnight Sky” was worth the first watch, it isn’t necessarily a movie I will be re-watching over and over again. Although, it has inspired me to look into, “Good Morning, Midnight,” the book the movie was based off of.

GRAVITY

Brent Faiyaz and Tyler, The Creator

Overall, the song is still a testament that R&B and rap are a perfect duo. It shows off Faiyaz’s voice, and this song solidifies Tyler’s creative and growing talent in rap. Both artists have a promising future in music even though they have already proved their talent.

IN THE EARTH - COURTESY VARIETY

Britney Young @byoun99 ALBUM

PRISONERS OF THE GHOSTLAND - COURTESY THE VERGE

NOBODY IS LISTENING Zayn Malik

Grammy snubs of 2020: The Weeknd, Halsey and others on social media often make assumptions that the Grammys are “rigged,” with voting irregularities being questioned constantly.

Music fans are fuming at the lack of recognition for some of 2020’s most impactful album releases, so here are five projects/songs that should have been spotlighted as nominees.

Netflix

SINGLE

MUSIC

BY EMMA JACKIMOWICZ @emmajackimowicz

THE MIDNIGHT SKY

Ava Borskey @iamavab

4. “Jockey” (dir.

Clint Bentley) Starring Clifton Collins Jr. as a lonely, aging horse jockey hoping to win one last championship, “Jockey” is a story about identity and giving so much to a passion that might not give much back, but still earning the respect of those around them. To me, it sounds like an emotional and powerful

NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Bowl, thus taking him off the list ofcontenders for Best Album of the Year and Record of the Year.

Rina Sawayama - “Sawayama” This album was undoubtedly one of the most unique pop albums of 2020, and it was wrongfully ignored by many.

Rina Sawayama and her debut album “Sawayama” was released over the summer, with popular tracks such as “XS” and “Paradisin’” catching the attention of pop, R&B and nu-metal fans alike. While the album was a hit with Billboard critics and others, it did not seem to make enough of a splash for it to be nominated for any major categories such as Album of the Year or Best Pop Vocal Album. Sawayama would have also been a great contender for Best New Artist.

Mac Miller - “Circles” A year following his death, Mac Miller’s sixth and final studio album, “Circles,” was posthumously released in early 2020 with rave reviews and talks of being nominated for this year’s Grammy Awards. However, this eclectic project did not make it, for some reason, as a nominee for Album of the Year, Best Rap Album or Song of the Year for “Good News.” Critics and fans were both surprised to not see Miller nominated for at least one of these categories even though “Circles” debuted at No. 3 on the U.S. Billboard 100.

Selena Gomez - “Rare” “Rare” skyrocketed to No. 1 on the Hot Billboard 200 during its first week after being released in early January, leading several pop fans to believe that it would be a

strong contender for Best Pop Album this Grammys season. Many were shocked to find out that not only was the dance-pop album not nominated in that category but was also snubbed for Record of the Year for the song “Lose You to Love Me,” which earned Gomez her first No. 1 song on the Hot Billboard 100.

Halsey - “Manic” Halsey’s third studio album, “Manic,” has to be one of the most frustrating snubs of this year, with the album peaking at No. 2 on the Hot Billboard 200 and making history by being the longest-running Billboard Hot 100 top-10 hit by a female artist.

The album would have given other nominees a run for their money with the country-pop fusion song “You should be sad” soaring through the charts during the beginning of 2020.

Overall, this album has chill vibes, but I don’t know if I’d listen to it on repeat. It could be good to put on in the background while doing other things, but I’m not sure if it’s worth active listening. Honestly, give this album at least one play so you can prove Malik wrong when he says “Nobody Is Listening.”

Olivia Deffes @liv_deffes

page 7

Cander’s ‘Grieving Conversations’ short story is a surplus of sadness

BY GIDEON FORTUNE @asapfortunate A tale of the past and present, tangled in tragedy.

“Grieving Conversations” is a short story by author Chris Cander. The fiction piece was published on Jan. 21. Cander’s main character bounces between the past and the present. This meeting of memories and current happenings gives the reader insight into the main character Brody, who becomes relatable and accessible as the events unfold.

Brody is a sheriff in a small Wyoming town. Recently separated from his wife and child, it is clear that the sheriff is not all there while at work. He receives a call for a missing person and gets to work. The missing person is a five-month-old baby, which unsettles Brody.

Brody is the somewhat neglected younger brother. His first memory is his brother Vernon being coddled by their mother. His mother got sick and passed away while the brothers were 13 and 15. In her passing, Brody realized the distance between him and his brother, which was previously closed by their mother. Their dad was a police officer who was home even less after his wife died. Vernon started to use kinnikinnik; this plant that got him high seemed to provide Vernon with the only happiness since his mother passed. Brody realized he would have to look out for his older brother now.

In the present, Brody pulls up to three men. One man is visibly uneasy, having used some sort of drug. This half-dressed man, Luke, is frantic about his girlfriend. He claims that she left with their child after their car accident.

Back in high school, Vernon was saved by his girlfriend Sabrina. He was using any substance he could get his hands on before he met her. Brody knew it was the real deal soon after meeting Sabrina. This makes him half hate his brother for reasons left unexplained by the author. Maybe he wanted to be there for his brother because he had no one else, or maybe he wanted to feel that way about someone.

Brody continues to drag Luke around in search of the baby. A late-winter cold front is coming in as the daylight slips away, making Brody frightened for the baby. He daydreams of his child and her mother. Brody calls his former lover to pour his heart out but soon reminds himself that he was never good at articulating his feelings.

By the time of Vernon’s graduation, Sabrina was basically living at their house. Vernon took the only step left and proposed to Sabrina. Vernon’s life was perfect until Sabrina drunkenly fell off the bridge right in front of him. Their celebration turned into another tragedy. The rumors surrounding her death only made things worse, causing Vernon to start abusing any substance he found again.

“Grieving Conversations” continues on in this same backand-forth manner. It feels strange to say that I enjoyed a tale of tragedy, but it is true. It caught my attention quickly and kept it by giving me insight into why the main character acts the way he does while the events are unfolding.

I have seen this concept in some TV shows, but never in a book.

Diving just as deep into a character’s past as their present is fascinating.

I particularly enjoyed seeing the characters brought to life by Cander’s words.

“His once soft body was lean and ropey, and while most of his skin was pale, his forearms were so deeply tanned that they looked like leather,” Cander describes a distraught Vernon.

I have no idea what the characters’ faces look like, yet I can see the people behind the actions.

Cander sets the scenes in the story so well that the reader never has a problem figuring out if they are with Brody in the past or the present. The reader feels every emotion in the story. You feel the pain of the brother after he loses his fiancée. You are angry at the people making up rumors about what really happened. Death is a difficult subject to capture even though it is something everyone experiences. The ending is a bit abrupt, leaving you wanting more. Cander’s writing is on point overall, immersing you in a tragic tale with a hint of hope.

FILM

DOWNFALLS HIGH

Machine Gun Kelly

For rap-rock and pop-punk fans such as myself, “Downfalls High” took me back to my days of listening to “emo” music off Tumblr in 2014. MGK created an entire storyline based around his most recent album, titled “Tickets to my Downfall.” The music video/movie uses the songs to show the emotional downfall of the main character as he struggles to come to terms with losing his first love.

Olivia Deffes @liv_deffes

Read the full reviews online at lsunow.com/entertainment

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THE Daily Commuter Puzzle ACROSS 1 Actor Knight 4 Piece of holly 9 Word before Major or Minor 13 Singer Tennille 14 Incensed 15 Enjoy books 16 “__ upon a time…”

17 Goods smuggled in 19 __ Wednesday; 2/17/21 20 Three score 21 Merchandise 22 Daub on, as makeup 24 TV’s “__ with a Plan” 25 Yellow songbird 27 __ of; missing 30 On edge 31 Shopper’s binge 33 Word attached to meal or cake 35 In a __; pouting 36 Sheep’s sound 37 Toothpaste holder 38 Fruitcake container 39 Grocery store section 40 Generous person 41 One who’s full of himself 43 Actor Michael 44 West of Hollywood 45 African nation 46 Colorado ski resort 49 Has nothing to do with 51 Plato’s “T” 54 Amassing 56 Needs a doctor 57 Sycamore or larch 58 Wouldn’t __; refused to move 59 Donut’s center 60 Rump 61 Contemptuous look 62 __ day now; soon DOWN 1 Truck scale divisions 2 Fascinating 3 Succumb to illness

by Jacqueline E. Mathews

Created by Jacqueline E. Mathews

4 Largest Mediterranean island 5 Authorized substitute 6 Angry speech 7 __-bitty 8 Eur. language 9 Polished in manner 10 Raise, as kids 11 Rational 12 Also says 13 “Ode __ Nightingale” 18 Not in the dark 20 Agile 23 Over and done with 24 Sports competition 25 Throw 26 Actress Potts 27 Hee-haw 28 Underlying base 29 Prohibited 31 Narrow skirt opening 32 __ person; apiece 34 Sea swallow

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SPORTS

page 9

All or Nothing

SWIMMING AND DIVING

Swimming and diving into SEC ‘ship

BY LILLIAN O’CONNELL @lillyoconnell1

ready been felt by LSU, but with Days out, he will have to step up offensively to replicate the problems Days caused teams with his ability to stretch the floor.

Even with players like O’Neal filling in for Days, his production will be hard to replace.

LSU averages 116 points per 100 possessions with Days on the floor, but just 99 points per 100 possessions with Days not on the floor.

LSU will also have to rely on its leaders and experienced players to get back on track and make a run down the stretch this season. Javonte Smart, Watford and Cam Thomas will be relied

LSU swimming and diving is preparing for the upcoming SEC Championships on Feb. 17.

On Jan. 23, the Tigers competed against Texas A&M. The women’s team fell short by a score of 172-116 and the men’s team by a score of 176-122. Texas A&M is extremely competitive and continues to be ranked high for the season. Even though the Tigers suffered this loss, there were many star athletes who earned first place at this past meet.

Brooks Curry won two events.

The women’s 200-yard free relay composed of Natalie Kucsan, Katarina Milutinovich, Kit Hanley and Reagan Osborne, took home the first place title.

Due to COVID-19, it was up in the air if the swim and dive program would even have a season. When it was certain that the season was set in stone, much of the athletes’ anxiety was lifted.

The coaches are excited to see some high-level performances from both the women’s and men’s teams.

Coach Dave Geyer highlighted Brooks Curry as the top male athlete.

“He had his phenomenal freshman year,” Geyer said. “There is

see BASKETBALL, page 10

see SWIM, page 10

What LSU basketball must do to get on track for final stretch of the season KYLE VALDEZ / The Reveille

LSU men’s basketball junior guard Javonte Smart dribbles in front of Texas Tech men’s basketball junior guard Mac McClung on Jan. 30, during LSU’s 76-71 loss against Texas Tech at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on N Stadium Drive in Baton Rouge, La.

BY PETER RAUTERKUS @peter_rauterkas Having lost four of its last five games, the LSU basketball team has struggled down the stretch, especially against tougher opposition.

LSU is winless this season against teams ranked in the top-25, highlighted by recent losses against Alabama and Texas Tech. The Texas Tech loss was heartbreaking for the Tigers after leading Texas Tech by seven points with under a minute to play.

LSU Head Coach Will Wade felt like the Tigers played well and made progress against Texas Tech but were unable to close the game out.

“We played well enough to win

against a very good ball club,” he said. “We couldn’t close it out so it’s very disappointing.”

Apart from losing the game against Texas Tech, the Tigers also lost key starter and leading rebounder Darius Days to a knee injury in the second half.

Days appeared to seriously injure his left ankle, but according to Wade, there is no structural damage.

“It’s more of a knee [injury] but he’ll be out for a couple of weeks probably,”Wade said.

Days has been a key contributor to this LSU team all season, averaging 12.1 PPG and a team leading 7.9 RPG. Rebounding has been a weakness for this team all season, and losing its leading rebounder will only pres-

ent even more of a challenge. LSU will have to rely on players like Trendon Watford, Shareef O’Neal and Josh LeBlanc Sr. to try to replace Days’ production on the glass. O’Neal will likely be called on most to try to replicate Days’ production on the glass as well as step up offensively, and Wade is confident that O’Neal can take that step.

“He’s a great offensive player,” Wade said. “He’s a really good shooter. He does a good job finishing around the basket; I believe in him.”

O’Neal has battled injuries throughout this season, and the Tigers are hopeful that he can get back to full speed and have a similar impact that Days had.

His impact on the glass has al-

MEN’S TENNIS

LSU men’s tennis shows talent, dominates No. 23 Texas Tech

BY HENRY HUBER @henryHuber_ Though LSU men’s tennis won its first six matches, not many expected the outcome that occurred Thursday night. From the beginning, there were no questions, only dominance as the Tigers swept the Red Raiders 4-0 in what some would call an upset and others would call a true showing of LSU’s talent.

“In these next two matches, we’re the underdogs, which is going to be fun,” Coach Chris Brandi said last weekend after a 6-1 victory against Incarnate Word, “We’ve been favored in every match so far this year and we’ve had all of the pressure.”

Up to that point, the Tigers had six victories and zero losses, but they hadn’t necessarily proved themselves.

That is, until Wednesday

night. The Tigers showed up in Dallas ready to control the courts.

They did that and more, putting their underdog status in jeopardy for future matches.

From the get-go, the Tigers left no doubt. The No. 60 ranked Ronald Hohmann and Rafael Wagner swiftly handled the strong Texas Tech duo of Parker Wynn and Reed Collier (both of whom are ranked in singles) by a score of 6-1. Boris Kozlov and Nick Watson followed suit with a 6-1 victory of their own to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead.

That energy was carried into singles. Through the first sets, the Tigers had control of five out of six courts, some of which were convincing 3-4 game leads.

The first to complete his match was Boris Kozlov, who controlled the first set (6-3) before sweeping

see TENNIS, page 10

ABBY KIBLER/ The Reveille

LSU men’s tennis freshman Tom Pisane and sophomore Tomas Descarrega high five on Oct. 3, on the second day of the Olivier Borsos Invitational in the LSU Tennis Complex on Gourrier Avenue.

page 10 BASKETBALL, from page 9 on even more offensively going forward with Days out. Smart turned in his best performance of the season against Texas Tech with 29 points but was far from satisfied after the heartbreaking defeat.

“It’s very frustrating,” Smart said. “It’s all on us. We lost the game and we have to get better.”

Smart’s 29-point performance reminded many fans of his

SWIM, from page 9 a lot more to him this year than last year and we are excited to see what he does.”

Coach Doug Shaffer was excited with the amazing results that the team posted in November at the Texas Diving Invitational.

Shaffer said the athletes who will perform well at the meet will be the ones who step up to the plate.

Shaffer explained how the team is racking up its titles.

“The season is a building process, and we do everything in order to be prepared,” Shaffer said.

“Just be natural and in the moment and compete for the best.”

Juan Celaya-Hernandez and Anne Tuxen are the top athletes for the diving team. Celaya-Hernandez was named SEC Male Diver of the Week. Tuxen performed well in the women’s three-meter

Monday, February 8, 2021 breakout game against Tennessee in 2019 where he scored 29 points in an upset win. Despite the loss, Wade was proud of the performance of his point guard against Texas Tech.

“I thought he played one of his best games of his LSU career,” Wade said. “I was proud of him.”

LSU has struggled throughout the season playing against tougher opponents, and that is something that must be fixed at the last meet and has become very successful this year.

This year, the SEC championship has divided its meet based on gender for both swim and dive. One of the unique aspects of the SEC meet was everyone being combined. In the past, it has been an extraordinarily loud and rowdy environment of 400 student-athletes with all the school colors jumbled together. This SEC championship will be the complete opposite, with only athletes allowed and no spectators.

The most difficult part about this season is the athletes’ not being able to communicate with one another during practice because of COVID-19. There is a social factor that comes into play for sports, and limiting that aspect is hard for the swim and dive team.

Going into the SEC Championship, LSU will have advantages over other schools. As the

heading into the final stretch of the season. The team is loaded with four and five-star talent and has shown how great it can be offensively. With improvements on defense, this team can compete with anybody. Wade believes, however, that even in these recent losses, his team is growing and making progress.

“There was progress made in the game [against Texas Tech],” Wade said. “If we just continue to make progress, we’ll get to

where we want to go. We just have to continue to make that progress.”

Even after another tough loss to Alabama, there are still plenty of big games left on the schedule for this LSU team. The next month of games is critical for the Tigers with Selection Sunday just over five weeks away.

However, with the talent that LSU can put on the floor, just a few improvements can take this team to an elite level.

ABBY KIBLER / The Reveille

LSU swimming sophomore Emilie Boll swims the breaststroke on Nov. 6 during the LSU swimming and diving vs. Alabama meet where men lost 194-84 and women lost 183-117 in the LSU Natatorium. team went through difficult times this season, it allowed them to strengthen their core as a pro-

gram. Other schools have struggled with this, and it could be a setback for them.

TENNIS, from page 9 the second (6-0). The next two points would soon follow.

Benjamin Ambrosio would continue his early success with the Tigers, earning a 6-4, 6-2 victory. He, along with fellow freshman Joao Graca, has yet to drop a set.

And last but not least, No. 99 Ronald Hohmann would earn his first ranked win of the season, defeating Texas Tech’s No. 93 Ilgiz Valiev in just two sets with a score of 6-2, 6-4. It was a huge confidence boost for him, and he was very excited about the win.

“Personally, I felt very good in the singles,” Hohmann said after the win. “It was the best match I’ve played all year.”

He was also proud of the way his team played, believing that this is a sign that it’s improved a lot recently.

“Our team in general is improving every single match and to sweep a team like Texas Tech is very good for us,” Hohmann stated. “Now we keep it going Sunday.”

This was a huge win for the Tigers, whose last top-25 win was in 2019 against No. 25 Arkansas. The team will look to carry that success into its next match, another tough one against in-state rival Tulane.

OPINION

page 11

QUICK

Forget chocolate and roses: get your valentine something unique SAUCE BOSS CÉCILE CÉCILE GIRARD @_cegi_ It’s that time of year again.

Every partnered-up procrastinator is realizing Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and they have yet to get a gift for their loved one.

Although you could go for the basic box of chocolates and dozen roses, doesn’t your beloved deserve better? These classic gifts may not even be an option for you — a long bullfighting career may have left your lover traumatized by the color red, and many still suffer from deathly chocolate allergie from harrowing childhood tours of the Wonka factory.

So, to make your life just a little bit easier (because, let’s be honest, we all deserve a little help in these trying times) here are five unique gifts that will show your valentine just how special they are: 1. Vertak Gardtech Chainsaw with 20-Inch Bar Length and 52 CC Transpire Capacity Remember when you first SAW your love across a room and CUT through the crowd to meet them? There’s no better way to commemorate that special moment than with this top-of-theline chainsaw.

Its anti-kickback chain and anti-vibration design make it easy to hold onto this chainsaw as tightly as you would your valentine, while its EcoBoost engine shows our planet a little love too.

2. Life-Size 147-Pound Yeti Garden Statue In this cruel world, a soulmate can be as difficult to find as the elusive Yeti. This handpainted resin statue is a steal at the low price of $2,399 (before tax), especially with those $1,400 stimulus checks coming soon to a direct deposit near you.

For the more hairy and apelike among us, this garden statue doubles as a life-like body pillow sure to comfort your valentine on those cold Himalayan nights apart.

3. 24 Fluid Ounce Jug of Mrs. Butterworth’s Original Syrup Love is gentle, love is kind, love is...as thick and rich as Mrs. Butterworth’s signature maple syrup formula?

If your heart oozes for your valentine like warm syrup over a fluffy short stack, why not treat them to the culinary embrace of Mrs. Butterworth? BUTTER up your buttercup, because no one else is quite as WORTHy of your love.

4. Autographed Tony Shaloub Phone Case

Say you’ve been meaning to buy a phone case for a year, and say, hypothetically, that you’ve already thrice dropped your phone onto the pavement and cracked the screen, yet every time you go to Amazon to finally invest in a phone case the sheer number of choices becomes too daunting and you give up.

Now pretend that as you were doing research for a hypothetical column, you came across the perfect phone case so you tried desperately to give your boyfriend a hint that this autographed Tony Shaloub phone case would be the ideal Valentine’s gift.

Hypothetically.

5. Limited Edition Family Size Lady Gaga Oreos Whether or not you and your partner are looking for a third, every relationship benefits from bringing Lady Gaga into the mix.

These limited edition Oreos are a sweet way to show your valentine the “Million Reasons” that your love is anything but a “Bad Romance.” They deserve your “Applause,” because baby, you’re glad they were “Born This Way.” Disclaimer: The author was not sponsored to promote any of these products (despite leaving multiple voicemails with the Yeti garden statue manufacturers).

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

TA K E S

WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH A $1,400 STIMULUS CHECK? Honestly, basic necessities. Rent, groceries and the rest into savings.

Since the start of the pandemic, I haven’t been able to work as many hours, so the stimulus check will help cover the paychecks I’ve lost.

Marie Plunkett @MarieC_214

Unfortunately, I’ve been filed as a dependent... but I’ll have you know I would have been making the world’s most extravagant charcuterie board with that extra coin.

Emily Davison @ichigoemily

If I receive any money from the stimulus package, it will go toward college tuition or related expenses. Not a particularly unique use, but I’m very excited at the prospect of having to pay a little less next semester.

Claire Sullivan @sulliclaire

Oh, that’s the million dollar — or should we say $1,400 — question, isn’t it? For me, I’d say half my stimulus will go right into savings so that I can stave off at least a little bit of temptation to waste it all at once.

As for the rest, it’s pretty much all going to go toward stuff that’s essentially useless: comic books.

Domenic Purdy @Tigerdom16

I need about three different stimulus checks because I’ve waited so long. I want to save my money, but I already know all my money goes to food somehow.

Tamia Southall @tamiabrem_

I have been wanting to learn about investing for a while now. This might be a good opportunity to start. Otherwise, that check is going straight to savings.

Evan Leonhard @evan_leonhard

This stimulus payment will be $1,400, also known as 280 Little Caesar’s Hot-N-Ready pizzas.

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

Sal Beeby @salbeeby

Quote of the Week “People are trapped in history and history is trapped in them.”

James Baldwin Novelist 1924 — 1987

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Monday, February 8, 2021

No, romance isn’t dead; in fact, it’s faring better than ever SULLY’S SCOOP CLAIRE SULLIVAN @sulliclaire I’ll be honest: some parts of modern dating are exhausting.

Swiping right or left on dating app users you’ve never met feels uncomfortable and vaguely mean.

Asking half a dozen strangers how many siblings they have or what their major is or what kind of music they like kind of feels like banging your head against a wall.

Monitoring your phone for a text back from someone you’re actually interested in is nerve-inducing.

But these are just modern forms of the same romantic troubles that have plagued people for decades.

Instead of waiting for a text back, members of past generations often idled by the phone, waiting for that special someone to call. They had the same confusion over relationship statuses; they just used slightly different lingo: Are we going steady? Are we exclusive? Are we dating?

Awkwardness still permeated their first dates, and anxiety over the right thing to say or wear or do still clogged their thoughts.

What they didn’t have, though, were the many advantages that come alongside modern dating.

First, technology has made it

easier than ever to meet a compatible romantic match. Dating apps form connections between people who would otherwise never meet.

Instead of hoping to stumble upon a stranger you happen to like (and who happens to be single), you can connect with someone online from the convenience of your own home.

This is especially important now, given the increased social isolation caused by the pandemic.

This has also allowed for increased circulation of important information around sex and dating. While the internet isn’t always the best place for advice, it’s good that people have someplace to turn to fill in gaps left by inadequate public school sex education classes.

There is also greater access to expert advice on building and maintaining healthy relationships, supplying people with the skills and knowledge they may have been unable to obtain on their own otherwise.

Evolving social attitudes also put modern daters at an advantage.

For hundreds of years, nonheterosexual relationships were criminalized. Laws prohibiting sodomy weren’t declaread unconstitutional until 2003 and samesex marriage wasn’t fully legalized in the U.S. until 2015.

It’s important to remember how recent these changes were,

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and for how many people the dating scene of the past was more like a nightmare. Social progress has allowed more people to celebrate love today than in decades prior.

And for women, fading “traditional values” has led to greater autonomy in dating. Women feel less pressure to marry young and have children. Women rightfully expect to be treated as an equal by their partner. Female sexuality, though still stigmatized in many ways, is at least more widely ac-

knowledged and less fervently suppressed.

For all these reasons, I find myself skeptical of claims that dating was so much better “back in the day” or that our generation has somehow “killed” romance.

It’s easy to imagine love and relationships used to be simpler, but they weren’t. There was no Golden Age of dating that was all meet-cutes, flowers, slow-dancing and love letters. Yes, smartphones have made dating look different, but at the end of the day, it’s just

as confusing and wonderful as it’s ever been.

Finding romance has and always will be about finding the right person — the person that you can laugh with, be serious with and be yourself with. Modern dating conventions make it easier than ever before to find that person.

Claire Sullivan is an 18-yearold coastal environmental science freshman from Southbury, Connecticut.

We could all use New Orleans’ Mardi Gras spirit right now FROM THE CRO’S NEST ELIZABETH CROCHET @elizabethcro_ For most people around the world, Mardi Gras is just a regular Tuesday, but in New Orleans it is so much more.

Any other year, people from all over the world flock to the streets of New Orleans to celebrate Mardi Gras. This year would be no different if it weren’t for the big C: coronavirus.

The mayor of New Orleans, Latoya Cantrell, announced in November that carnival season would be canceled to fit social distancing rules. The thing is, nothing is ever really “canceled” in New Orleans. The people of this city adapt to hard times unlike any other.

When New Orleanians got word that parades would not be permitted to roll, they put their thinking caps on and became determined to find a safe way to still recognize such a joyous occasion for the city.

For those who are not from New Orleans, Mardi Gras is one of the greatest sources of revenue for businesses and restaurants all year long. Aside from the economic benefits, it is also a twime of great fun and helps create a sense of community. The music, decorations, food and memories that come with it are truly one of

a kind.

Instead of letting this year pass without any form of celebration, New Orleans rose to the occasion. Residents that live on the famous St. Charles Avenue decided to decorate their homes as parade floats.

Some even hired professional float decorating companies to

provide the Mardi Gras economy with some source of income during these hard times.

Some houses have opted for simple purple, green and gold decorations; others have themes such as dinosaurs or the circus.

People can either drive down the street or walk from house to house to get the parade effect.

The effort New Orleanians have put into this project in order to give people something to celebrate is remarkable, and it is definitely a sight to see.

Another great example of citizens finding ways to spread the Mardi Gras spirit is “Floats in the Oaks,” a twist on the famous Christmas in the Oaks,

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which sees City Park decorated with Christmas lights each year throughout the holiday season.

After this past Christmas, the park switched gears into Mardi Gras and invited every krewe to set up a float along the driving route. Starting last Thursday and going through Mardi Gras day, you can drive through City Park and see some of your favorite floats while also hearing and seeing some of the famous Mardi Gras bands and marching groups.

Both of these ideas are perfect demonstrations of what the city of New Orleans stands for.

The people in this city try to help others in ways big and small. The spirit of helpfulness is often overlooked. It is something that we could all use a little more of in today’s world.

The people of New Orleans do not let anybody, or anything, rain on their parade.

The losses that this city — the economy and the people — will take from Mardi Gras being canceled are immense. We MUST help each other in every way we can right now.

One way to do this is by not letting the spirit and joy of Mardi Gras die, but instead spreading hope and using the spirit as a reminder that better times lie ahead.

Elizabeth Crochet is a 19-year-old political communication sophomore from New Orleans.