The Reveille 4-8-21

Vo lum e 129 · N o. 92

E s t. 18 87

T hu r s d ay, A p r i l 8 , 2 021 COURTESY OF LSU ATHLETICS

ATHLETIC DIRECTOR SCOTT WOODWARD COURTESY OF JAVIER FERNANDEZ FOR MANSHIP NEWS SERVICE

FORMER GENERAL COUNSEL TOM SKINNER

COURTESY OF LSU

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEMBER JAMES WILLIAMS COURTESY OF LSU

TITLE IX COORDINATOR JENNIE STEWART

NEWS

p ag e 3

A state representative proposed a bill that would make it illegal to teach about systemic racism and sexism at Louisiana schools.

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JASON DRODDY

SENIOR ASSOCIATE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR MIRIAM SEGAR

ENTERTAINMENT

p ag e 5

“Godzilla vs. Kong” gives the big cinematic fights between the two titans that fans were hoping for.

COURTESY OF LSU AGCENTER

FORMER BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEMBER RONNIE ANDERSON

NO SHEAUX

COURTESY OF LSU

COURTESY OF LSU ATHLETICS

EXECUTIVE DEPUTY DIRECTOR VERGE AUSBERRY

COURTESY OF LSU

COURTESY OF LSU ATHLETICS

Nine LSU officials opt out of attending Thursday’s Title IX hearing

Read on

page 2

HEAD FOOTBALL COACH ED ORGERON

SPORTS

p ag e 9

After three weeks of conference play, LSU baseball finds itself making an abundance of tweaks in its lineup and season.

OPINION

p ag e 11

“I desperately longed for a change of scenery, a boost in serotonin and a way to get my mind off of school.”

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

page 2

LSU officials decline to attend Title IX hearing

BY NICK FREWIN @itsnickfrewin A Louisiana State Senate committee called for nine LSU employees and Board of Supervisors members, along with one Taylor Porter attorney associated with a previous LSU investigation, to testify at a hearing Thursday regarding the University’s mishandling of sexual misconduct cases. However, the University confirmed Wednesday that no LSU officials will testify.

This will be the Louisiana Senate Select Committee on Women and Children’s third hearing on this issue, following two previous meetings where multiple prominent members of the LSU community provided accounts of how the University has historically mishandled sexual misconduct cases.

The University’s decision to not provide testimony at the April 8 hearing comes immediately after Speaker Pro Tempore Tanner Magee said that legislators will require LSU to properly address the problems of handling sexual assault cases if the University wishes to continue receiving funds from the state.

Thursday’s hearing will also occur just days after the U.S. Department of Education confirmed its plans to investigate if the University is “in compliance with the requirements of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.”

The committee invited the following individuals to testify at Thursday’s hearing: • Athletic Director Scott Woodward • Head Football Coach Ed Orgeron • Senior Associate Athletic Director Miriam Segar • Executive Deputy Director Verge Ausberry • Former Board of Supervisors member Ronnie Anderson • Board of Supervisors Executive Director Jason Droddy • Former General Counsel Tom Skinner • Board of Supervisors member James Williams • Title IX Coordinator Jennie Stewart • Taylor Porter attorney Vicki Crochet Winston G. Decuir Jr., the LSU vice president of legal affairs and general counsel, sent an email to Chairwoman Regina Barrow of the Senate Committee on Wednesday explaining that none of the requested individuals would attend the hearing Thursday in light of Sharon Lewis’ $50 million lawsuit against the University. Lewis alleges she suffered a pattern of abuse by former LSU football head coach Les Miles, Ausberry and Segar, among other athletics officials.

“We hope that you and the committee understand the University has attempted to be as co-

operative as possible by providing unprecedented information in its recent internal investigation and almost 14 hours of testimony in the two prior hearings,” Decuir said. “In light of this threatened litigation, it would not be prudent for persons associated with LSU to provide testimony under oath at the senate committee meeting scheduled tomorrow.”

Although lawmakers have allowed written testimony in similar hearings over the last year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Barrow said Monday that she intended for all 10 people called to testify to do so in person and said that the given option to submit a written testimony was a clerical oversight, according to WBRZ. Despite insistence from Barrow that the listed individuals attend the hearing, LSU Media Relations Director Ernie Ballard said that the officials who opted for written testimonies chose one of the two options presented to them.

“They didn’t decline — they were all given the option of attending in person or submitting a letter response to the committee,” Ballard said Tuesday to The Reveille.

Nearly everyone who was summoned declined the invitation or opted to send written testimony in lieu of appearing before the committee; many of these decisions predated the University’s letter that stated that no individuals currently affiliated with LSU would testify.

Stewart wrote that she would be out of town on a “long-planned vacation” the day of the committee hearing. Anderson, who was replaced on the Board of Supervisors last week, also wrote that he would be unable to attend because he is still recovering from coronavirus, according to the Advocate.

Crochet, who conducted a 2013 sexual harassment investigation of Les Miles, said “ethical and legal duties prohibit me from sharing information about Taylor Porter’s representation of LSU.” Droddy originally requested more information regarding the type of questions the committee wanted to ask but later sent a letter Wednesday noting that he won’t be attending because of Sharon Lewis’ impending lawsuit.

Skinner also cited Lewis’ lawsuit as his reason for not attending the hearing.

Williams was the only invitee who did not publicly indicate whether he would attend the hearing, but as he is a Board of Supervisors member, the University’s letter indicates that he will not testify.

Ed Orgeron Following the Nov. 16 release of a USA Today article detailing the University’s failures in handling Title IX cases, LSU Head Football Coach Ed Orgeron estab-

lished in a press conference that there is no tolerance for sexual misconduct in his program and confirmed his trust in the University to properly handle misconduct allegations.

“I have in the past and will continue to take appropriate action and comply with reporting protocols,” Orgeron said. “I have confidence that the University is working to address our policies and processes when allegations arise.”

During a March 26 committee hearing, Superdome employee Gloria Scott testified that in December 2017, then-LSU football running back Derrius Guice sexually harassed her at a high school football championship game.

Scott said she reported the incident directly to Orgeron and requested that Guice be suspended from the upcoming Citrus Bowl.

Orgeron stated in an interview with Husch Blackwell that he never directly spoke to the victim, a claim Scott called a “lie” during her testimony.

“Coach O is telling a lie,” Scott said. “He’s not telling the truth.

I don’t have no reason to lie. I know who I was talking to. He knows he talked to me.”

Following Scott’s testimony, Orgeron was requested to either testify before the committee or submit a letter discussing his knowledge of the situation. Orgeron opted to submit a letter to the committee on Tuesday, reiterating that he did not speak to Scott over the phone, but included that his memory of the conversation was “vague.”

Barrow issued a statement Tuesday evening regarding Orgeron’s decision to not attend the hearing.

“Coach Orgeron and all those involved in this matter owe it to those ladies to stop with this dismissive behavior and to own up to what occurred, taking responsibility for the actions that took place and the cover-up that followed,” Barrow said.

Rep. Aimee Freeman told the Daily Advertiser Wednesday that the committee is now exploring the possibility of issuing a subpoena for Orgeron.

Verge Ausberry and Miriam Segar Both Executive Deputy Athletic Director Verge Ausberry and Senior Associate Athletic Director Miriam Segar, who received unpaid suspensions at the beginning of March for their multiple failures in reporting Title IX violations, were also requested to attend the hearing.

Ausberry, whose 30-day suspension ended this Sunday, declined the invitation in a letter on Tuesday, citing that he will be “out of town and unable to attend.”

Segar’s attorney also submitted a letter to the committee Tuesday, stating that her client will not be personally attending

the hearing. The letter stated that Husch Blackwell “does not know how to do a thorough investigation” and that there were “numerous misrepresentations about Ms. Segar’s conduct of her job.”

“Ms. Segar has zero to hide but will wait for the appropriate time and venue to express her claims and defenses,” the letter read.

Interim President Thomas Galligan, who spoke at the March 10 committee hearing, has faced ongoing scrutiny from Senate committee members regarding his decision to not fire Segar, Ausberry or anyone else implicated in the Husch Blackwell report.

Students also displayed their disappointment with Galligan’s decision to suspend the pair by leading a sit-in protest days before the March 10 hearing, blocking any entrance or exit to the parking lot of the LSU Football Operations Center, with one of the protesters’ signs reading “LSU is complicit, suspension is not enough.”

Scott Woodward Athletic Director Scott Woodward was previously scheduled to testify at the seven-hour March 26 hearing, though it ended before he was able to speak. Barrow personally asked Woodward to attend the next committee hearing.

“You know I will,” Woodward replied.

Despite this promise, Woodward opted out of attending Thursday’s hearing and submitted a written statement to the committee Tuesday. Woodward attached an outline of the steps LSU is taking to address its Title IX failures and further established his confidence in Galligan’s decision to suspend Ausberry and Segar.

“I fully support the recommendations of the Husch Blackwell report and the actions taken

by President Galligan to address the shortcomings of the past,” the letter read.

Segar, who was formerly considered the point of contact for Title IX cases in the Athletics Department, said in an interview with Husch Blackwell that the mandate for all employees to report violations directly to the Title IX coordinator has been clarified since Woodward became athletic director in 2019.

“We note again that since Scott Woodward took over direction of the Athletics Department in 2019, community members, students and employees within Athletics have indicated that the situation has improved” the report read.

The Senate Select Committee for Women and Children will meet on Thursday at 10 am.

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

NEWSROOM (225) 578-4811

Editor in Chief BAILEY CHAUVIN Managing Editor LARA NICHOLSON Digital Editor BROCK SANDERS News Editor KATHERINE MANUEL Deputy News Editor NICK FREWIN Sports Editor NATASHA MALONE Deputy Sports Editor REED DARCEY Entertainment Editor ENJANAE’ TAYLOR Opinion Editor GRACE PULLIAM Production Editor JENNIE DELATTE Multimedia Editor ABBY KIBLER

ADVERTISING (225) 578-6090

Layout /Ad Design SARAH FRANCIONI Layout/Ad Design EMILY POOLE Layout/Ad Design SAMIRA AWAD

CORRECTIONS & CLARIFICATIONS The Reveille holds accuracy and objectivity at the highest priority and wants to reassure its readers the reporting and content of the paper meets these standards. This space is reserved to recognize and correct any mistakes that may have been printed in The Reveille. If you would like something corrected or clarified, please contact the editor at (225) 578-4811 or email editor@lsureveille.com.

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

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

NEWS

page 3

“UNBELIEVABLY STUPID” Proposed bill would make it illegal to teach about racism and sexism at state-funded universities and K-12 schools

BY JOSH ARCHOTE @JArchote The head of Louisiana’s House Education Committee introduced a bill that would make it illegal to teach about systemic racism and sexism at Louisiana universities and K-12 schools that receive state funds.

The bill was presented April 2 for the upcoming Louisiana Legislature’s 2021 regular session by Rep. Ray Garofalo and is pending in the House Education Committee.

It would prevent universities and K-12 schools that receive state funds from teaching “that either the United States of America or the state of Louisiana is fundamentally, institutionally or systemically racist.”

Furthermore, it would outlaw teaching that “the concepts of capitalism, free markets or working for a private party in exchange for wages are racist and sexist or oppress a given race or sex.”

The bill also seeks to ban teaching racial and gender equity over racial and gender equality. The bill defines equity as “unequal treatment of individuals because of their race, sex or national origin,” whereas equality is defined as equal treatment.

The terms “systemic racism” and “systemic sexism” are generally used to describe biases

ADMNISTRATION

Admin claims years of harassment in athletics

BY KATHERINE MANUEL @kmanuel_2

history without teaching systemic racism and sexism,” political science and philosophy sophomore Devin Scott said. “Our country was built on the backs of the oppressed, but schools have refrained from teaching that for decades.”

Garofalo represents District 103, covering a portion of southeast Louisiana, including St. Bernard Parish. He assumed office

An LSU athletics administrator alleged that University officials worked to cover up former football coach Les Miles’ sexual harassment cases and then retaliated against her for years after she reported the harassment, USA Today reported Tuesday.

Associate Athletic Director of Football Recruiting Sharon Lewis told USA Today about several senior University officials who she said tormented her, discriminated against her based on her sex and race, underpaid her and contributed to the University’s mishandling of sexual assault reports.

According to USA Today, attorneys representing Lewis said they plan to file multiple lawsuits, including a federal Title IX lawsuit and a state whistleblower lawsuit.

Defendants in those lawsuits will include Executive Deputy Athletic Director Verge Ausberry and Senior Associate Athletics Director Miriam Segar, according to USA Today.

Lewis told USA Today she experienced a pattern of abusive treatment by Miles, Ausberry, Segar and compliance director Bo Bahnsen, among other athletics

see BILL, page 4

see LEWIS, page 4

ABBY KIBLER / The Reveille

Protesters hold up their signs as they march peacefully to the State Capitol on May 31, 2020. and discrimination embedded in society and within institutions, leading to a different level of access to goods, services and opportunities for historically underrepresented groups.

The bill, however, considers these ideas to be “divisive.”

“No training that teaches, advocates, acts upon or promotes divisive concepts shall be provided to students or employees,” the bill reads.

“Hindering children and stu-

dents from learning about the racist and sexist history of our nation only holds us back from true progress,” criminology and political science junior Javin Bowman said. “After multiple social movements centered on destroying racism and sexism barriers this nation holds over people of color and women, you would think there should be a push to increase the teaching of these subjects.”

“You can’t teach American

FACULTY

Nine University professors aid governor in reducing emissions

BY JOSH ARCHOTE @JArchote Nine LSU researchers joined committees and advisory groups for Gov. John Bel Edwards’s Climate Initiatives Task Force, an executive order signed in August of last year to reduce Louisiana’s greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050.

By February 2022, the Task Force will submit a detailed plan to reduce Louisiana greenhouse gas emissions 26-28% by 2025, 40-50% by 2030 and net zero emissions by mid-century.

“Just as we have done with coastal protection and restoration, we are building an inclusive, science-driven process to lead us to solutions to an incredibly complex and difficult problem,” Edwards said in a press release.

The task force is supported by six committees pertaining to sectors of the economy, and four advisory groups focused on sci-

ence, equity, law and policy and financial and economic concerns.

LSU chemical engineering professor Kalliat Valsaraj is part of the Science Advisory Committee, tasked with assessing the feasibility of scientific recommendations to attain carbon neutrality by 2050.

“It may be challenging to the Louisiana situation because of its reliance on the oil and gas industry, but the prospect of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 is certainly possible,” Valsaraj said.

The transition to renewable energy and carbon neutrality is crucial in mitigating the effects of global climate change. Greenhouse gas emissions increase temperatures in the atmosphere and the ocean, leading to sealevel rise, more extreme weather and a host of other devastating effects outlined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Almost every country joined the United Nations’ Paris Agree-

ment, which aims to limit greenhouse emissions by transitioning economies away from nonrenewable energy, like oil and natural gas, to renewable energy, like solar and wind.

President Joe Biden rejoined the United States into the Paris Agreement on his first day in office, undoing the country’s November 2020 withdrawal from the agreement.

Louisiana is fifth among states in total carbon emissions and emissions per-capita, according to 2015-16 U.S. Department of Energy statistics. Much of Louisiana’s emissions come from the production of oil and gas at wells, the use of oil and gas as fuel in refineries and petrochemical manufacturing and from transportation emissions.

Edwards described Louisiana as the “poster child for climate risk,” during a meeting of the state Coastal Protection and Res-

see PROFESSORS, page 4

JOSHUA ARCHOTE / The Reveille

Louisiana is fifth among states in total carbon emissions and emissions per-capita, according to 2015-16 U.S. Department of Energy statistics.

Thursday, April 8, 2021

page 4 BILL, from page 3 in 2012.

In February, Garofalo made local headlines after raising concerns about an academic panel discussion at LSU titled “White Rage,” a LSU Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs series about dismantling the historical system of racism.

Garofalo said he was worried that ideas about dismantling systemic racism were an official position of the University and/or the Board of Regents.

“I’ve also received some questions regarding the series ‘Racism: Dismantling the System’.

In particular, what ‘system’ are the advocates suggesting be dismantled, why does said system require dismantling, and again, is this an official position of the University and/or the BOR,” Garofalo wrote in an email to Louisiana Higher Education Commissioner Kim Hunter-Reed.

PROFESSORS, from page 3 toration Authority. Louisiana’s incidences of extreme weather and already-sinking coastline make the state especially vulnerable to climate-related impacts.

“Coastal erosion and the relocation of vulnerable communities will tax our state resources in the future,” Valsaraj said.

“When you superimpose our already costly efforts at coastal restoration, even slight increases in sea level due to global climate changes (and arctic snow melts) will make our efforts even more difficult.”

Other LSU researchers in the science advisory group are petroleum engineering professor Mehdi Zeidouni, agriculture professor Chang Jeong and Richard Keim, a professor in the School of Renewable Natural Resources.

Keim’s research at LSU focuses on the interaction of forests and wetlands with the water

LEWIS, from page 3 officials. Lewis told USA Today that harassment and retaliation against her began within days of Miles’ arrival to campus as head coach in January 2005. she said Ausberry verbally abused her.

Lewis was hired in 2002 and was in charge of coordinating football recruits’ official visits to LSU. She also managed a group of student workers called hostess groups who assisted with recruiting.

These hostess groups, which Lewis said were almost always all-women, were a discrete, yet common part of college football until the NCAA made attempts to stop them in 2004 after incidents at major universities. Some hostesses said football players raped them, and others said they provided recruits with sex and alcohol, according to USA Today.

LSU’s hostess program was called Tiger Pride, and was disbanded around that time. Still, Lewis said the sexualization of LSU’s football recruiting staff continued after Miles’ hiring.

Lewis told USA Today that

Reed forwarded that email to Interim President Thomas Galligan, according to the Advocate.

Galligan responded to Garofalo and Reed that the panel was an academic discussion, and didn’t represent any position taken by the University, according to the Advocate.

LSU students and professors reacted to Garofalo’s bill on Twitter.

“This legislation runs contrary to the very idea of a university,” LSU communication studies professor Bryan McCann said. “It violates free speech and academic freedom. Higher education is about free inquiry and the exchange of ideas, which inevitably involves encountering ideas that make us uncomfortable. Reckoning with the history of racism, sexism, and other forms of inequality in the U.S. makes many of us uneasy, but is essential for a thriving democratic culture — something

universities have a major role in helping cultivate.”

McCann’s teaching and scholarship focus on the prison-industrial complex, organized labor, academic freedom, campus climate concerns and other social justice issues.

“To legislate against teaching about racism and other forms of oppression has the effect of gaslighting students from historically underrepresented groups,” McCann said. “It tells Black students that their experiences of injustice are not real. It tells women that sexism is just in their minds.”

LSU recently turned its African and African American Studies program into a department and has committed to a number of other initiatives to promote diversity, equity and inclusion.

“LSU and other state universities employ some of the best scholars and teachers on matters of social inequality in the world,”

McCann said. “If this bill passes, such esteem and progress will slip away. It will become increasingly difficult to attract new faculty when, on top of our state’s non-competitive salaries and other incentives, it is quite literally illegal for them to teach in their area of expertise.

“Furthermore, for those of us presently in the state who teach in these topics, more of us will seek faculty positions elsewhere. This will only exacerbate the statewide brain drain from which Louisiana has been suffering for years. It will keep us at the bottom of the list for so many metrics among the other 49 states.”

Garofalo calls himself a free speech advocate and said he has been concerned that conservative viewpoints are often censored on campuses around the country, according to the Advocate.

Garofalo’s bill, however,

would likely be deemed unconstitutional because it violates students’ and professors’ free speech protections, LSU law professor Ken Levy said.

“Students also have a very strong First Amendment right not only to express their own speech and ideas, but also to receive them,” Levy said. “They have broad First Amendment rights, as do the teachers of these students.

“Sometimes, these broad rights will come into conflict with the state’s power to determine the curriculum. The free speech rights of the teachers and the students will prevail over this dumb bill.”

Levy said students and professors shouldn’t worry about the bill passing.

“This is nothing more than a cheap political stunt,” Levy said.

“We should treat this like the joke that it is. It’s unbelievably stupid.”

cycle, specifically as it pertains to greenhouse gases and climate change.

“The task force needs this expertise because any proposed actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change need to include the role of ecosystems,” Keim said. “Forests and wetlands are major stores of carbon in Louisiana, and we can affect their carbon balances substantially by the way we manage them directly and by the way we manage the water they depend on.”

Ten percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions comes from agriculture, according to the EPA. Finding better practices and incentives for farmers to implement could result in reduced greenhouse gas emissions, according to agriculture professor Naveen Adusumilli, who works on the Agricultural Conservation Waste Management Subcommittee.

Another way agriculture will have impacts on the climate is through carbon sequestration, the ability of forests and grasslands to store carbon that would otherwise go into the atmosphere.

Forests and grasslands are referred to as carbon sinks because they store large amounts of carbon in their vegetation and root systems for long periods of time.

“There are several practices the farmers will be able to adopt,” Adusumilli said. “The goal is how to convince them and create a set of mechanisms so that they can adopt these practices on a long-term basis.”

Geography and anthropology professor Craig Colten has worked on environmental justice issues since he arrived at LSU in 2000. He’s currently researching how marginalized communities in the coastal region of the state are neglected by the state’s ambitious coastal master plan.

Colten will serve the Task Force’s Equity Advisory Group, which will consider how vulnerable, minority and marginalized residents of Louisiana will be impacted by either actions taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or by the continuation of the status quo.

“We often see inequitable impacts from environmental policies,” Colten said, “and our duty is to foreground the equity issues in the early stages of discussion, debate and policy formulation.”

Economics professor and director of the Public Administration Institute in the E. J. Ourso College of Business Administration James Richardson will serve on the Economics and Finance Advisory Group.

Richardson has worked with the Louisiana economy for over 50 years, helping create economic outlooks for the state and working with the legislature on tax policy since 1970.

“My focus has to be on the economic and financial impact perspective,” Richardson said.

“But, obviously, any economic and financial impacts will be closely related to the science issues.”

Other LSU researchers working with the task force include petroleum engineering professor Richard Hughes on the Mining, Oil and Gas Production Advisory Group, and energy law professor Nick Bryner.

Edwards became the 25th governor to commit to carbon reduction goals in line with the Paris Agreement’s goals, but Louisiana’s efforts will need to be matched by other states and countries to limit global climate change.

“Whatever actions Louisiana may take has to be accompanied by similar or stronger actions from our neighboring states since CO2 does not recognize state boundaries,” Valsaraj said.

Miles pressured her to replace Black workers on her recruiting staff with blonde women or lightskinned Black women. She said when she refused, Miles ordered others to get Lewis to follow his plans. Lewis said she attempted to report his behavior, but her reports fell on deaf ears.

Lewis said Miles made other comments about her employees, including that they had “too many fat girls, Black girls and ugly girls.” Miles said they “look like a bad bowling team,” according to Lewis.

In one instance that Lewis told USA Today about, she said former running backs coach Frank Wilson and then-director of personnel Sherman Morris told her to hire fewer Black women. Lewis said Wilson and Morris met with some of her colleagues to get them to influence her to comply.

Lewis reported the situation to Ausberry and other administrators, but she said they seemed to side with Miles. Lewis said Bahnsen implied that it might be time for her to find another job.

“That is when the panic started to set in, because I realized

they didn’t have my back,” Lewis told USA Today.

In 2012, Miles began personally interviewing student workers in his office at night, Lewis said.

This was authorized by Ausberry and other athletic administrators, Lewis said, and led to the sexual harassment of multiple of her employees. It also led to an internal investigative report, one that Lewis said campus officials and board members attempted to conceal.

Some of her employees told Lewis that Miles asked them about their sex lives during those meetings.

A student came to Lewis in 2013 and was upset about something that happened when she was alone with Miles. Lewis said the student told her that Miles “got on top of her in his office on his couch,” USA Today reported, and the student wanted to confront Miles about it.

Another football operations employee who was at the meeting told Husch Blackwell that the woman was “completely traumatized” by the incident.

“This child had a dead stare .

. . she just kept saying, over and over, ‘you know what you did to me,’” the employee said, according to the Husch Blackwell report.

Lewis told Husch Blackwell that the interaction was “emotional” and “traumatic.” Husch Blackwell found no records that the student’s complaint was investigated under University policy, according to USA Today.

According to Husch Blackwell, former Athletic Director Joe Alleva told Miles to “refrain from contact with student workers” after the incident.

In February 2013, USA Today reported that another student worker told Lewis that Miles made sexual advances toward her and sent her inappropriate text messages. Lewis reported the incident, and Taylor Porter law firm investigated. That investigation report shows that Miles put his phone number in her phone under an alias, and did the same for her in his phone.

The investigation shows that Miles texted the student, hired her to babysit his kids and invited her to a movie. According to USA Today, the student said

Miles picked her up in his car one day and kissed her twice while parked behind an athletic department building.

Miles denied the allegations, according to USA Today, and said he was just mentoring young women. The investigation concluded that Miles’ behavior was inappropriate but was not behavior prohibited under law.

Lewis told USA Today that after the incidents with Miles, he and other LSU athletic department employees retaliated against her for years. The USA Today report outlined multiple occasions of harassment that Lewis faced, including her being excluded from pay raises that other athletics officials received.

She told stories of Miles demanding that a Black student worker leave the building because she was “ugly” and Miles ordering Lewis to fire a student “because he looked gay,” according to USA Today.

Lewis said she faced hostility from Ausberry after Miles left, and told USA Today that Ausberry has screamed at her during meetings and belittled her.

ENTERTAINMENT

REV R ANKS

to

Godzilla.

King of the Monsters.

BY DOMENIC PURDY @tigerdom16

This heavyweight Kaiju, measuring between 165 and 985 feet depending on the version, made his debut in 1954’s “Gojira” as a metaphor for the destruction caused to Japan by the dawn of the nuclear age. The first modern Kaiju.

Produced by Toho and directed by Ishiro Honda, the titular champion of the 1954 film would go on to star in a decade spanning series of battles with various Kaiju. Through 36 movies, four distinct eras and even a stint fighting both Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and basketball legend Charles Barkley, Godzilla claimed his title as the premiere Kaiju champion.

Nearly 60 years ago, Kong and Godzilla fought for the title of “King of the Monsters” for the first time in Toho and Honda’s 1962 “King Kong vs.

Godzilla,” the first time both monsters would appear in widescreen color. The massively billed fight between the two titans resulted in a victory for the giant American ape. The two would go their separate ways for the rest of the 20th century.

In 2021’s much anticipated “Godzilla vs. Kong,” the two titans clash as the culmination of a fourmovie arc continued from “Godzilla,” “Kong: Skull Island” and “Godzilla: King of the Monsters.”

When these monsters fight, it’s absolutely fantastic. It’s widescreen action at its finest, with battles in bright neon environments and creative action that brings out the Kaiju-fan in us all. When Kong and Godzilla beat each other up in the heart of Hong Kong and in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, you’re

GRAPHICS BY SOPHIE VAGIANOS

page 5

on the edge of your seat, but that’s not as often as you may like.

The main problem with this movie — and the rest of the “monsterverse” — is that its human characters are extraordinarily dull.

Outside of very compelling performances by a little girl who can communicate with Kong (Kaylee Hottle) and a conspiracy nut obsessed with Kaiju (Brian Tyree Henry), the human characters are useless here. You have a generic set of characters like the businessman attempting to exploit the supernatural (Demián Bichir) and the two young characters trying to prove they can change the world (Millie Bobby Brown and Julian Dennison) that add little character to the plot.

The real stars here are the visual effects. When this movie does an out-there concept, it commits to that out-there concept. Everything doesn’t look like grey blobs of military technology, rather bright neonfuturistic aesthetics paired perfectly with the absurd nature of two monsters fighting.

Both Godzilla and Kong have a real sense of size to them that lets you really feel when they punch each other. Kong and Godzilla’s two fights in this film really stick out as great examples of why people like these movies so much, me included: they give us destruction without consequence. When I say destruction, this movie requires quite a bit of suspension of disbelief with how many people die unceremoniously.

In the end, this rematch of the millennia is not as complex as previous outings from King Kong or Godzilla. You won’t find the themes of Beauty and the Beast that King Kong became known for, nor will you find the political and social ramifications of nuclear war that Godzilla is built on.

What you will find here is a “turnyour-brain-off” action spectacle that is incredibly entertaining for those of us who like Kaiju.

At the end of the day, was it worth the 60-year wait to see these two fight on screen again? That’s to be debated, but to me, this movie gave me some incredible Kaiju action set between some very dull connective scenes and that’s about what I expected.

This isn’t “Citizen Kane,” people; it’s “Godzilla vs. Kong!” Let’s treat it as such: dumb fun on the biggest screen possible.

#TeamGodzilla #TeamLizard

Kong.

The Eighth Wonder of the World.

BY CONNOR MCLAUGHLIN @connor_mcla

Fascinated by gorillas and apes as a child, Director Meriam C. Cooper envisioned a “giant terror gorilla picture” while working for RKO Pictures in the early 1930s. It was a mythological, nightmarish concept that laid the groundwork for one of cinema’s most iconic film monsters.

The end product was “King Kong,” starring Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong and Bruce Cabot which opened in New York City on March 2, 1933. Directed by Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, it’s a thematically rich film about beauty and the beast, the arrogance of man and environmental destruction of indigenous life by a wrathful Western civilization. The film was critically lauded and became a massive success for the studio, so much so that dozens of sequels, reboots and other reincarnations of the King of Skull Island were created.

Within the same year of the original film, a sequel titled “Son of Kong” was released.

It opened to mediocre reviews which led to there not being another Kong film until the story was rebooted in 1976 and later again in 2005 by Peter Jackson. However, one of the most important Kong stories was depicted by Toho Studios from Japan when they licensed the character so that they could pit their company’s mighty monster, Godzilla, against his American equivalent in “King Kong vs.

Godzilla (1962).”

Now, the time has come for a rematch.

Standing at 335 feet (as compared to the initial 50-foot version in the original film), Kong is set to duke it out with the 394-foot tall, atomic lizard thing in “Godzilla vs. Kong.” This prehistoric primate possesses semi-human intelligence and great physical strength. Additionally, he is crafty and is able to use tools, such as a tree or an axe, to his advantage. He’s the last surviving member of his species in the film, which deems him the deadliest anthropomorphic, bipedal threat in Warner Brothers’ monsterverse franchise to the atomic King of the Monsters, Godzilla.

So, how did the fight of the century turn out?

Well, “Godzilla vs. Kong,” or less commonly known as monkey versus lizard, was probably the dumbest boxing match movie I have ever seen; yet somehow, I quite enjoyed it. Don’t get me wrong, this movie is completely stupid, but it is a lot of fun. For starters, the plot could’ve been glued together by a reddit bot. It features the most bargain bin level screenplay in the world, but I feel like the movie was

just self-aware enough that it ensured to make room for some sweet neon-laden visuals and even cooler fights between two kings.

Everything about the titular monsters was awesome, but that’s it. I could not care less about any of the human characters except maybe

the indigenous Skull Islander girl that Kong had a connection with. The Jules Verne-esque human plot reminded me of the characters from Michael Bay’s “Transformers” (2007) because one group is okay at best (Team Kong: Alexander Skarsgård, Rebecca Hall, Kaylee Hottle) and another is straight comedic relief (Team Godzilla: Millie Bobby Brown, Brian Tyree Henry, Julian Dennison). It’s a weird comparison, but I feel that it is quite accurate.

But yeah, this movie was exactly what it set out to be. It’s nothing particularly special, so analyzing it for some deeper meaning or a beautiful story will leave you with nothing but severe disappointment.

Just stock up on some popcorn and your drink of choice and enjoy the show.

#TeamKong #TeamMonkey Read the full reviews online at lsunow.com/entertainment

Thursday, April 8, 2021

page 6

Thursday, April 8, 2021

page 7

LSU baseball sophomore catcher Hayden Travinski (25) and LSU baseball freshman utility Dylan Crews (3) celebrate on April 6.

LSU baseball freshman right handed pitcher Garrett Edwards (43) follows through the pitch on April 6.

LSU baseball sophomore catcher Hayden Travinski (25) runs to first base on April 6.

LSU baseball junior utility Gavin Dugas (6) fields the ball on April 6.

LSU baseball head coach Paul Mainieri prepares for the game on April 6.

LSU baseball players huddle together on April 6.

LSU baseball wins 14-1 against McNeese on April 6 at Alex Box Stadium.

REFUSE TO LOSE

BY KRISTEN YOUNG

LSU baseball junior utility Gavin Dugas (6) prepares for his at bat on April 6.

LSU baseball freshman right handed pitcher Theo Millas (29) pitches the ball on April 6.

LSU baseball sophomore infielder Cade Doughty (4) throws the ball on April 6.

LSU baseball junior utility Gavin Dugas (6) catches the ball on April 6.

Classifieds

Thursday, April 8, 2021

page 8

and click Submit an Ad

Now twice a week. To place your ad, visit www.lsureveille.com/c Costs: $0.34 per word per day. Minimum $3.75 per day.

Deadline: 12 p.m., three school days prior to the print publication date FOR RELEASE APRIL 8, 2021

Help Wanted

For Rent

THE Daily Commuter Puzzle

LARGE 1 BR APT NEAR LSU! WALK OR BIKE TO SCHOOL! AVAILABLE JUNE 1ST. $650/ MTH 225 769-7757

make a

splash with YOUR business!

Do you have a passion for children? Would you like to learn how to teach children with autism?

Hey you ! Do your future self a favor and get your short term or whole life insurance policy TODAY! Your future self thanks you ! Call today ! Follow us !

If so, then apply for our ABA Line Therapist position at BIG. This is a full-time position starting at $14.00/hour plus an awesome benefits package!

Go to www.big-br.com/apply for more info and to submit an application.

Kingfish Communications, LLC dba Louisiana Radio Network, and Tiger Rag Magazine is seeking an experienced advertising sales representative to join our established sales team.

place a classified at

LsuReveille.com!

Candidates must be goal-focused, aggressive, and possess a strong sense of ownership. Qualified candidates have the potential to earn a six-figure salary.

To apply, please send your resume and a cover letter to office@lousianaradionetwork.com

Senior Care Near LSU - Flexible Hours, Light Duties, Meals, Housework. Experience with Seniors a Plus.

Email: Orchestra2202@gmail. com

“I’ll get your feet back on the street !!” 225-308-1250 Easye123.com

Boil Up

Some Interest!

Place

your

classified

our classifieds are

TEA-RIFFIC! Place a classified at LSUReveille.com

{

{

Place a classified at LSUReveille.com

Place a Classified today!

LSUReveille.com

ACROSS 1 Primary 5 Summary 10 Word attached to way or enemy 14 Part of the arm 15 Avoid adroitly 16 Boyfriend 17 Cleansing bar 18 Owning 20 And so forth: abbr.

21 Touches lightly 22 Not relaxed 23 Selected 25 Voight or Stewart 26 One who plays hooky 28 Doorway 31 Potter of fiction 32 Take as the rightful owner 34 Soft drink 36 Eden evictee 37 Prickle 38 __ on; incite 39 __ Tac; breath mint 40 “Thou __ not kill” 41 Human trunk 42 Type of shellfish 44 Saunters 45 Skillet 46 “__ a Hot Tin Roof” 47 Poe’s first name 50 Got up 51 Camel’s color 54 “Nonsense!”

57 In __ straits; desperate 58 Depressed 59 One’s specialty 60 Performances 61 __ red; becomes irate 62 Bread recipe verb 63 Most ideal

by Jacqueline E. Mathews

Created by Jacqueline E. Mathews

6 Marry quietly 7 Use foul language 8 Want __; newspaper section 9 Baseball’s __ Wee Reese 10 Part of AWOL 11 Harness strap 12 Fires 13 Gigantic 19 Wild weather 21 Acting award 24 Do violence to 25 Bring together 26 “__ Old Black Magic” 27 News source, for some 28 Hair line 29 Rookie DOWN 30 Rotten 1 Think deeply 32 Word attached to 2 “__ Like Love”; coal or broil Amanda Peet film 33 Chat room giggle 35 __ and cons 3 Error 37 At that time 4 Rest 38 Mediocre 5 Meal

4/8/21

Wednesday’s Puzzle Solved

©2021 Tribune Content Agency, LLC All Rights Reserved.

40 Long look 41 Lug around 43 Half the black cards 44 Prepared taters 46 San José, __ Rica 47 Decreases 48 Roy Rogers’ love

4/8/21

49 Elmer’s product 50 Few and far between 52 Painting & sketching 53 Bird’s home 55 Brother of JFK 56 Actor Knotts 57 Tiny glob

SPORTS BUILDING BLOCKS Notebook: replacing Jaden Hill, future of the bullpen Giovanni DiGiacomo returns and more

BY TAYLOR LYONS @taylorjlyons Replacing Jaden Hill LSU announced Monday evening that Jaden Hill would miss the remainder of the season with a UCL tear. The injury occurred in Hill’s start on Friday when the right-hander threw a pitch with one out in the second inning and turned backward toward the outfield, appearing to feel some discomfort. Head Coach Paul Mainieri quickly left the dugout to check on his starter. He tried to throw another pitch but didn’t feel right and was removed from the game.

Moving forward, LSU now has a hole to fill in its starting rotation.

Mainieri said Monday that AJ Labas will be moved up a day, going from his normal Sunday spot to Saturday.

By giving Garrett Edwards the start in Tuesday’s win over McNeese State, Mainieri’s decision on whom to give the final spot in the weekend rotation to is likely down to three players: Edwards, Will Hellmers and Blake Money.

Mainieri wanted to give Edwards an opportunity to start a game — something he hasn’t done since Feb. 24 against ULL — to get a look at what he could potentially

be in that role.

Also in the running are Hellmers and Money. Hellmers, the typical mid-week starter, gave up just three earned runs in 16 innings in his four starts, all LSU wins. Mainieri said in his post-game press conference that he kept Money in Friday’s game for 4.2 innings to get a look at him in an extended role and possibly start on the weekend.

“I thought Garrett Edwards threw well,” Mainieri said. “That was something I wanted to see how that looked. Blake Money is certainly a candidate as well. We’re just going to take it one game at a time and have all hands on deck this weekend. I’m sure what we’ll announce is Marceaux, Labas and then TBA and see where we are after two games.”

Future of the bullpen Mainieri talked Monday about the outlook of the backend of his bullpen, highlighting two pitchers he likes for late inning situations moving forward.

“We’re going to pretty much focus on using [Devin] Fontenot and [Ty] Floyd at the end of the games,” he said. “Once we get to the sixth inning on and if we have a chance to win, I think it’ll be primarily

see BASEBALL, page 10

ABBY KIBLER / The Reveille

LSU baseball junior right-handed pitcher Jaden Hill (0) pitches Feb. 21, during LSU’s 6-1 win over Air Force at Alex Box Stadium on Gourrier Avenue in Baton Rouge, La.

page 9 FOOTBALL

BRPD releases body camera footage

BY JAYDEN NGUYEN @jaydenguyen_ The Baton Rouge Police Department released body camera footage from last November of an altercation between LSU wide receiver Koy Moore and BRPD officers at a press conference Tuesday, according to The Advocate.

The footage shows officers confronting Moore and a friend, Alabama wide receiver Traeshon Holden, in a parking garage after seeing them “suspiciously hiding behind vehicles as if to avoid detection by police.”

The officers proceeded to demand Moore and his friend “put [their] hands on the car.” When Moore stated in the video that he felt scared, one officer told him that he also felt scared for his life because he didn’t know what, if any, weapons the two football players had on them.

Moore insisted that he was carrying nothing. One officer pointed his gun at the two and took their phones before either player could document the altercation.

Moore later shared on social media that police officers pulled guns on him and that he felt “violated” after the incident occurred on Nov. 8.

Although the BRPD officers involved were originally cleared of wrongdoing, the officers are now “found to have violated BRPD policies” and have received letters of caution. They will also undergo additional training.

GYMNASTICS

Survive and advance: grit, toughness drive LSU gymnastics

BY PETER RAUTERKUS @peter_rauterkus “We survived and advanced,” said LSU gymnastics Head Coach Jay Clark after his team advanced past the NCAA Regionals in dramatic fashion. LSU got clutch performances out of its seniors and despite an overall performance that was not perfect, the Tigers did what they had to do to get to the next round.

LSU advanced past the NCAA Regional Rounds last weekend on the back of a 197.750 overall score that narrowly edged it past Arizona State and Kentucky to qualify for Nationals. LSU started the meet strong, scoring a 49.475 on both floor and vault capped off by a perfect 10 from fresh-

man phenom Haleigh Bryant.

Bryant’s perfect score has her join Ashleigh-Clare Kearney and Jennifer Wood as the only gymnasts in school history to score a perfect 10 on vault at an NCAA regional.

LSU lost some of its momentum during bars but put up a score of just 49.275, which made things come down to the wire for the Tigers. In the end, it was the seniors who stepped up for LSU, leading the Tigers to a 49.525 score on beam. Seniors Christina Desiderio, Sami Durante, Reagan Campbell and Bridget Dean all registered scores of 9.90 or higher to lead the Tigers to a second place overall finish in the re-

see GYMNASTICS, page 10

ABBY KIBLER / The Reveille

LSU gymnastics senior bars, beam and floor Bridget Dean hugs freshman all-around Haleigh Bryant after her beam routine March 3, during LSU’s 197.875-196.175 win over Missouri in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on N. Stadium Drive in Baton Rouge, La.

page 10

Thursday, April 8, 2021

GYMNASTICS, from page 9 gion — good enough to qualify for nationals.

“The seniors got it done, and that’s what you want. We challenged them to step up, and they did,” Clark said in his post-meet interview.

The Tigers were no strangers to adversity in the regional rounds, and the team’s response was the most impressive aspect of the weekend. The Tigers struggled in spots during Friday’s regional second round meet despite qualifying for the regional final, leading to Clark and his staff challenging the team to respond between meets. Whatever was said to the team between Friday and Saturday’s meets seemed to ignite a fire in the team and led to it showing plenty of fight in the regional final.

“We had a hard meeting after the first day, and I was glad to see them rise up,” Clark said.

“We weren’t perfect, but we did enough and that’s really where you want to be right now.”

Saturday’s meet certainly was not perfect, but as Clark said, it was good enough to advance to the next round. The Tigers faced plenty of adversity during the meet from a slightly disappointing performance on bars, to an injury to Bryant that kept her out of the beam rotation. Bryant was replaced by Alyona Shchenikova who scored a solid 9.825, good

enough to help secure qualification for the Tigers.

The meet was an intense one for all teams involved, making LSU’s resilience even more impressive. The Tigers were far from home competing in front of a crowd that was energetic and showing its support for the hometown Utah Utes. This, in addition to the stage and tightness of the meet, made it a very intense and entertaining atmosphere for fans.

Clark felt that this meet was good for the sport overall.

“It’s exciting for our sport when you see a regional this close,” Clark said. “It felt like a national championship going on in here.”

Through the fight and resilience, however, there are still things that can be improved for LSU going into nationals. Mistakes were still made during the regional rounds, and Clark was adamant that fixing those mistakes will be a point of emphasis going into the next round.

“We’ve got to get better if we want to contend for this thing because it doesn’t get easier from here on out,” Clark said after Saturday’s meet.

Overall, the fight and mental toughness was the story of the weekend for LSU and will serve the team well on the road to a national championship. The Tigers made mistakes that are fixable, but mental toughness is something that cannot be taught.

BASEBALL, from page 9 Fontenot and Floyd at that point.”

Looking past those two, the already struggling bullpen is stretching itself thin.

Graduate student Matthew Beck is still recovering from an arm injury he suffered in February.

Mainieri said he has begun throwing again recently, but that “it’s going to be a slow, tedious process.”

Freshman Javen Coleman is another bullpen arm out. He hasn’t pitched since March 14, with the reason for his absence unknown.

With one of Edwards, Hellmers and Money destined to start and Fontenot and Floyd set aside for late innings, that leaves 10 pitchers at Mainieri’s disposal for the middle innings. Five of those 10 have earned run averages over 5.00.

Giovanni DiGiacomo returns Mainieri announced Monday that centerfielder Giovanni DiGiacomo would return to the LSU lineup for Tuesday’s game against McNeese State. The junior center fielder had missed the two previous weekend series versus Tennessee and Vanderbilt when he reinjured his hamstring on March 21 at home against Mississippi State.

In Tuesday’s win, DiGiacomo hit a double and drove in two runs in three at-bats and looked like his usual self defensively in centerfield.

“It was like I hadn’t left,” he said.

DiGiacomo brings stability to

a position where it has been hard to come by in recent weeks. Mainieri’s go-to option has been Will Safford, but the freshman has just two hits in 21 at-bats since DiGiacomo’s reinjury.

“We’re a better team if Gio is in there,” Mainieri said. “I tried Will Safford, but you can tell he’s just lacking experience.”

Health wise, DiGiacomo says he’s 100% back. Mainieri isn’t so sure.

“He tells me he’s 100%,” Mainieri said Tuesday. “I haven’t seen him run full speed in a game yet.

In practice yesterday I wouldn’t have described it as 100% yet. If I had to put a number on it I’d say 80-90%. There hasn’t been a need for him to fully extend yet so we’ll see.”

NCAA adjusts postseason The NCAA announced Monday that the host sites for this season’s Regional and Super Regional tournament will be predetermined rather than giving schools the opportunity to earn the ability to host.

The sites for both rounds will be announced early May, and the deadline for schools to submit a bid to be a host site is April 12.

When asked if he had any knowledge of LSU’s plans to possibly submit a bid, Mainieri said that it was the first he had heard the news.

“That’s news to me,” he said. “I haven’t talked to anybody about it.”

The move to predetermined

sites is due to more time being needed to prepare the host sites for the tournament than under normal circumstances, with increased safety measures needed to keep players and staff healthy throughout the postseason.

Predetermined sites for postseasons in college sports this year are nothing new. The men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, which concluded earlier this week, took place entirely in Indianapolis and San Antonio, respectively, rather than having the usual four separate sites for each region.

ABBY KIBLER / The Reveille

LSU baseball junior outfielder Giovanni DiGiacomo (7) throws the ball Jan. 29 during baseball white vs. gold media day at Alex Box Stadium on Gourrier Avenue in Baton Rouge, La.

What Will You

BECOME?

I V N I G L G G U N I I D R P E S PROGRAMS WITH GUARANTEED ADMISSION*

Pre-Licensure Nursing Radiologic Technology Respiratory Therapy Medical Laboratory Science *Applicants must meet all of the requirements to be eligible for Guaranteed Admission. For a full list of requirements, please visit:

franu.edu/guaranteed-admission

OPINION

page 11

Gov. Edwards’ SG endorsement was inappropriate, sets poor precedent SULLY’S SCOOP CLAIRE SULLIVAN @sulliclaire March 24, 2021. With only hours left until voting closed for the Student Government election, Gov. John Bel Edwards endorsed the It’s Time ticket in a 17-second video posted to the group’s Twitter account.

“LSU Tiger students: John Bel Edwards here,” he opened.

“I had the great pleasure of getting to know Mia LeJeune, and I can highly recommend her for your next president. So I just want to tell you, in respect to this election, It’s Time. Vote It’s Time ticket. Thank you so much.”

The endorsement sparked instant controversy among students and other campaigns.

In a tweet, a staff member from the Bowman-Milligan campaign accused It’s Time members of “career chasing” and called the endorsement hypocritical. Others noted that an endorsement from a politician who has been partially complicit with the University’s

continued lack of Title IX accountability was at odds with the campaign’s messaging around sexual assault advocacy.

Democracy @ Work LSU also released a scathing statement following the Edwards endorsement, slamming the ticket for its connections with state Democratic leaders: “[It’s Time] runs on protecting students from sexual assault as its primary issue, but collaborates with a party that has systematically silenced women from speaking out about sexual violence when it wasn’t beneficial for the party.”

Full disclosure: I voted for Mia LeJeune and Angelina Cantelli, in addition to several other candidates on the It’s Time ticket. Overall, I believe It’s Time held the strongest campaign.

The results of the election have been in for over a week, and the It’s Time presidential candidates did not succeed. It’s Time did, however, take a majority of seats in the SG Senate.

But even though the election is over, this endorsement, its implications and the precedent it set are still important to consider critically.

The most immediate point is glaringly uncomfortable: the governor’s son, John Miller Edwards, was on the It’s Time campaign.

As an elected official, it is your duty to not take advantage of your position to enrich yourself or others — no matter how small that enrichment may seem. In my opinion, it is also your duty to avoid giving even the appearance of doing so.

Even if Edwards would have favored It’s Time regardless of his son’s involvement in the campaign, there was simply no way for him to ethically endorse a ticket in which his son was involved. Elected officials should go to great extents to avoid corruption and nepotism — and the appearance of them — in all forms.; by giving his endorsement, Edwards failed to meet the standards of transparency and fairness to which he should have been held.

But even if his son was removed from the picture entirely, there would still be lingering questions about the appropriateness of such an endorsement.

The It’s Time campaign manager noted to The Reveille that

a Louisiana governor had never endorsed an SG ticket before this election. I think there’s probably a good reason for that.

I cannot help but wonder what sort of incentives a potential endorsement from the governor creates for student leaders. Now that the possibility of a gubernatorial endorsement has been introduced, is this a goal to which future campaigns will aspire?

And if that is the case, what sort of influence will such endorsements have on the way student leaders run their campaigns — and, if they win, the way they run their administrations?

The It’s Time ticket itself correctly noted that the relationship between the state government and the University is massively important.

It is difficult to imagine that any campaign looking for an endorsement from a politician would be openly critical of that person. For that reason, it is best to remove incentives — such as political endorsements — that have the potential to silence such criticism from student leaders at

the University.

Beyond that, removing those incentives ensures that the student population can have confidence in the intentions of SG leaders. The benefit of a gubernatorial endorsement for an individual campaign is far outweighed by the possible detriment to the student body as a whole.

I do not believe the It’s Time ticket secured this endorsement with poor intentions, but the incentive structure created by such an endorsement is larger than the character of any individual campaign. Even though this precedent has been set by a campaign many of us supported, next time it could be one we find abhorrent, which is why the principle of this endorsement matters.

Simply put: Edwards should not have endorsed an SG ticket, especially not one with which his son was involved. I only hope his actions don’t set a pattern for future SG elections.

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

My experience getting vaccinated on campus was a pleasant surprise BUI WAS HERE ANTHONY BUI @da_bui_ Tiger Stadium recently opened up its gates again. Fans used to file in, eager to catch a glimpse of Joe Burrow during his Heisman season.

Now, we’re just eager for a shot at a normal life again — a life that the COVID-19 vaccine can hopefully provide.

When I learned the University would be providing a limited number of vaccines on campus, part of me wanted to just ignore it altogether. My parents felt otherwise, though; later, I found myself becoming one of those students who would grasp at anything that could potentially bring me back to the pre-coronavirus days.

I have to say that my vaccination experience at the University was surprisingly pleasant. Everything from the sign-up process to the actual appointment day was very easy to navigate, and the on-

site staff was exceedingly helpful in guiding students through it all.

Signing up for an appointment was a breeze. There were step-by-step instructions, which made it really hard to mess up or confuse anything. I only wish signing up for a meeting with my academic advisor was that easy.

After that, you just show up at your scheduled time and you’ll be in and out like Arik Gilbert. All you need is your ID and a short-sleeve shirt, and you are ready to go.

If you look up “southern hospitality” in the dictionary, you’ll actually find a picture of the people that administer the COVID-19 vaccines on campus. They were literally the nicest people ever for the 15 seconds that it took to get it done.

Before you have a chance to even comprehend how nice they are, the needle is in and out, and your first dosage of the vaccine is complete following a 15-minute observation period. For me, the whole process was over within approximately 30 minutes.

Now the unpleasant part begins.

During the next couple of days, my left arm stopped wanting to be part of my body. I lost all motivation to do anything but lay in bed all day.

From what I have heard, the second dose is much worse.

I am not prepared for that in the slightest, but based off of my first experience in Tiger Stadium, I’m sure I can handle it.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion when it comes to this vaccine.

This article isn’t about that.

Whether you choose to get the vaccine is entirely up to you. I am not pressuring anyone to do so.

This is for those who are scared or nervous and interested in how the process works — I know anxiety can cause people to be hesitant if not presented with all of the information.

This was my experience, but it’s for you to consider. Use it how you see fit.

MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille

Anthony Bui is a 21-year-old English junior from Opelousas.

People wait in line and fill out paperwork on Mar. 14 while social distancing at the Tiger Stadium vaccination site.

Editorial Policies and Procedures EDITORIAL BOARD Bailey Chauvin Lara Nicholson Katherine Manuel Nick Frewin Grace Pulliam

Editor in Chief 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 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.

Quote of the Week “Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.”

Margaret Mead author 1901 — 1978

Thursday, April 8, 2021

page 12

Disordered eating is everywhere — and more dangerous than you think SPILL THE TEA WITH MARIE MARIE PLUNKETT @MarieC_214 In recent years, eating disorders have gained more awareness, and schools are starting to take proactive measures to inform their students of both the risks and the treatment options available.

The University has several pamphlets and online student resources which address eating disorders, including treatment brochures, but unfortunately the same cannot be said for disordered eating.

The Mindwise PDF posted on the University’s website which gives students information about eating disorders refers to both “disordered eating” and “eating disorders” interchangeably, but while the two are undoubtedly connected, they’re not the same.

According to Temimah Zucker, LMSW, with the National Eating Disorders Association, “normalized, non-disordered eating is when one mindfully consumes food when hungry and is able

to stop when full. Additionally, they incorporate variety into their diet.” Disordered eating and eating disorders both diverge from non-disordered eating and involve irregular and unhealthy eating patterns and behaviors.

Disordered eating does not meet the requirements for a specific eating disorder as listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition (DSM-5), though it often still reflects many of the symptoms of eating disorders such as binge-eating disorder, anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa.

According to the National Eating Disorders Collaboration, disordered eating includes fasting or chronic restrained eating, skipping meals, binge eating, self-induced vomiting, restrictive dieting, unbalanced eating such as restricting a major food group, laxative misuse and use of diet pills. It also includes struggling with body image issues, anxiety surrounding food, fear of weight gain and obsessive thoughts about food or body image.

Many of those symptoms can also indicate eating disorders,

but the main differences according to Zucker are the frequency of the behavior and the level of obsession.

However, it’s important to consult a doctor, therapist or specialist if you experience any of the aforementioned symptoms, because diagnosing eating disorders takes practice, and every case is unique and requires a deeper understanding than a college opinion column can provide.

I know that a lot of people reading this will think, “well, everyone does that! Who doesn’t count calories, cut carbs and workout to make up for those ‘bad’ foods?”

But that is precisely the point. Disordered eating has become so normalized, most of us don’t even register it as irregular or disturbing anymore.

Sometimes disordered eating — whether it means cutting out specific food groups, repeatedly skipping meals or following a new diet trend every week — works for some people, as it doesn’t interfere with their lives or daily functions. Therefore, they promote it as “normal,” per-

petuating the cultural myth that disordered eating is healthy and sustainable.

The same types of behaviors that “work” for some people end up being precursors to eating disorders in others.

Social media plays a big role in normalizing disordered eating. “Fitspo” posts, healthy recipe accounts and hashtags like #gymlife all contribute to this image of what it looks like to be healthy, which doesn’t always match up with reality.

Eating a balanced, varied diet is great, and exercising is good for keeping your mind and body active, but avoiding carbs or fatty foods and working out every day doesn’t necessarily make you healthy.

The awareness brought to eating disorders is amazing, but we need to expand that awareness to encompass disordered eating as well. Not only should we be giving students the information and tools they need to recover, we should also be bringing awareness to the behaviors and habits which often lead to full-blown disorders.

According to Healthline, an

estimated 30 million Americans will struggle with an eating disorder in their lifetime, and more and more are starting on college campuses. The social pressures and turbulent lifestyle changes lend themselves to the promotion of eating disorders, which are now disproportionately affecting college students.

Eating disorders can affect people permanently, causing osteoporosis, lasting body image issues, etc. But so can disordered eating. We internalize the shame it causes, and our perception of food, exercise and even ourselves shifts because of it.

This is a real and deadly affliction that’s happening all around us. We as students should be more conscious of how we perpetuate negative social behaviors surrounding food; whether it’s how we personally treat food, how we talk about it or simply how much of an effort we make to educate ourselves about the realities of disordered eating.

Marie Plunkett is a 22-year-old classical studies senior from New Orleans.

UREC-sponsored Adventure Trips are rewarding, highly underrated EMILY ON CAMPUS EMILY DAVISON @ichigoemily The people closest to me wouldn’t describe me as your typical “outdoorsy person.”

This is a simple truth, and I’ve come to more or less accept my identity as an embarrassingly pale couch potato over the course of the pandemic.

After all, I personally feel it’s gotten exponentially more difficult to get outside for much more than an aimless, mildly boring walk with every COVID-19 restriction and mandate.

While I’m not particularly prone to physical exertion in any capacity, and online school has all but turned me into East Campus Apartments’ resident hermit, I will admit I’ve been itching to get outside.

I desperately longed for a change of scenery, a boost in serotonin and a way to get my mind off of school.

So when my friend stumbled upon a UREC-sponsored day hiking trip and invited me to sign up with her, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

Now I know I said I’m not a very outdoorsy person, but I am someone who thoroughly enjoys nature and, well, the concept of the outdoors.

This being said, I had been thinking about picking up hiking over quarantine as an actually productive hobby as opposed to turning my brain off and building my Animal Cross-

ing island for days on end.

However, widespread park and trail closures (and my uncertainty about trying anything new) at the height of the pandemic definitely caused me to shy away from putting myself out there, so I carried on with my mind-numbing quarantine daily routine.

So, honestly, the UREC trip was somewhat of a godsend in my eyes — and a perfect solution to my severe vitamin D deficiency.

Not to mention it was free, so

of course, I had to book a spot.

I packed my bag and headed out with the UREC crew and our pleasantly small group of three hikers, including myself, on the morning of March 27. We drove to Acadiana Park near Lafayette and proceeded to spend the entire day chatting and hiking in nature trails.

I didn’t really know what to expect from the trip as I’d never been on a Universitysponsored excursion, much less a UREC trip. This day hike truly exceeded any of my expecta-

tions though, creating a perfect, virus-free balance between all the things I had been looking forward to for months — picking up a fun new hobby, making friends with like-minded people and getting my mind off the monotony of my Zoom schedule for at least a few hours.

The trip was honestly therapeutic, though I’ll admit I was scared it would be anything but calming for me.

I initially had a tiny bit of insecurity about never having hiked before. Thankfully,

CARTOON BY MADISON CARLSON

though, the UREC staff members are super accommodating and personable, and I was glad to see the trip was set up to be suitable for all skill and experience levels.

I remember, before the onset of the pandemic and the ensuing garbage fire of a public health crisis, seeing a lot of advertisements for UREC trips: hiking, kayaking, biking and beyond.

These opportunities dwindled for obvious reasons, and I honestly completely forgot about them until this hiking trip was presented to me.

Based on my experience, I personally feel these trips are underrated. As we reach a point where more and more trips become possible and more opportunities for adventure present themselves, I think more students should look into these excursions.

If you’re anything like me, I can guarantee you could use the serotonin boost from walking through a densely-treed forest sprinkled with purple and pink wildflowers, choosing to forget about degree audits and Moodle for as long as possible.

I know I probably sound like I have some grandiose UREC sponsorship, but alas, I do not; I’m just sincerely looking forward to its future trips to get out in nature — and far away from Zoom classrooms.

Emily Davison is a 19-yearold anthropology and English sophomore from Denham Springs.