The Reveille 3-3-22

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War in Europe Ukrainian LSU students watch war unfold in their home

EMILIO MORENATTI / The Associated Press

Local militiaman Valery, 37, carries a child as he helps a fleeing family across a destroyed bridge, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, March 2.

NEWS

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A breakdown of LSU’s deferred maintenance costs compared to 12 other flagship univerisities.

ENTERTAINMENT

Read on

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Baton Rouge gets back in the Mardi Gras groove as thousands show up for the Spanish Town Parade.

SPORTS

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LSU women’s basketball heads to Nashville for SEC Tournament after record setting first season under Kim Mulkey.

OPINION

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“In the past year, college students have been rewarding Smock’s sexist speech with fame and money.”

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

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‘No Justification’ Ukrainian, Russian LSU students condemn Russian invasion of Ukraine

BY JOHN BUZBEE @thebuzzbuz As the seventh day of fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces continues, and the battle makes its way further into the country’s capital of Kyiv, Ukrainian and Russian LSU students condemned the unprovoked act of war.

“It’s been reported that several rockets have been shot just a few kilometers from my house,” said Violetta Kovalenko, an LSU studio arts student from Ukraine.

“It’s just really scary, dangerous what’s going on right now.”

Other than her father, who is a police officer, Kovalenko’s family has evacuated Kyiv and moved to the countryside. So far, she has been able to maintain communication with her family.

The United Nations said more than 870,000 people have fled Ukraine.

Kovalenko was among several international students tabeling in Free Speech Alley Friday to bring awareness and educate students about Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Russian and Ukrainian forces are reported to be fighting in the streets, Kyiv.

Following months of Russian troop build-up along the RussiaUkraine border, Russian forces began an air and land assault on Ukraine on Thursday, Feb. 24. The unprovoked act of war has been widely condemned by almost every country and international protests against the war, including in Russia, have erupted.

Daria Antonovskaya, a biochemistry freshman from Ukraine, said she’s concerned that LSU students and other young people plugged into social media are vulnerable to Russian disinformation surrounding the war.

“The Russian president said that he is going to free Ukraine from nationalists, and that Ukraine is suffering from a nationalist movement from Nazis,” Antonovskaya said. “It’s crazy.

Literally our president, he has Jewish roots.”

Russian officials and statefunded media outlets have made several false claims to justify their invasion of Ukraine. Russia has said its assault on Ukraine is aimed only at military targets, but bridges, schools and residential neighborhoods have been hit since the invasion began Thursday, according to the Associated Press.

The U.N. has recorded the deaths of 136 civilians, including 13 children, so far. Ukraine has said more than 2,000 civilians have been killed, though that number hasn’t been verified.

Ecological restoration freshman Kirill Rozhentsev is from Russia and has family there. He

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An LSU international Kazakhs student stands Feb. 25 with the Ukraine flag wrapped around his shoulders and a sign saying “We need Peace” in Free Speech Plaza. said the war is pointless and has no justification.

“I’m very ashamed. I’m ashamed of my president. I’m scared,” Rozhentsev said.

He said that in more educated regions like St. Petersburg and Moscow, people don’t support the war, but many fear what will happen to them by the authorities for speaking against it. Antiwar protests have erupted across Moscow and other parts of Russia since the invasion, with many protestors being arrested.

Over 1,700 Russian anti-war protesters in Moscow were arrested Thursday, according to Axios.

“My dad might lose his job.

My dad can’t even send me money because the banks are under sanctions,” Rozhentsev said. “Oh god, I don’t know if I’ll be able to continue studying at LSU because the currency rates are going up. The situation in Ukraine is much worse. There’s no need to feel pity for me. We will have to pay for it.”

The U.S. and several other nations have imposed sanctions on Russia in response to the invasion, including some that directly target Putin and Russian oligarchs. Russia’s currency, the Ruble, is currently the weakest it has ever been. More than onethird of Russia’s banking assets have been cut off.

Oleg Grushetskiy is a Ukrainian and a senior at LSU studying agricultural business who hopes the international community will take further action on Russia.

He says that the war is not only unpopular with many of the Russian people, but also within the Russian military. He describes accounts of soldiers getting tricked and being told they are going on training exercises

and ending up in Ukraine.

“Most of the soldiers are dependents; since they were born in 2001, 2002, 2003: 18 and 19 years old,” Grushetskiy said.

Back home, Grushetskiy says that everyone is angry and preparing for the worst.

“In my town they had a community meeting today. My dad went and they found that there may be problems with the supply of bread,” Grushetskiy said. “But no one wants to give up.”

LSU International relations professor David Sobek says that this conflict has been incubating since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the progressive movement of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s border toward Russia’s.

After the inclusion of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, NATO shared a distinct border with Russia. Sobek says that in recent years, Ukraine had been drifting toward the West’s sphere of influence and away from Russia.

“Ukraine leaving the orbit of Russia permanently is something I think, in [Putin’s] mind, he’s unable to accept,” Sobek said. “The military advantage he has over there is only probably going to decrease over time. So, Ukraine’s Army is getting more modern and getting better equipment. It was either now or just accept that Ukraine is going to fall to the Western sphere of influence, just like Latvia, Lithuania or Estonia.”

Although Russia’s goal through war is to push Ukraine further from the West, Sobek believes it will only result in them wanting to get closer. Russian motivation likely includes the removal of Western influence, but ideally, could include the installation of a Ukrainian puppet government.

“This is a strategy of compellent,” Sobek said. “They want to compel the Ukrainians to change the political system and you only compel through pain.”

In terms of Western involvement in the war, Sobek imagines it will not come from direct fighting.

“It’s going to be sanctions. It’s going to be moving forces to the NATO allies who are bordering Russia and bordering Ukraine just to reassure them that they’re not next,” Sobek said. “That’s going to be the extent. Ukraine has asked for NATO to enforce a nofly zone over Ukraine.

That’s not happening. NATO’s not going to send forces to confront the Russians. So it’s going to be, moving forward, moving forces to reassure allies that we’re there for them and then it’s going to be the cost of really imposing the sanctions.”

Putin says that any threats to the Russian efforts or their people would be met with immediate action, “and lead to consequences that you’ve never faced in your history.”

Sobek and much of the internal community interprets this as a nuclear threat to NATO, if they are to move toward intervention.

President Joe Biden has ensured the U.S. military will not engage the Russians.

History sophomore Jonah Black believes that Russian aggression is the fault of Putin and that “he’s a power-hungry warmonger, an authoritarian.”

“Putin is like a relic of the Soviet Union,” said Colby Billiot, an international studies freshman.

He’s wanting to bring back that power, that kind of influence the Soviets had. He would be foolish to go anywhere else in eastern Europe.”

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NEWS Infrastructure Woes FACILITIES

LSU’s deferred maintenance needs compared to 12 other universities

page 3 COVID-19

Experts discuss low state vaccination rate

BY PIPER HUTCHINSON @PiperHutchBR

Louisiana university comparison, The Reveille collected data from 12 flagship colleges. Each school’s deferred maintenance needs are broken down into cost per student and cost per square foot of each campus.

In terms of sheer total cost, LSU is approximately in the middle of the list. In the cost-per-square foot breakdown, LSU ranks among the lowest. In terms of per-student cost, LSU again ranks among the middle.

Building it up The deferred maintenance backlog is an imperfect measure of campus infrastructure.

For starters, the backlog is not intended to be cleared. New items are continually added and some projects will be eliminated from the list before they can be attended to.

Another factor is that the total is constantly growing. According to Roger Husser, assistant vice president for Planning, Design and Construction, the total grows by about $20 million every year.

At the end of last year, the total was reported to be about $640 million. As of February 2022, the total is $659 million.

Another factor worth consider-

Louisiana is one of the least vaccinated states in the nation, with just 52% of eligible residents fully vaccinated, according to the New York Times.

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what is causing Louisiana’s lagging vaccination rates, as that could change at a regional and individual level. But Louisiana health experts point to misinformation as a main contributor to vaccine hesitancy in the state.

Misinformation Aly Neel, director of communication for the Louisiana Department of Health, said that while it’s obvious misinformation affects Louisiana’s vaccination rate, the extent to which it does so is hard to quantify. “​​We’ve seen the impact of misinformation, the spread of misinformation, during this crisis,” Neel said. “We know it’s dangerous. We know that it’s confusing.

We know that it can mislead and we can see the impact on our efforts.”

Dr. Joe Kanter, the Louisiana state health officer, said that there are two types of misinformation: Unintentional misinformation, shared mostly between friends and family members, and intentional misinformation meant to mislead, something called disinformation.

“They have staying power be-

CAILIN TRAN / The Reveille

see MAINTENANCE, page 4

see VACCINATION, page 4

DYLAN BOREL / The Reveille

LSU Memorial Tower sits Feb. 15 on War Memorial Tower Dr. in Baton Rouge, LA.

BY PIPER HUTCHINSON @PiperHutchBR Note: Louisiana legislators will decide what to do with a significant surplus of cash available to the state in the next legislative session in March. Ahead of the session, The Reveille is dedicating a string of stories looking at LSU’s infrastructure. This is the ninth story in the ongoing series.

in the state, but can also be defined as the primary school in a university system. Fifty-nine universities in the country meet one or more definitions of a flagship university.

Using the same metrics in the

Although LSU has some of the highest deferred maintenance needs out of Louisiana’s public universities, compared to other flagship universities, they are on the moderate, if not lower, end of the scale.

Since some states are much larger, more populated or wealthier than others, making one-to-one comparisons between flagship universities doesn’t paint a full picture.

Some states have more than one university that can be defined as a flagship, which traditionally means the oldest public university COVID-19

What will it take for LSU students to get booster shots?

BY PIPER HUTCHINSON @PiperHutchBR During the third week of February, the vaccine clinic in the LSU Student Union administered an average of four booster shots a day. On Tuesday, 121 were administered.

Through the “Shot for 100” program, which issues $100 gift cards to eligible vaccine recipients in Louisiana, a group of LSU students is working to get students vaccinated.

Louisiana’s vaccination rate is amongst the lowest in the nation, with just 52% of eligible residents fully vaccinated, according to the New York Times.

While LSU’s vaccination rate is significantly higher, with 83% of students fully vaccinated, just

23% of students have reported receiving a booster shot, according to Aly Neel, communications director for the Louisiana Department of Health.

Sal Beeby, Jordan Boshea, Drake Brignac, Bryce Billiot and Caroline Burney are working with Neel on the vaccination campaign as part of their advanced seminar in political communication.

To get students vaccinated and paid ahead of Mardi Gras, they have undertaken a digital and peer-to-peer campaign.

They started simple: reaching out in their class GroupMe chats.

Then, they took to social media, designing graphics encouraging vaccination. Finally, they set up outside the Student Union, tabling for hours at a time to get

students to roll their sleeves up.

According to Boshea, a mass communication junior, telling students about the $100 gift cards was more than enough to get them vaccinated.

“Almost everyone I talked to, they were just interested in the money aspect of it,” Boshea said. “They didn’t really want to know anything about the booster itself. They were just like, ‘Oh, where do I go to get $100?’”

Beeby said that most questions he answered were not about the vaccine itself, but logistical questions like what documentation students need to get the shot.

“I think everybody needs $100 in their pocket at the start of Mardi Gras,” Boshea said last week.

The university Shot for 100 program concluded last Friday just before the start of Mardi Gras break.

The students have been trying to get the administration on board with their booster campaign, but they’ve been doing just fine on their own.

According to Bob Mann, their professor, the students convinced almost 50 people to get the shots in their first hour and a half of tabling.

Their campaign has been so effective that the clinic at the student union almost ran out of vaccine doses on Tuesday. According to LSU spokesperson Ernie Ballard, vials of the shot were redirected from the vaccine site located at the 4-H mini barn.

MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille

A banner reading “COVID-19 Vaccine Site” moves in the wind on Sept. 27, outside of the LSU Union Theater.

Thursday, March 3, 2022

page 4 MAINTENANCE, from page 3 ing is the fact that with the rising costs of construction materials, the actual cost of carrying out a deferred maintenance project in 2022 is likely higher than when items were added to the backlog in years past.

Any university is unlikely to have the total cost of its deferred maintenance needs to drop on deferred maintenance in one go. The projects are chipped away at and more projects are added year by year.

Even if Gov. John Bel Edwards’

proposed $108.9 million for deferred maintenance clears the legislature, which is a big if, LSU will receive just a small slice of that.

That figure would be allotted to deferred maintenance projects across the state, not just to those at institutions of higher education.

Last year, LSU received $5 million from the legislature for deferred maintenance. It paid for 12 of over 7,000 projects on the deferred maintenance list.

Outliers The data needs to be taken with a grain of salt, as there are a few major outliers. The University

of Minnesota has a deferred maintenance backlog of $5 billion dollars. While the building footprint of their campus is about double the size of ours, their total needs are over seven times the needs of LSU. The University of Kentucky has a deferred maintenance backlog of $2.7 billion, despite having less than half of the square footage of

LSU. The University of Maine is in the same boat, with a backlog of $2 billion and just over half the square footage of LSU. The University of Georgia has the opposite problem. With a deferred maintenance backlog of $105 million, UGA has a larger building footprint than LSU and less than one sixth of the backlog.

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly

CAILIN TRAN / The Reveille

CAILIN TRAN / The Reveille

VACCINATION, from page 3 cause they hit on people’s fears,” Kanter said. “And people spread them, not intending to misinform anyone.”

Commonly spread myths are easy to take hold when they come from somebody an individual

away from social media ‘experts,’ towards reputable sources.”

The other type of misinformation is harder to stop, Kanter said. Intentional misinformation, spread by well-organized bad actors who spread falsehoods for personal gain.

CHYNNA MCCLINTON / The Reveille

A Turning Point supporter holds a sign in protest of vaccine mandates Oct. 22, during the LSU chapter Turning Point Freedom Rally on the Parade Ground at LSU’s campus. trusts. Fortunately, Kanter said that this type of misinformation is easier to combat.

“That requires a diligent and concerted response from us in the public health community,” Kanter said. “To continuously come back with facts and to point people

“Their tired and already heated arguments can be convincing on the surface, because they cherry pick a data point from here or there,” Kanter said. “And if you don’t know their history, if you don’t know that they’ve made the same tired arguments for many

why these schools have such different deferred maintenance needs, as it could be impacted by environmental, social or political factors that vary from state to state. It’s worth noting due to the imperfect nature of any comparison.

At any rate, LSU does not appear to be in a significantly worse state than other major universities.

vaccines in the past, it can be a convincing pitch, just like a used car salesman.”

Kanter said that the Louisiana Department of Health is trying to figure out a good way to combat that.

That’s where Neel comes in.

A large portion of her job these days is combatting misinformation.

Neel said the best way to combat misinformation is “prebunking,” which experts say is more effective than debunking. Prebunking involves predicting what the misinformation will be and getting out ahead of that.

In practice, that means that in the months ahead of an anticipated announcement, like a new age group becoming approved to receive the vaccine, the Health Department is actively campaigning to inform the public about what that means.

Konstantin Kousoulas, a professor of virology and director of the division of biotechnology and molecular medicine at the university, suggested that part of the problem is a lack of communication between experts and the public.

“We have a responsibility of really educating the naive citizen, the person that may not know, and explain them in their own language,” Kousoulas said. “I think what’s happening is polarization. People that know are sitting on the pedestal, people that don’t know, they feel frustrated, so they make their own assumptions.”

Neel said that there is some reason to believe that things are improving.

“We have people who last

month, this month, today, are going in getting their first shots or second shots, their booster shots,” Neel said. “Especially someone who’s getting their first shot right now, to me like that is the sign of somebody changing their mind.”

Poverty Louisiana is one of the least vaccinated states in the nation.

MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille

Banners reading “COVID-19 Vaccine Site” move in the wind on Sept. 27, outside of the LSU Union Theater.

It’s also one of the poorest. According to the 2019 American Community Survey, which is done by the U.S. Census Bureau, Louisiana is the second most impoverished state in the U.S., with 19.2% of the population living below the poverty line.

According to Jackson Voss, an economic opportunity policy analyst for the Louisiana Budget Project, that can impact vaccination rates.

“There’s a lot of data that kind

of implies that this group of people who aren’t getting vaccinated are more likely to be uninsured and more likely to work in lower income jobs, which are, in turn, more likely to not offer paid sick leave,” Voss said.

Despite the COVID-19 vaccine being free, uninsured people are less likely to be vaccinated, Voss said. According to the 2019 Louisiana Health Insurance Survey, done by the LDH, 11.1% of adults do not have health insurance.

Voss said its hard to pinpoint exactly what economic reasons are preventing this group from being vaccinated, but speculated it may be several intertwining factors.

“There might be concerns from this group of people who are not sure they can get the vaccine for free,” Voss said, “or they’re afraid if they do get it and they get sick from taking the vaccine, or experienced side effects, and they can’t go to work, so they’re going to lose their job or they’re not going to make enough money to make ends meet.”

Voss said that there is some opportunity to help these individuals. The state is currently flushed with cash, with a significant budget surplus and federal funds for pandemic relief. He said the state could use some of that money to set up a paid sick leave program or to fund temporary health clinics.

“I think that when we talk about what’s the connection here, in some ways, it is directly related to the poverty that people are experiencing, but it’s also related to the history of our governments not doing enough to help people,” Voss said.

ENTERTAINMENT

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

Email information to editor@lsu.edu.

BY REVEILLE ENTERTAINMENT STAFF @Reveilleent

FRIDAY

MARCH

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LSU Equestrian Horse Show Parker Coliseum Starting at 9 a.m. on March 4-6, watch the LSU Equestrian Team parade their noble steeds around in an event that is free to the public.

COURTESY OF CORA WOOLSEY

Every Saturday morning from 8 a.m.–noon, local farmers, fishers, food crafters and artisans line the corner of Fifth and Main streets in downtown Baton Rouge. Find fresh fruits and vegetables, baked goods and other local Louisiana products at the Red Stick Farmer’s Market.

5

MARCH

TH

SATURDAY

Red Stick Farmer’s Market 501 Main St. Baton Rouge

KLSU Fundraiser Kickoff Tin Roof Beer Join KLSU and a variety of local musicians at Tin Roof Brewery for a day of music, Oak and Smoke BBQ, visual art, and most importantly, the new KLSU merchandise as part of the radio station’s fundraiser week starting at 3 p.m.

COURTESY OF FOODREPUBLIC.COM

SUNDAY

MARCH

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Sole Lab Sundays Yes We Cannibal Esteemed Baton Rouge DJ Sole Lab returns to Yes We Cannibal for the third edition of Sole Lab Sundays, where hip hop artists get off their rhymes in a cypher-style show at 1600 Government St.

COURTESY OF YES WE CANNIBAL

Thursday, March 3, 2022

page 6 BATON ROUGE COMMUNITY

Spanish Town parade makes raunchy return to Baton Rouge thanks to their own shenanigans. Their kids’ lack of understanding and single-minded de-

BY GIDEON FORTUNE @gidfortune Trash hung in trees, kids running through the streets, cars parked in every imaginable patch of grass and helicopters in the skies. This was the scene displayed in Downtown Baton Rouge when thousands of residents flocked for the Spanish Town Parade.

As floats lined up in the shadow of the Louisiana State Capitol on Spanish Town Road, droves of people rushed to find a prime position to watch the parade floats pass by.

The excitement that had been building for the past two years was tangible and finally spewed out onto the numerated streets that hosted the winding parade.

Floats were quite obscene for a parade that saw crowd members spanning from infants to senior citizens. Still, it was only fitting that the spectacle was as wild as possible for its highlyanticipated return.

The “Porn Again Flamingoes” theme lived up to its name as erotic twists on the pink animals and politicians graced the sides of the multiple floats.

Parents remained unconcerned

so it’s still ok,” Walker resident Aubrie Forbes said about the kids watching the parade. “My

Former LSU Baseball Coach Paul Mainieri headed up the Italian-American Marchers and

COURTESY OF GIDEON FORTUNE

sire to catch beads did not hurt either. “[Our kids] are all under five,

little girl is two and a half and she’s obsessed with the parades; It’s a big deal for the kids.”

was met with a warm reception from the native crowd.

Shortly after, a new level of

jubilation was unlocked when Boosie’s “Wipe Me Down,” a Louisiana classic, blasted from one float.

“It was phenomenal and really everything you could want. It showed Louisiana culture with everybody coming together,” Baton Rouge resident Christian Maxwell said. “No violence, just drinking and having fun. This is the best way to experience Louisiana outside of New Orleans.”

By the end of the parade, the coherent were few, and the belligerent were plentiful as they looked for a party.

For those eager to get home, a frantic mass dispersion attempt ensued. Popping sounds were heard on every driveable street as car tires crunched over the bead-littered downtown area.

Hanging back for a post-parade wind-down, Circue Louisiana Krewe member and LSU alumnus Michelle Landry was just glad to take part in the Baton Rouge tradition she felt was long overdue.

“This is our second time, our first was right before the shutdown. This is the city we love, and we couldn’t wait to get back to Spanish Town.”

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Thursday, March 3, 2022

page 7 MOVIES & TV

Lexi Howard’s play ‘Our Life’ comes to a riotous conclusion

BY EDWARD HAGE @hage_eddy Note: This article is a satirical piece based on season two, episode eight of “Euphoria.”

What is real, and what is fiction? This is the question Lexi Howard asks in her theatrical debut, “Our Life.” In a time-bending, meta piece on the tribulations of high school life, Howard exposes the reality of biographical storytelling: Oftentimes, it’s not reality.

The play started out with the classic dilemma of the overlooked, shy teenager struggling in high school. Family deaths, relationship trouble and substance abuse all contribute to the turmoil within the production. What makes Howard’s “Our Life” stand out from that typical melodramatic path is the way the writer-actor bends time to fit her memory of events.

This time-bending throughline in the play is hinted at through Rue Bennett’s oft-repeated quote from her father, “Memories exist outside of time and have no beginning or end.” Much like this quote, the play flashes back and forward in time from junior high to high school, emphasizing

the way our memory erodes and recontextualizes as we grow.

During one of the many interludes in Howard’s play, I began humming Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out For a Hero,” but was rudely interrupted by the loud clacks of heels against the floor. A young woman — she looked about 24 — was walking toward the stage in an appropriate fit of rage. All eyes shifted away from the characters to the woman who was seemingly ruining the play. She climbed on stage, clapping slowly as the spotlight turned toward her.

Who was this woman? Is this part of the play? Is this shoddy lighting intentional? Confusion spread throughout the audience as she launched into a destructive monologue tearing down the actors and the work of Lexi Howard. This woman was actually Cassie Howard, the sister of Lexi.

Cassie continued to monologue, almost like a critic reviewing art scathingly. The play shifted toward interactive territory as the audience became more responsive and excited.

“That’s racist,” an audience member howled as Cassie compared the melodrama of Lexi’s life in Cassie’s shadow to the turmoil of female life in Afghanistan.

“Is this like part of the play?” another audience member asked before Cassie dragged Lexi onto the stage. In an extension of the play’s plot, Cassie began overshadowing Lexi’s time in the spotlight by shaming her live in front of an audience. That’s when it became clear to me that Cassie’s interruption was part of the play.

The brilliance of “Our Life” was apparent. Even in Lexi’s dream, she is relegated to a bystander. Her sister’s decisions constantly outweigh her own, both on and off stage.

It’s beautiful, tragic and clever storytelling that showcases the brilliant thematic through-line of the play. Even the title, “Our Life,” extends this theme of constant relegation: this isn’t Lexi’s own story; she must share the melodrama.

Continuing on, the real-life mother of Lexi and Cassie came to the stage, directly addressing the audience before complimenting Ethan, the actor portraying the mother. Cassie continued berating her sister before other audience members joined in the play. Cassie and another woman in the audience began arguing about their simultaneous relationship with the character Jake.

As expletives were shouted, I realized that Lexi Howard had shifted us toward a third timeline in the play—the present. We were now watching the real-life fallout between the characters Hallie and Marta, over the boy Marta was then dating. Time and space were being bent in front of my eyes, and all I could do was bask in the awe of it all.

The lights shut off as the play seemed to be shifting scenes back to before Cassie interrupted.

However, as Hallie explored her sexuality on stage riding a horse, Cassie screamed and tackled Hallie down to the ground, beating her. We then saw “Our Life” critiquing memory yet again, as Cassie’s future self was attacking her past self out of shame. Her actual mother attempted to break up the fight but failed. The woman who yelled at Cassie offstage, then rushed onto the stage and gave Cassie a huge slap before chasing her around the stage.

Other women from the audience entered the fight as cast members attempted to break it up.

Around and around the mechanical horse, the riot went as the audience cheered and screamed from shock and awe. It was the most visceral reaction I’ve ever

seen from a live audience in any play, local or otherwise. The audience pulled their phones out to record — still unsure of the fiction of it all — as the fight exited the stage.

The curtain closed, and a piano interlude was played. Shortly after, the audience began chanting “Lexi, Lexi, Lexi” repeatedly to get the show rolling again.

She came onto the stage and announced some technical difficulties, adding to the reality vs. fiction theme of the play. She then spoke about her friend who missed the show. My heart goes out to whoever the mystery person is because I would have to be dead or in jail to miss one of Lexi Howard’s ambitious productions.

Parallel deaths in the characters’ families played out on stage as the show continued. The play ended with a bittersweet revival of Luna and Jade’s friendship as the curtain closed.

“Our Life” is a beautiful reflection on the memories of young life and the inevitable endings to all our relationships. What young playwright and actor Lexi Howard has accomplished is simply prodigious, and I cannot wait to see what art she creates next, even if I have to wait until 2024.

MOVIES & TV

Five quality animes for viewers who are new to the genre

BY EMMA JACKIMOWICZ @emmajackimowicz There is an undeniable excitement surrounding the new seasons of popular animes. The fourth and final season of the highly-rated series “Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin)” and the second season of “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba” received rave reviews. People’s interest in watching these creative, eccentric Japanese animated shows has grown exponentially as they become more mainstream.

Viewers can encounter trouble when searching for an anime to start with since there is a slew of different subgenres and storylines to sort through. Sticking to the more popular series, whether new or old, is an excellent way to ease into the art of anime.

Here is a list of five popular anime to watch for beginners that are new to the genre: 5. “Haikyuu!” (2014-2020) Adapted from manga by Haruichi Furudate Genres: Drama, Comedy, Sports Anime in the sports genre can be hit or miss at times, but Haikyuu! has been revered as one of the best and most titillating series in sports anime history. The series centers around the small-statured and energetic Shoyou Hinata as he joins his high school volleyball team and learns the importance of teamwork while working alongside his brooding, former competitor from middle school, dubbed the “King of the Court,” Tobio Kageya-

ma.

If you like the excitement of sports, the heat of competition, and the power of team spirit, “Haikyuu!” is a must-see for beginners who enjoy a light-hearted and motivational storyline, including a diverse collection of characters.

The stubborn and rebellious main character Eren Jaeger, alongside his two childhood friends Mikasa and Armin, find themselves at the root of each battle when they join the Survey Corps, a battalion focused around finding ways to eradicate this threat and save hu-

COURTESY OF HULU

4. “Attack on Titan (Shingeki No Kyojin)” (2013-2022) Adapted from manga by Hajime Isayama Genres: Action, Drama, Fantasy Currently rated the most popular airing anime in the world according to MyAnimeList, Attack On Titan is presently airing with nine years of stunning animation and plot-thickening suspense behind its name. The series is based in a universe where humans live behind tall walls in fear of maneating, humanoid creatures called Titans.

mankind, all while slowly uncovering the truth about the unknown origin of Titans.

For those who enjoy gory battle scenes and mysterious plotlines with cliffhangers after every episode, this timeless anime is bound to keep you hooked.

3. “Naruto: Shippuden” (20072017) Adapted from manga by Masashi Kishimoto Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy Adapted from the well-loved “Naruto” series that had aired from

2002 up until “Shippuden’s” airing, the sequel continuation of this popular series containing a whopping 500 episodes has the hearts of most anime lovers. Set in a world where people are born with ninjalike powers relating to chakras and elements, viewers will follow the young main protagonist Naruto Uzumaki as he continues training with mighty masters and a new set of challenges in order to become Hokage, a title given to the most powerful ninja to protect his village, called Konohakagure. Being considered one of the best classic anime series, this sequel series is even more exciting than its predecessor and can capture the attention of those who love a good binge-worthy series and electrifying fights between powerful element-using ninjas.

2. “Death Note” (2006-2007) Adapted from manga by Tusgumi Ohba Genres: Mystery, Supernatural, Suspense This series is perhaps the most daring in this list as it centers around who would be considered the villain and not your typical hero. The main character Light Yagami is an unnaturally intelligent and justice-driven high school student. He stumbles upon a notebook that falls out of the sky titled “Death Note.” The book contains a set of directions stating that writing someone’s name in the notebook will lead to their subsequent, sudden death.

Light creates the alter ego Kira (Japanese for “Killer”) with this

godlike ability and uses the “Death Note” to secretly enact justice on those he believes are wreaking havoc to the world. A worldrenowned detective named only L looks to end Kira’s reign of terror; viewers will be enticed to watch this dark and thrilling anime as they watch Light discreetly work alongside L while inflicting chaos in a world where no person is safe from Kira’s wrath.

1. “Hunter X Hunter” (20112014) Adapted from manga by Yoshihiro Togashi Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy There is no better series for beginners to start your interest in anime than the stimulating action series “Hunter X Hunter.” Twelveyear-old Gon Freecs embarks on a journey to find his long-lost father by becoming a Hunter. Hunters are elite members of humanity who possess innate abilities to catch criminals and other individuals, search for secret treasures, and hunt for rare beasts.

Gon and his fellow hopeful Hunters Killua, Leorio and Kurapika take the Hunter Exam together and dive into the struggles and challenges that come with such responsibility while meeting an array of different monsters, characters and battles throughout their adventures. Tackling themes of survival, virtual realities, war and politics, this 148-episode series has enough punch to keep viewers on the edge of their seats, rooting for the protagonists until the very end.

SPORTS 25-4

page 8 BASEBALL

LSU women’s basketball heads to Nashville for SEC Tournament

BY TYLER HARDEN @ttjharden8 The LSU women’s basketball team is heading to Nashville for the SEC Tournament in the best position the program has been in for a long time with lots of potential to win. However, Head Coach Kim Mulkey preaches to her team that this is just another road trip and that they need to prepare for this time just like any other game this season.

“We’re not going to approach it any different, like Coach [Mulkey] said obviously you want to win, we just have more games to be played,” Khayla Pointer said.

“We’re going to go to Nashville, we’re going to get prepared and we’re going to lock in Thursday night before Friday, and take this game as we do any other game.”

The Tigers do not know who they will be playing yet, as they are set to face the winner of the Kentucky and Mississippi State matchup, who play Thursday night at 6 p.m.

Following a leg injury against Alabama last Thursday night, Alexis Morris will likely not play in the SEC Tournament in order to get healthy for the NCAA Tournament. Morris will make the trip to Nashville with the team but Mulkey is still deciding whether or not to let her dress in uniform for the games.

“She’ll [Morris] be on the trip with us,” Coach Mulkey said. “I’m going to have to decide if I’m go-

Baseball keeps home-win streak

BY PETER RAUTERKUS @peter_rauterkus

the season, helping the Tigers win many close games, especially their 66-61 win at home against Florida.

The bats came to play once again as LSU capped off another series win with dominant offensive outings against Towson and Southern this past weekend.

The Tigers started game one of the doubleheader a bit slow on Sunday, trailing 1-0 in the fourth inning before the bats finally came alive starting with a two-run home run off the bat of Brayden Jobert.

Jobert has been on fire to start the season, tallying his fourth home run as his bat stays hot through the first two weekends.

“Brayden’s had a great start to the year,” Head Coach Jay Johnson said after the game. “[He] got some things ironed out and was really productive.”

Jobert’s home run seemed to ignite the rest of LSU’s offense as it went on to score multiple runs in each of the next three innings, eventually breaking the game open. The power was on full display from LSU in this game as Jacob Berry and Dylan Crews also added home runs. The Tigers finished with 11 runs on the day, another impressive tally, but one that is becoming the norm for this potent offense.

see SEC, page 9

see BASEBALL, page 9

CHYNNA MCCLINTON / The Reveille

LSU women’s basketball Head Coach Kim Mulkey speaks to graduate-student guard Jailin Cherry (1) and graduate-student guard Khayla Pointer (3) Feb. 20, during LSU’s 66-61 win against Florida in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on North Stadium Drive in Baton Rouge, La. ing to let her dress out or not, because she’s one of those who might go check herself into the ball game if she has a uniform on.”

With Morris being out, the

front court for the Tigers consisting of Autumn Newby and Faustine Aifuwa know that they have to step up for the post-season games. But this duohave been playing their best basketball of

MEN’S GOLF

Hayden White: LSU golfer reflects on his time in Baton Rouge

BY ADAM BURRUSS @AdamNFLDraft LSU men’s golfer Hayden White fought through seemingly ‘never-ending’ back injuries and personal growth to play the game he loves, which led to him reaping the rewards of NIL deals in his fourth and final season with the Tigers.

White, a 22-year-old senior, discussed his experiences as an LSU golfer as well as the changing landscape of college athletics with the relatively new allowance of student-athletes to monetize their name, image and likeness.

White plans for this season to be his last and he took advantage of that with NIL deal agreements, in which he promotes products using his social media platforms.

“It’s different,” White said about taking on sponsorships.

“It’s nice being able to have a voice and use it instead of being a student athlete who does not receive compensation.”

White recently posted sponsored content on his Instagram showing his sponsorship deals with The Vitamin Shoppe, TIDL Sports and LyftLyfe. He said he partnered with those brands because they matched his interests; he likes protein shakes after working out, and two of the companies that he partnered with supplied him with powders that comply with NCAA and SEC regulations.

White talked about the process of working through an NIL deal as a golfer for LSU. According to him, a company, Atlius Sports Partners, connects athletes to brands and with LSU and educates players on what they can and cannot do for sponsorships.

Companies reached out to White and he received compensation to pose with their products in photos.

White also reflected on his entire golf career up to this point.

see WHITE, page 9

COURTESY OF HAYDEN WHITE

page 9

Thursday, March 3, 2022 SEC, from page 8 “We know that with Lex being out, we [Newby and Faustine Aifuwa] have to pick it up a little bit. We know that we have to be a presence, Kim [Mulkey] stresses that every day in practice,” Autumn Newby said. “I think that we’ve picked that up together.

We’ve tried to do more defensively, protecting the rim, rebounding, I try to bring a little more offensively, and I’m just going to try and continue that throughout the tournament and for the rest of the season.”

As the team starts its post-season run this weekend, the Tigers have also been reflecting on how much they’ve accomplished as a team and as a program throughout the regular season. Since

WHITE, from page 8 He explained how he grew a love of the game from a young age, as he first recalled hitting the ball with his dad at two years old. He said even at the age of two, he dreamed of going to LSU. As he grew up, he often practiced in his hometown of Benton in Bossier Parish where he practiced for about 10 hours a day.

White said he cultivated a family at the course in Benton and though it closed when he was 14 years old, he looked back at his time there with pride being a stepping stone to his ultimate goal — becoming a LSU Tiger.

“Meeting so many people through golf has been amazing,” White said. “It’s especially nice because my goal when I was younger was to play golf at LSU.” Once he got to his dream destination, though, adapting did not become any easier. He shouted out the team for having a great environment, but he described his freshman year as everyone scrambling to balance out busy schedules.

“It’s super hard to maintain the balance for school, friends, golf and studying,” White said.

“A normal day is working out at 5:30 a.m., class at 8:30 a.m., quick lunch and practice from about 12 to 3 p.m., dinner by the time practice is done and studying for the rest of the night.”

White credited those struggles with helping him and his fellow freshmen at the time bond as ev-

Mulkey came to LSU, the program has turned around so quickly that it made history in the SEC. “The thing I shared with the team this morning is, ‘You are a part of history in the SEC.’” Mulkey said. “From what I was told, this 16-game turn around in one season is the best that’s ever been in the history of the SEC.” This is something that the Tigers, especially the seniors, could have only imagined after going 9-13 last season. To most on the team, it doesn’t feel real.

“It’s amazing, I can’t even put it into words,” Pointer said. “I think it’s just a testament of how much hard work we put in in the offseason. Nobody actually expected us to be here where we are today, but we always knew we had a chance of being pretty good.”

The Tigers have been more than pretty good, most recently receiving their highest ranking of the season at No. 6 in the country.

Many of the players have never gone into the SEC Tournament in the position they’re in, the position to possibly win the entire tournament and host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

“It’s been something I’ve never been able to dream of,” Newby said. “I’m just really excited to see how it goes for the NCAA Tournament, because I know it’s going to be a great show out for us.”

LSU will open the SEC Tournament on Friday at 6 p.m. at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

The Tigers will face the winner of Kentucky vs. Mississippi State, and their matchup will be broadcasted live on the SEC Network.

eryone tried to balance their lives.

Now, he says the team hangs out frequently, and atmosphere feels great.

However, White hit a string of bad luck following his freshman season. Despite a strong start for himself and the team during his sophomore season, the COVID-19 pandemic derailed that. Then, during his junior season, his years of constant practice mixed with his self-diagnosed bad posture manifested in a back injury that left him incapable of playing at full capacity.

From a range of treatments such as MRIs and bone scans to stem cell treatments, White tried every treatment possible in order to fix his ailing back issues.

White feels his goal last semester involved getting his body right, which he feels as though he achieved. However, the injury still lingers.

“I still feel the injury when I breathe and I have felt that for over a year now, but hydrodissections helped with that,” White said. “I do not feel it in the golf swing anymore.”

Now, White plans for his senior season to be his last, despite having an extra year of eligibility due to the NCAA’s COVID-19 allowance. He also recognizes that one tournament he plans to participate in, the San Diego Classic in California, may be his last.

“I wanna go out with a bang,” White said. “I hope it’s not my last tournament, but it’s the first tournament in a year and a half where

I feel right.”

As White reflected on his collegiate golf career, he stated his many thanks and regrets. He obviously noted the years of bad posture as a regret but said his favorite memory was winning the David Toms Intercollegiate Tournament his sophomore year. He especially loved achieving the lowest score in front of his home crowd.

White expressed gratitude for all the connections he built through golf and he also appreciated being awarded a scholarship that he can leave college without debt. He said that he looks forward to finishing school, but that he does not want to leave golf.

White’s biggest regret, however, seemed to be the flow of time slipping away from him more than anything. He said freshman year felt like it only happened a year ago, and he wishes the experience did not go by so fast. He appreciated the intense competition and strong team on and off the course.

White said he regretted the posture he took when he practiced for his many years within golf. However, do not interpret that as him regretting golf.

Hayden White achieved his childhood dream by playing at LSU, and though his journey gave him struggles, he takes pride in every step of it.

“A lot of injuries hindered me, but I wouldn’t change a thing,” White said. “It’s been a dream come true.”

CHYNNA MCCLINTON / The Reveille

LSU women’s basketball graduate student forward Autumn Newby (0) smiles at fans March 2, during the LSU women’s basketball SEC Tournament send off outside the LSU Athletic Administration Building.

BASEBALL, from page 8 “Offensively, I thought we took good at-bats all the way through, again got a little lucky the first time through the order. It was crazy we were 10-11 quality at-bats at one point and only had two runs on the board, so really pleased with the hitters and their approach.”

Pitching wise, LSU put together a collectively impressive performance on the mound led by Ty Floyd and Devin Fontenot. Floyd got the start for the Tigers on the mound pitching five innings and allowing just one earned run on one hit and added five strikeouts.

Sam Dutton came on to replace Fontenot for the ninth inning and retired the side in order tallying two strikeouts.

“I thought Ty was really good, only threw one bad pitch, I think we only gave up one hit the entire day, so great job by him and Devin and Sammy, really good job by the pitching staff,” Johnson said after the game about the pitching performance.

Game two was more of the same from LSU, but the Tigers were able to get going early and put the game away pretty quickly. LSU scored in each of the first three innings, but a seven-run third inning blew the game wide open and it was all but decided from there. The big inning started with an RBI single by Alex Milazo and continued with runs

scored through two more RBI singles, two errors and a wild pitch. Southern’s struggles on the mound were a big reason for LSU’s onslaught of runs with the Jaguars walking 14 LSU batters, hitting two LSU batters and adding six wild pitches.

On the mound for LSU, Will Hellmers started the game, pitching four shutout innings and striking out four Southern batters. Bryce Collins and Trey Shaffer also pitched for LSU in this game, going a combined three innings pitched, giving up no runs and just one hit while also combining for nine strikeouts. This capped off an impressive weekend for the LSU pitching staff giving up just three runs across four games. Getting consistency from the entire staff was a point of emphasis going into the season and this weekend was a major step in the right direction.

“The depth of the pitching staff is really really good,” Johnson said, describing his team’s performance on the mound.

LSU outscored its opponents 41-3 on the weekend in another dominant weekend performance.

A weekend like this is always good for momentum especially with LSU having a major step up in competition next week, traveling to Houston to play against Oklahoma, Texas and Baylor in The Shriners Classic in Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas.

SAVANNA ORGERON / The Reveille

COURTESY OF HAYDEN WHITE

LSU baseball Head Coach Jay Johnson walks to the coin toss Feb. 18, before LSU’s 13-1 win against Maine at Alex Box Stadium on Gourrier Avenue in Baton Rouge, La.

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OPINION

page 11

QUICK

Giving ‘Sister Cindy’ attention, even ironically, builds her platform KACEYING THE STORY

SHOULD THE COVID-19 VACCINE MARDI GRAS 2022 BE MANDATORY FOR STUDENTS?

KACEY BUERCKLIN @0kacey1 The radical evangelical Christian preacher Cindy Smock, better known as “Sister Cindy,” came to the university earlier this week, encouraging students to skip class to watch her performance.

Smock has become a celebrity over the past year, amassing millions of views on TikTok from her controversial speeches that include sexist and homophobic comments.

Smock visits college campuses nationwide to slut shame college students for their outfits and make sexist comments about women who drink margaritas.

She is openly homophobic and condemns “sluts,” feminists and non-Christians to hell.

Smock had a large number of LSU students attend her speeches last week in Free Speech Alley, some of whom actually skipped class to hear her sexist and homophobic comments. The large crowds Smock draws only encourages her harmful behavior.

“It makes me feel really weird when there are big crowds around her because all she preaches is hate. It’s weird that students support it,” animal science and technology junior Caroline Babin said. “There were crowds for Sister Cindy before she even got there. The crowd of students were chanting for Sister Cindy, waiting for her to call them a whore.”

Babin and digital advertising junior Leigh Auzenne briefly walked past Smock’s speech as they were trying to enter the Student Union.

As they walked past the large crowd of onlookers, they noticed many students participating in her speeches and even getting merchandise that said “ho no mo,” Smock’s catchphrase explaining how she became “pure” after accepting Jesus following her “hoe” years in college.

“I understand the joke behind it,” Auzenne said,“but I don’t know if Sister Cindy knows we were making fun of her.”

Smock has thousands of followers on Instagram and TikTok. Her TikTok account has over six million likes and almost 400,000

TA K E S

“The COVID-19Mardi vaccine should absolutely mandatory LSU like stu“Celebrating Gras in New Orleansbefinally madefor it feel dents whoreturning live, worktoornormal. attend Iclasses on campus. know a lot of life was drove into the city Ilate Thursday and went every parade from until Tuesday.

I even rode people are to going to argue that it’s Friday an infringement upon their rights or in a parade on Sunday, albeit on a shortened route.

I’m sure that that it’s somehow unjust or unfair, but honestly, it just makes sense.” my liver and my wallet were less than excited about reveling Marie Plunkett after a year-long hiatus, but moderation isn’t necessarily a part @MarieC_214 of anyone’s Mardi Gras vocabulary, is it?”

Drake Brignac @drakebrignac

“Yes yes yes. Not only because I want my life to return to normal — and I believe mass immunization is the only way to do so — but because I have long relished the opportunity to be micr-eaux-chipped by LSU.” “This year, Mardi Party brought back a lot of memories from Girard 2019’s festivities, which is believed to be one of theCécile country’s first super spreader events. It was really fun to be back @_cegi_ in New Orleans celebrating with friends and seeing everyone having so much fun despite the gloom in the news as people read updates on the raging war in Ukraine. I was glad for the festivities to “Vaccines should not be mandatory. Some people, including myself, return, and I had a blast. We are back—hopefully.”

are highly wary of the rush on this vaccine. I do not think it has been tested long enough to know the long-term effects.”Charlie Stephens @charliestephns Tamia Southall @tamiabrem_

MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille

Sister Cindy speaks on Feb. 21 in Free Speech Plaza on LSU’s Campus in Baton Rouge, La. followers, and her Instagram account has over 11,000 followers.

Smock profits largely off her sexist and homophobic comments, as students continue to support her.

Even though some take it as a joke, her comments could really trigger others. Smock has been a radical evangelical preacher for years now. She does not see her comments as a joke. Her radicalism is her job. In the past year, college students have been rewarding Smock’s sexist speech with fame and money, enabling her to travel across the country.

Auzenne said that Smock called her a whore for wearing a t-shirt and ripped jeans.

“It can be very triggering for students who have serious sexual

trauma,” Auzenne said. “When do we draw the line? How much can she say until it doesn’t become a joke anymore?”

The line should’ve been drawn a long time ago. While free speech is important, campus visitors should not be allowed to verbally abuse students as they walk to class, and other students should not be encouraging that behavior.

Students need to realize that the joke behind supporting “Sister Cindy” really is just not that funny—and certainly not worth the cost of amplifying Smock’s harmful rhetoric.

Kacey Buercklin is a 20-year-old political communications senior from Murrayville, GA.

“I celebrated Mardi Gras with just some friends, watching TV. I didn’t really do much, as I every am soperson busy during the weekable thattoI “The University should require who is medically really just wanted a break. Even though I didn’t party hard like get a vaccine for COVID-19. We are all desperate to return to a more a lot of other students, I don’t regret taking the weekend for normal thattocannot happen for without mass vaccination.

This myself.world, I stillbut went New Orleans the weekend, and it was policy necessary if we wish to resume in-person instruction a niceisrelaxing getaway.

Since I didn’t more do much for the holiday, and traditional college experi- I know a lot of students life other still felt the same.

However, who Claire Sullivan went back to Mardi Gras normalcy. Maybe next year I’ll do the @sulliclaire full five days of parades.”

Kacey Buercklin

“No, I do not believe the COVID-19 vaccine should @0kacey1 be mandatory. If and when the vaccine is accessible to everyone, I think it is a personal decision. If someone is comfortable getting it, by all means, they should.”

“I wasn’t scared of COVID-19 because I have theElizabeth vaccine and Crochet the booster, but I still didn’t go to a parade. I’ve just been too @elizabethcro_ tired to do much of anything recently. I’ll probably go to a parade next year. But I did have a slice of king cake for the first time.

Theascake was good.”

“Yes. It’s simple aspretty that. Once the vaccine is available to the larger

public, the priority should become promoting the vaccination Frank Kidd of the entire student, faculty and staff body. If you refuse to get the vaccine, @FK446852315 then you won’t be allowed to ‘return’ to the pre-pandemic status quo...”

Domenic Purdy

“Some close friends and I visited New Orleans over @Tigerdom16 the weekend, and we attended the Endymion Parade. The crowd gathered was much larger than I expected, as the city seems to be recovering from the pandemic restrictions this past It felton ”COVID-19 vaccination should definitely be required foryear. students like a welcome return to normalcy, even thoughtomany attendees campus.

The University already requires students receive a number were still carefultotoensure wear the masks and themselves from of other vaccines safety of distance its students, staff and faculty others when they had the opportunity.”

members. Why should this vaccine be any different?”

Editorial Policies and Procedures EDITORIAL BOARD Editor in Chief

Lara Nicholson Enjanae’ Taylor Josh Archote Bella Dardano Claire Sullivan

Managing Editor News Editor

Deputy News Editor Opinion Editor

The Reveille (USPS 145-800) is written, edited and produced solely by students of Louisiana State University.

The Reveille is an independent entity of the Office of Student Media within the Manship School of Mass Communication. Signed opinions are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the editor, The Reveille or the university. Letters submitted for publication should be sent via e-mail to 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 Noah@evan_leonhard McKinney @itsthatnoah

Quote of the Week “Compassion is the radicalism of our time.”

Lhamo Thondup 14th Dalai Lama 1935 — present

Thursday, March 3, 2022

page 12

Keep yourself safe by using precautions, riding with friends THE STABILER SCOOP LURA STABILER @lstabiler3 Mardi Gras break is an endless weekend of fun and, more importantly, a much-needed break from the semester.

It is quite possible that no one loves Mardi Gras more than me.

I love it more than Christmas—I would much rather catch a 15-cent pair of beads than get a crappy gift that I never even asked for from a distant relative.

However, with violent crime on the rise, it is not the safest time to be partying in New Orleans.

Many incidents are unpredictable and oftentimes unavoidable, but one thing you can do to stay safe is Uber with your friends rather than alone.

Last week, a 21-year-old University of New Orleans student named Ciaya Whetstone died after arriving to the hospital unresponsive after an Uber ride. Uber deactivated the driver’s account, and the company launched their own investigation.

Uber does provide customers with safety precautions. The company suggests riding in the backseat, especially when riding alone, and sharing information regarding your ride with loved ones.

Uber also conducts background checks on drivers, reviewing criminal records and motor vehicle reports. However, it is not

possible to weed out every bad driver.

Last Saturday, my friend called an Uber from a bar in New Orleans with the expectation of arriving home safely. During the ride, my friend realized the Uber was driving in the wrong direction. When she asked the driver where the car was headed, he would not answer and locked the doors.

My friend demanded the driver pull over and let her out, and luckily she was able to safely leave the vehicle.

The same weekend, I had a scary experience with an Uber driver. I got into the backseat, as the Uber safety precautions suggest. The driver seemed friendly at first, and we had a short conversation. But then, he started reaching back to touch my legs and arms.

I was extremely uncomfortable, but I did not feel like I was in a safe area to leave the car.

Thankfully, I was also able to arrive home safely.

Uber can be a great safety precaution. No one wants to be arrested for driving under the influence, and no one wants to put other people’s lives at risk. It is a great tool to use, but it is not a good idea to use it by yourself in a crowded city.

So, play it safe. Use the buddy system. It is not worth the risk.

Lura Stabiler is a 22-year-old journalism senior from Baton Rouge.

CARTOON BY EMILY TRAN

LSU must address quality, quantity of parking on campus SERIOUSLY KIDDING FRANK KIDD @FK446852315 Finding parking at the university can be difficult, especially in high volume areas. As if the time necessary to walk to class wasn’t enough, students must be prepared to spend an inordinate amount of time looking for a spot.

Parking at the University Recreation Center can be a particularly arduous task in the late afternoon and evening hours.

I enjoyed my visits to the UREC during the winter break. It was empty enough that I didn’t have to wait for machines or equipment, but there were still enough people there to play basketball with.

I’d become naïve to the issue of parking for that month, but it quickly returned to the forefront of my mind the first day of spring semester, as the sight of a full parking lot and the burden of driving around to find a spot proved to be migraine inducing.

Parking spots are also hard to find in many other places on campus, especially by The 459 Commons, the East Campus Apartments and the dorms on the East side of campus. Some students in the east campus dorms have to park at the UREC at night because

THE REVEILLE ARCHIVES

LSU student Megan Rodgers checks out her car Sept. 15 during Tropical Depression Nicholas in the Tiger Stadium parking lot on LSU’s campus in Baton Rouge, La. there are no spots left in the residential lots.

Parking spots on campus are far too hard to come by, but perhaps an even larger problem is the dilapidated state of some lots.

Even when students can find a spot, they must prepare themselves for a rollercoaster ride over potholes.

This issue is most evident at West Campus Apartments. The

entrance closest to West Chimes Street and Alaska Street is a tough area to drive through, to say the least. The number of craterous holes there would make a nuclear test site blush.

Drivers must be careful to proceed slowly over the surface of this entrance. Legend says that driving over 5 mph in this area can cause a concussion rivaling only that of a wide receiver in the 1970’s (although we can’t know for sure, as no one has been brave enough to test it).

“I don’t understand how they can build a new dorm every year but we have potholes bigger than my first apartment,” digital art senior Devin Riser said.

This criticism rings true for LSU students who see more dorms being built as the conditions of the parking lots degrade. The university spending tuition dollars on seemingly everything but parking is an increasingly frustrating reality. Adding new dorms exacerbates the parking issue by squeezing even more people onto a campus with limited parked spaces.

Parking is an issue that students care about, but the university doesn’t seem to share that sentiment. The concerns of administrators should be aligned with those of the students. In order to alleviate this chronic, daily problem for students, the university should prioritize improving both the quality and quantity of parking on campus.

Frank Kidd is a 21-year-old mass communication junior from Springfield.