The Reveille 6-13-22

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TOPS AND TENURE Mond ay, Ju ne 13, 2 022

Session brought changes to every aspect of higher education NEWS

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The LSU Title IX biannual report shows a sharp increase in power-based violence reports; however, resolutions still lag.

ENTERTAINMENT

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Top Gun: Maverick uses classic ‘80s icons to tell a contemporary story of redemption that will leave old fans and newcomers alike satisfied.

SPORTS

Read on

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Despite multiple comebacks, LSU baseball has its season end in heartbreaking fashion in regional championship loss against Southern Miss.

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

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HIGHER ED SHAKEUP Bills touch on athletics, tenure, tuition and more

BY ALLISON ALLSOP @allisonallsop The recently wrapped-up legislative session brought a myriad of changes to every aspect of higher education, including alterations to athletic policies, a tenure study committee and infrastructure investments.

The session ended Monday after last-minute negotiations to pass bills under a 6p.m. deadline. Gov. John Bel Edwards held a press conference shortly after where he spoke of how well the session went.

“You don’t always get everything that you want,” Edwards said.

“Sometimes, you get things you don’t want, but on balance, I’m very pleased with what’s happened.”

Budget The budget for this year passed through a largely bipartisan effort with only seven members voting against the proposed budget.

Thanks to a surplus of cash this year, many requests for funding were granted. This included an increase in faculty pay for higher education.

The Legislature signed off on an average 3% raise for faculty members, although Edwards moved money around with line-item vetoes to restore that to the 5% raise he initially asked for.

The budget also provides funds to recruit faculty members for highpriority programs, like cancer research.

Edwards called the budget “transformational.”

LSU will be receiving $2 million for the planning and design phase of the new library, $1 million for maintenance on the Renewable Natural Resources building and $1.5 million for deferred maintenance at LSU. LSU Health Sciences Shreveport made out far better than LSU A&M in terms of infrastructure funding, receiving $28 million for five projects.

Athletics Senate Bill 250, sponsored by Sen. Patrick Connick, R-Marrero, would remove the current provision in law that prohibits universities from paying athletes for their name, image and likeness, although NCAA and institution rules may still prohibit it.

Previously, this compensation could not come from the university itself. If signed by Gov. John Bel Edwards, this bill would remove the restriction from “an entity whose purpose includes supporting or benefiting such institution or its intercollegiate athletic programs.” The Tiger Athletic Foundation would fall within this category.

The bill would also remove NIL contracts disclosed to institutions from public record and free the institution’s employees from liability for an athlete’s ability to earn compensation given a player faces an injury resulting from normal gameplay.

Senate Bill 44, sponsored by

Sen. Beth Mizell, R-Franklinton, was dubbed the “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act.” This bill passed into law without the governor’s signature.

The bill prohibits transgender athletes in K-12 schools and college programs from competing in accordance with their gender identity.

While NCAA rules allow transgender athletes to compete under certain circumstances, the bill would potentially be of superceding authority.

Edwards shut a similar bill down last year through a veto.

“Since that bill was first put on my desk, there hasn’t been a single instance in Louisiana of a trans girl participating in sports,” Edwards said. He went on to express he did not approve of this bill, but it became clear to him that the bill would become law whether or not he signed it.

Edwards said the situation Louisiana is in is unfortunate and that “we can be better than that bill.”

Credits and Tuition The legislature passed several bills this session to make college less expensive for certain people and to make credit transfer between institutions easier.

House Bill 499, sponsored by Rep. Beryl Amedee, R-Houma, provides funding for tuition exemptions for persons age 55 or older.

The tuition exemption and textbook reduction costs were already in law, but some universities and colleges could not provide them due to funding.

Senate Bill 76, sponsored by Sen. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, provides that any mandatory fee will be included in a compensation package for any graduate students that has a teaching assistant, research assistant or curatorial assistant position.

Both bills are waiting on the governor’s signature.

House Bill 231, sponsored by Rep. Ken Brass, D-Vacherie, was signed into law by Edwards on June 3. This act requires institutions to have “reverse articulation or reverse transfer agreements.” The transfer programs must be in place by fall 2023.

This act will allow any student to move from a four year university to a two-year college to complete the requirements for an associate degree without fear of losing credits.

The law was brought forward to help push for the state’s postsecondary attainment goals. The Board of Regents set the goal of having 60% of working adults hold a degree or credential by 2030. In Louisiana, only 32% of working age people have an associate degree or higher.

TOPS Senate Bill 81, sponsored by Sen. Bodi White, R-Baton Rouge, would remove the income reporting requirements for TOPS recipients. White tried to remove other demographic information, includ-

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Editor-in-Chief PIPER HUTCHINSON News Editor PETER RAUTERKUS Digital Editor GABBY JIMENEZ News Reporter ALLISON ALLSOP News Reporter BETHANY BISSELL ALLISON ALLSOP / The Reveille

Gov. John Bel Edwards during a press conference held shortly after the end of the 2022 regular legislative session. ing race, but it was amended in committee to only apply to income data The precursor to TOPS, the Louisiana College Tuition Plan, was merit based and had income caps for recipients. Both TOPS and the Louisiana College Plan mimic Patrick F. Taylor’s efforts to make college attainable for the underprivileged of New Orleans.

TOPS caters to all students regardless of income and is merit based. According to the Board of Regents 2019 TOPS Report, over half the TOPS recipients from the 2018 graduating class had parental incomes over $70,000 a year.

The bill is awaiting action from the governor.

Administration The Senate and House had several bills pass through their chambers regarding how universities should handle administration matters.

House Bill 364, sponsored

by Rep. Scott McKnight, R-Baton Rouge, requires public postsecondary institutions to establish policies for nonacademic disciplinary hearings that use an advocate for the student’s defense.

The proposed law also includes requirements for student notification, appeals processes, file maintenance, and ensures they are free of conflict of interest.

Some universities may already be in compliance with this bill if it becomes law, but each institute will need to review their policies and edit them if needed.

Rep. Barbara Reich Freiberg, R-Baton Rouge, sponsored House Bill 888 to allow grants to certain schools if they receive the “HungerFree Campus” designation.

The designation has several requirements including creating action plans, notification of potential eligibility of SNAP to students, hosting anti-hunger awareness events yearly and maintaining a food pantry or providing access to a nearby pantry for students.

Grants will be given to public colleges and universities with this designation and to nonpublic institutes that serve low-income students disproportionately with the designation. The purpose of the grant is to assist the schools

in raising awareness for resources for food assistance and food insecurity.

LSU already has some of these programs in place and said they would welcome enhancing the programs to fit the needs of this designation and help students.

Tenure Senate Concurrent Resolution 6, sponsored by Sen. Stewart Cathey, R-Monroe, creates a task force to study tenure policies and recommend reforms.

The resolution does not need gubernatorial approval. The task force must begin meeting by August.

The resolution included language about “indoctrination” that indicated that Cathey was acting in line with Republican legislators in other states who have moved to curb tenure one way or another.

Tenure is considered a core tenet of academic freedom. It allows professors peace of mind when teaching and researching that they will not be subject to political or corporate interference with their work. With tenure, professors can only be removed from their position under extreme circumstances.

LSU President William Tate IV told The Reveille that he did not oppose the creation of the taskforce, but later added that he did not think it was necessary. Tate has consistently said that tenure is the hill he’d die on.

Bob Mann, a faculty member at LSU, was disappointed in the way LSU handled this situation.

“President Tate, among others, never publicly denounced or argued against the resolution,” Mann said. “If President Tate and others are sincere about wanting to beef up research at Louisiana universities, that means attracting senior faculty from other places who bring their expertise and grant dollars with them.”

LSU Spokesperson Ernie Ballard said that he felt that tenure is not in immediate danger. He said LSU will participate in the study for inquiry and discussion, and they “look forward to helping educate lawmakers on the value of tenure in both academic terms and market competitiveness for all universities in Louisiana.”

Investigative Reporter DOMENIC PURDY Entertainment Reporter ARIS WILLIAMS Sports Reporter HENRY HUBER Columnist CLAIRE SULLIVAN Columnist CHARLIE STEPHENS Stringer JOHN BUZBEE Stringer MADDIE SCOTT Stringer MORGAN ROGERS Stringer COLE HERNANDEZ Head Copy Editor HANNAH MICHEL HANKS Copy Editor MADISON COOPER Copy Editor EMMA DUHE Senior Photographer XANDER GENNARELLI Photographer CHYNNA MCCLINTON

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

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

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

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

NEWS TITLE IX REPORT Power-based violence complaints triple in latest report

BY DOMENIC PURDY @tigerdom16 The most recent LSU Title IX Biannual Report on Power Based Violence showed nearly three times as many complaints filed than in the previous report.

The report, which covered the period between October 2021 and April 2022, included 182 complaints, almost three times as many as the 63 included in the previous report, which covered the June to September 2021 period.

The increase in complaints can be attributed to a number of factors, explained Jane Cassidy, Interim Vice President for Civil

Rights & Title IX. One of the most obvious explanations is the time periods the two covered, with the October report compiling data from three months between June 29 and Sept. 30, while the April report covered six.

“The October report included (a) significant time period during the summer when there are limited students on campus,” Cassidy said.

Cassidy indicated that the increase in reports is a good sign.

“More people (are also) reporting because they know where and how to report and trust our office will handle the cases appropriately,” Cassidy said.

LSU’s Office of Civil Rights

& Title IX released the report in accordance with state law law which requires a biannual report from higher education institutions detailing reported incidents of power-based violence.

The report consisted of an itemized list of all complaints received by the office between Oct. 1, 2021, and Mar. 30, 2022. The report, available online, explains the status, nature and the type of complaints that were received.

Another factor that Cassidy contributes to the April report’s statistics is the increase in people reporting because of mandatory reporting requirements.

According to the university’s Title IX office, if a complainant

tells a mandated reporter that they have been a victim, they are required to report the incident to the Title IX Coordinator. They must also report if they are a witness to or have knowledge of sexual misconduct affecting LSU students or staff.

Mandated reporters include faculty, deans, instructors, residential advisers, coaches, graduate teaching assistants and administrative staff.

“If you have knowledge and do not report, you may be terminated,” the Title IX mandated reporter guide reads.

The addendum to the report

Title IX Report Breakdown Title IX report breakdown

Hostile environment harassment 12.8%

see TITLE IX, page 4

9

Forcible rape 34.8% Stalking 16.3%

formal complaints filed

91%

of complaints were closed without any disciplinary action

Sexual harassment 16.3% Dating violence 19.9%

*out of 182 complaints

45%

of cases were closed due to a lack of response from the complainant HANNAH MICHEL HANKS / The Reveille

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Gun CEO called out over violence

BY PIPER HUTCHINSON @PiperHutchBR A progressive organization led by an LSU adjunct sent a letter Wednesday to LSU Board of Supervisors member and gun company CEO demanding action on gun violence.

The organization, 10,000 Women Louisiana, chaired by former State Rep. Melissa Flournoy, an adjunct political science professor at LSU, asks that Laurie Lipsey Aronson, CEO of Lipsey’s, one of the largest firearms wholesalers in the country, direct the company to cease distribution of automatic and assault style semiautomatic weapons to the general population.

“Given the recent traumatic AR-15 gun violence tragedies around the country, we ask you to consider what you can do as a mother, a community leader and as a recognized philanthropic business leader,” Flournoy wrote.

Aronson has not yet responded to The Reveille’s request for comment The letter was co-signed by over 300 other gun safety activists.

The letter notes that the organization’s intent is to ban access to the public, not to the governmental entities the company also has as clients.

Flournoy also asks that Lipsey use her connections in the industry as Chair of the National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers and on the Board of Governors of the National Shooting Sports Foundation to “shift the narrative for this industry.”

The letter ends for a call for Aronson to make a public statement about how Lipsey’s can address gun violence.

HAMMER

Legislative audit identifies problems within the LSU system

BY ALLISON ALLSOP @allisonallsop An audit of LSU revealed issues in the handling of funds and student loans.

The Louisiana Legislative Auditor conducted their annual audit of the LSU system for the 2021 fiscal year. Auditor, Mike Waguespack, issued the report on May 23. One of the largest issues found was the inaccurate maintenance of active and inactive federal loans.

The audit sampled 80 loan files from LSU’s 3,189 total Fed-

eral Perkins Loans. Forty of the files were for active loans, and 40 were for inactive loans. Ninetythree percent of the active loan sample was not kept in fireproof safes, and one repayment schedule could not be found. Of the 40 inactive loan files, 13% did not include the proper paperwork.

LSU has responded to the findings of the report. According to the attached letter within the report, LSU is already in the process of amending the mishandling of loan files.

MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille

see AUDIT, page 4

Memorial Tower climbs into the sky on April 26, on Tower Drive in Baton Rouge, La.

Monday, June 13, 2022

page 4 TITLE IX, from page 3

AUDIT, from page 3

categorized the type of behavior at the basis of the claims. It is noteworthy that in some reports, more than one type of powerbased violence is alleged, bringing the total number of behaviors to 193 over the course of six months.

The largest share of the reported behaviors, in 25% of reports, was forcible rape, reported 49 times. Other behaviors included 28 incidents of dating violence, 23 incidents of sexual harassment, 23 incidents of stalking and 18 incidents of hostile environment harassment.

Ninety-one percent of complaints, 165 incidents, were closed without any disciplinary action on the respondent, the party the complaint was filed toward.

The main reasons cases were closed, the addendum identified, were threefold: a lack of response from the complainant, only supportive measures to prevent future harassment being taken or the complainant requesting no further action.

These three reasons make up the top 82 percent of complainants that choose a path of no investigation, with no response making up 74 of the 165 closed cases.

As of the report’s writing, 52 sexual assault cases were closed,

Ernie Ballard, director of Media Relations at LSU, said that repayment schedules are being placed with the matching promissory notes in fireproof safes to comply with federal guidelines.

The signed promissory notes were already being stored in a fireproof safe, but the related documents, including the repayment schedules, were kept in a file cabinet.

The report also found that LSU incorrectly managed funds from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, also known as HEERF. The audit found that LSU received over $40,000 that they were not eligible to receive.

The 40k was reimbursed to LSU for income loss related to investment income, but this is not an eligible source for reimbursement under the federal requirements.

LSU also incorrectly labeled other funds and did not comply with deadlines for publishing financial reports.

LSU said in a letter to the Legislative Auditor that they have refunded the $40,897 to the U.S. Department of Education, and they are in the process of addressing the issue with the categorization of funds and publishing of reports. These changes are expected to be completed by June 30.

Students will not see an in-

FRANCIS DINH / The Reveille

The Office of Title IX sits Jan. 25, in 118 Himes Hall. with 23 of them consisting of the complainant not being responsive to outreach and 17 closing due to the complainant requesting supportive measures only.

During the period, nine formal complaints were filed, with six that were still in the investigation phase as of April 24 when the report was written. Two were closed via informal resolution and one was closed because the complaint concerning the incident was withdrawn.

The biannual reporting pro-

cess, as well as the attached addendum, Cassidy explained, holds universities like LSU accountable for their handling of Title IX and other power-based violence cases.

“This data will help us look at our processes to continually reflect on how we can improve, and also provide evidence over time if our prevention education and training are helping in reducing the number of incidents if sexual assault, harassment and discrimination,” Cassidy said.

We’re looking for a highly motivated graphic design student to join our office.

This is a great opportunity for the right student to build their portfolio in an ad agency type setting.

Must be accepted into the Graphic Design or Digital Art program at LSU to be considered.

crease in fees or tuition as a result of the repayment of HEERF grant funds, according to Ballard.

The report found that Pennington Biomedical Research Center “did not adequately monitor sub-recipients of the federal Research and Development cluster.” They also found that Pennington did not conduct some of the necessary audits within the required time frame.

The Pennington Biomedical Research Center is a stand-alone institution within the LSU system.

They conduct research on obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and dementia.

Pennington violated federal regulations by not monitoring sub-recipients properly. According to the report, the lack of proper maintenance can increase the likelihood of improper payments.

These improper payments may need to be returned to the federal granter.

Pennington responded to the audit in a letter attached at the bottom of the report. They said they will strengthen controls over the monitoring of sub-recipients.

The response letter also said they will complete the required audit reports within the nine-month time frame.

Pennington said their new plan went into effect April 6.

Ballard said LSU was unaware of any of these issues before the completion of the audit.

ENTERTAINMENT

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MOVIES

In your stars: Your weekly horoscope

BY ARIS WILLIAMS @jonetaw

Top Gun: Maverick

BY COLE HERNANDEZ @Ct_hernandez

Gemini

Cancer

Leo

May 21 - June 21

June 22 - July 22

July 23 - Aug. 22

Consider ways that you can pour into yourself the same way that you do for others. An endeavor you almost gave up on will soon produce beautiful results. This will teach you an important lesson on the concept of patience. Prioritize rest more, and don’t feel like you always have to be doing something.

Seek to create more balance in your daily life and make wellness a top priority. As you enter your next chapter, it’s becoming clearer where your values and priorities lie. Don’t feel guilty about outgrowing things/people; it’s all a part of the process, and your story is really just beginning.

You may be having epiphanies regarding what areas of your life you tend to overcompensate in. Focus on personal relationships that offer reciprocity, and remember that everything isn’t meant to be a chase. This time is ideal for surrounding yourself with family and longtime friends. Make room for really matters.

Virgo

Libra

Scorpio

Aug. 23 - Sept. 22

Sept. 23 - Oct. 22

Oct. 23 - Nov. 21

The coming days will remind you of how invaluable community can be. Allow others to show up for and support you. There’s a recent milestone that you need to circle back to and actually celebrate. Engage in needed self-care and be a little “selfish” when it’s deemed necessary.

Sagittarius Nov. 22 - Dec. 21 You may be staying to yourself these days and focusing on intellectual pursuits. Any baseless gossip or drama that pops up during this time isn’t worth giving attention. You’re entering a new chapter that will require you to practice true maturity. You know who you are, and that’s what matters.

The coming days will provide clarity regarding a venture that you may feel isn’t producing results. Don’t be afraid to change your direction if something is no longer serving you. You may feel called to spend more time in Hermit mode to curb overthinking. Avoid impulse decision-making at this time.

Capricorn Dec. 22 - Jan. 19

You’ll produce the best results when you’re balanced and putting your well-being first. A new stream of income will grant you more funds for leisure and adventure.

Others may be asking for your help more often.

Practice discernment and don’t feel obligated to save everyone.

Aquarius Jan. 20 - Feb. 18

As possible difficulties surrounding finances/career come to an end, now is the time to embrace being on stable ground.

Allow yourself to get comfortable truly living again – not just surviving. A family excursion will inspire you to take this literally. Reach out to the loved ones that tend to worry about you.

During this time, you may be fostering more confidence and self-compassion. Believe in your ideas and remember that it’s OK to not have it all figured out just yet. New foundations are being built that will allow you to provide for those that you love. May be going out more as well.

Pisces

Aries

Taurus

Feb. 19 - March 20

Mar. 21 - April 19

April 20 - May 20

Your current efforts will lead you to opportunities to expand. If you feel limited by your current environment, don’t hesitant to see what’s out there. As you elevate more, you may find yourself weary of those who don’t really seem to be happy for you. Trust your intuition and act accordingly.

Now is the time to focus on longterm stability and picking up habits that favor the future you desire. Though an occasional excursion is fine, you also can’t just run away from everything that you don’t want to deal with. The coming days will reveal what deserves your effort and attention at this time, as well as what may be holding you back.

“Top Gun” was not a one hit wonder. The thought of a sequel to the hit 80s film might shake your nerves and rattle your brain, but “Top Gun: Maverick” will have you saying “I’ve changed my mind, this movie is fine.”

Released on May 16, 1986, and directed by the late Tony Scott, “Top Gun” was one of the best war stories and cinematic experiences of the ’80s. The film catapulted 23-year-old Tom Cruise as Lt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell to Hollywood movie star status.

Many Hollywood critics believed “Top Gun” was a one-hitwonder and did not expect a sequel because of how Mitchell lost his best friend and weapons system officer “Goose” who died after an ejection seat malfunction in an unforgettably heart wrenching scene.

“Top Gun: Maverick” focuses on Mitchell’s own struggle with forgiving himself for the loss of his best friend and sets up a storyline 35 years in the future where Mitchell is looking at the end of his career in the Navy because of his defiant nature and daredevil flying tactics.

Val Kilmer reprises his role as Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, now the commander of the United States’ Pacific Fleet. Mitchell begins to believe his time as a Navy fighter pilot is ending when Kazansky tells him that the Navy still needs him. Kazansky gives Mitchell one final assignment: to go back to Top Gun and become an instructor again.

On orders from Kazansky, Mitchell returns to Fightertown to prepare an inexperienced group of Top Gun graduates for a near suicidal mission.

The hardest part of the order for Mitchell is that he must

choose which graduates are best suited for the mission and one of the graduates is Lt. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, Goose’s son, played by Miles Teller.

The mission is to destroy an unnamed nation’s uranium factory in an almost impossible mountain setting surrounded by anti-aircraft defenses.

While practicing the expected flight course and learning the strengths and weaknesses of the graduates, Mitchell proves that he must be one of the pilots for this mission to be successful.

Mitchell begins to find purpose and closure while training for the mission. Rooster starts to see why his father loved flying with Mitchell and develops a new respect for him as one of the best fighter pilots the Navy has ever seen.

Director Joseph Kosinski has outdone himself once again by creating a perfect blend of the original “Top Gun” storyline and adding new hurdles for Maverick to overcome.

Kosinski incorporates the late Tony Scott’s style of musical cues, flash cuts, and breathtaking close-ups that made the original “Top Gun” revolutionary while also presenting Cruise’s character with impossible decisions that forces viewers on the edge of their seats and leaves them wanting more.

Kosinski uses iconic staples like Kenny Loggins’ “Danger Zone,” Mitchell’s Ninja motorcycle and Jennifer Connelly as Penny Benjamin, to maintain the original “Top Gun” feel, making the film alluring to newcomers and old fans alike.

Kosinski’s “Top Gun: Maverick” has shattered a 15-yearold Memorial Day record set by “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” and marks the biggest opening weekend of Tom Cruise’s 41-year acting career.

Focus your efforts on the things that support your progress, and recognize when you’re fighting a losing battle.

You don’t need to prove yourself at the expense of your peace of mind. Make sure you’re thinking before you speak at this time. Delegate stress and don’t take on everything at once.

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THE Daily Commuter Puzzle ACROSS 1 Secret agent 4 As __ a hornet 9 Bookie transactions 13 Jumping insect 14 Venerate 15 __ of Wessex; Prince Edward’s title 16 Fir coat?

17 One of Columbus’ three ships 19 “__ a long way to Tipperary…”

20 Shows up 21 Pester 22 Presses 24 TV crime drama series 25 Things listed in a will 27 Hate 30 Goes out with 31 Bawls loudly 33 El __; Spanish hero 35 Like fine wine 36 Holiday Inn, for one 37 Mound of sand 38 Tokyo currency 39 Changes one’s address 40 Europe’s longest river 41 Comedian’s sidekick 43 Eminem, for one 44 Package delivery svc.

45 Hotel employee 46 Make joyous 49 Virginia or Georgia 51 Nation with the most immigrants: abbr.

54 Hearty guffaw 56 Gwynne or Savage 57 Diamond corner 58 Lock horns 59 Audition for a role 60 Classic dog’s name 61 Smarter 62 Suffix for hero or vandal

by Jacqueline E. Mathews

Created by Jacqueline E. Mathews

DOWN 1 Mini blinds piece 2 Unrelenting 3 Beast of burden 4 Those who build with stone 5 Pres. John Quincy __ 6 Finished 7 __ and crafts 8 Where the buoys are 9 Brimless cap 10 Be a breadwinner 11 Threesome 12 Slaughter 13 J. Edgar Hoover’s agcy.

18 Sail supports 20 Portable beds 23 Bamboo shoot 24 Prisoner’s room 25 “Queen for __” of old TV 26 Wise men 27 Kicks the bucket 28 “The Thinker” & “Venus de Milo” 29 Touch of color 31 Intertwined 32 Devoured

6/13/22

Saturday’s Puzzle Solved

©2022 Tribune Content Agency, LLC All Rights Reserved.

34 Precious 36 Greedy people 37 Idiot 39 Wearing a long face 40 Low-lying area 42 Wall socket 43 __ than; instead of 45 Obscure

6/13/22

46 Recedes 47 Jump 48 Too 49 Rani’s attire 50 Pulls hard 52 Common tear site 53 Use a plus sign 55 Statute 56 Part of every wk.

SPORTS HATTIESBURG HEARTBREAK

page 8

‘It’s very painful right now’: season comes to an end with loss in Regional Championship

BY PETER RAUTERKUS @peter_rauterkus After a regional for the ages, LSU baseball’s season ended Monday in heartbreaking fashion, losing to Southern Miss 8-7 in the Regional Championship.

“It was a great college baseball game. Congratulations to coach Berry and their program. They have an elite pitching staff and we just couldn’t hang with them in that regard,” LSU Head Coach Jay Johnson said. “It’s very painful right now, so I don’t know what to say.”

In what was another backand-forth, thrilling contest, it seemed like LSU just didn’t have enough magic left to complete another comeback win. Like in previous games this past weekend, LSU got a lead early, but lost it during the middle innings and faced a sizable deficit. The Tigers trailed 7-4 entering the bottom of the seventh inning, but they rallied scoring two runs in the frame and another one in the eighth to tie the game at seven heading into the ninth.

“That’s all we did in this tournament - show fight. I’m proud of our team for that. It’s a simple game honestly. They’re infinitely better on the mound than we are,” said Johnson.

Pitching was an issue for LSU all weekend, and it once again hurt the Tigers when it mattered most. Johnson used seven different pitchers in this game, but down the stretch LSU struggled

HANNAH RUHOFF / The Sun Herald via AP

LSU celebrates after Drew Bianco scored against Southern Mississippi during an NCAA college baseball tournament regional game June 4, in Hattiesburg, Miss. to throw strikes and get the key outs. Those struggles are what delivered the final punch to LSU in the top of the ninth inning when consecutive hits led to Southern Miss scoring the eventual winning run on a sacrifice fly.

Pitching and defense were issues that plagued LSU at many points during the season, making it almost fitting that those issues are what cost the Tigers in the end. Though those weaknesses were apparent throughout the weekend, one thing that was also

evident was the fight within the team.

From a 10-run eighth inning against Kennesaw State, to a bottom of the ninth rally in game one against Southern Miss, this team showed again and again that it would not go down without a fight. Even the rally that came up short in the championship game brought the Tigers to the doorstep, capped off by a home run off the bat of fifth-year senior Gavin Dugas. The player who wore the prestigious No. 8

jersey and was a driving force of the program for multiple seasons now once again represented the fight within this team, but it just was not enough.

“This is the worst time of the year watching your season come to an end,” Dugas said. “I’m proud of what we did with this team with what we had. I know that I’m going to have those guys’ back for the rest of my life. I wish we could have went further and I truly believe that we could have.

I’m just proud of this team, proud

of how we played today.”

The loss brings year one of the Jay Johnson era to a close. Going from 12 SEC wins to 17 SEC wins was the biggest improvement, and leads many to believe the program is headed in the right direction despite the heartbreaking end to the season.

LSU now heads into the offseason with the No. 1 recruiting class in the country coming into next season, with a host of players from this year’s team returning. Top producers like Dylan Crews, Tre’ Morgan, Josh Pearson and Brayden Jobert will all return to the lineup next season.

That gives Johnson and LSU a good start on the development and revamp of the team for next year that will undoubtedly start on the mound. The return of Javen Coleman, Blake Money and Sam Dutton among others gives the Tigers some young starters to work with. That development will be crucial as pitching is what in the end takes teams from making a regional to getting to Omaha.

This season, LSU faltered in that department and that was the difference between the Tigers and Golden Eagles this weekend.

“We’ve got to pitch better, end of story,” Johnson said.

“That’s the story of this tournament, that’s the story of the SEC Tournament, that’s the story of the last regular season game at Vanderbilt. There’s nothing about competitiveness, there’s nothing about heart. These guys don’t need more motivation.”

BASEBALL

SOFTBALL

Former LSU catcher Michael Papierski makes MLB Debut

Tiger takes Gold Glove award for center field

BY COLE HERNANDEZ @Ct_hernandez Former LSU catcher Michael Papierski made his Major League Baseball debut last month as the starting catcher for the San Francisco Giants in their game at Oracle Park against the San Diego Padres.

Papierski is now the 81st major leaguer in LSU baseball history.

He was traded earlier this season from the Astros to the Giants and was a ninth-round selection by the Houston Astros in the 2017 MLB Draft.

Papierski played catcher at LSU from 2015-2017 and was an integral part in the Tigers’ run to the 2017 College World Series Finals. A product of Lemont, III., he played in 147 career games and made 114 starts for LSU.

Over the course of his career at LSU, Papierski batted .246 (84for-342) with 17 doubles, 15 home runs, 69 RBI, 61 runs, 76 walks and a .389 on-base percentage.

He played in 65 games in 2017, batting .256 with six doubles, 11 homers, 39 RBI, 37 runs, 40 walks and a .401 on-base percentage.

He also threw out 23 runners attempting to steal over the course of the season. Papierski helped lead LSU to wins in 25 of its last 30 games, batting .302 (26-for-86) with three doubles, eight homers and 26 RBI. Papierski drove in the gamewinning RBI in both of LSU’s 2017 NCAA Super Regional wins over Mississippi State. He popped up into a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning of Game 1 to break a 3-3 tie, and his two-run double in the fifth inning of Game 2 eliminated

a 4-3 Mississippi State lead.

Papierski batted .281 in LSU’s 2017 NCAA Tournament games with two doubles, four homers, 13 RBI and 10 runs. He smacked three homers and accounted for five runs in the 2017 College World Series.

On Saturday, May 28, Papierski was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento. The 26-year-old Papierski spent a week with the major-league club and batted 0-for9 with a run, a walk, and four strikeouts in five games. He will head back to Sacramento after Curt Casali was reinstated from the 7-day injury list.

Papierski is now the 23rd LSU player coached by former head coach Paul Mainieri to reach the big leagues. LSU has had at least one former player make an MLB debut in 29 of the past 32 seasons.

BY MORGAN ROGERS @__morganrogers LSU softball’s Ciara Briggs was announced on June 1 as the recipient of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award for the centerfielder position in 2022. The award was created by the Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc., who decided to include Division I softball athletes after celebrating defensive excellence in baseball for sixty-five years.

The honor makes Briggs the first softball centerfielder to win the award.

“She’s mechanically the best outfielder in the SEC,” ESPN analyst Kayla Braud said last month. “[And] maybe even in the country.”

Within 57 collegiate career starts, the California native fin-

ished the season with a perfect fielding percentage after she registered 82 putouts and seven assists.

Briggs is currently in a three-way tie for the most assists by an outfielder in program history. At the plate, she boasted a .368 batting average behind 70 hits, 32 RBI and a team-high 53 runs scored.

Briggs is the first LSU softball player to receive the award in the collegiate system. LSU alumna A.J. Andrews is the first in program history after her career performance as an Akron Racer in 2016.

Out of the nine award winners, four of the female athletes belong to the SEC (including Briggs). LSU and Florida State are the only college programs to not only win a gold glove award in college softball and baseball, but in professional softball and professional baseball as well.