The Reveille 6-7-21

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Ring True LSU preserves monument to Louisiana’s past, present and future veterans, opens museum to house state’s military history.

ABBY KIBLER / The Reveille

NEWS

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Kappa Sigma reached a settlement with LSU that will allow the fraternity to remain on campus despite hazing allegations. See the stipulations of the deal.

ENTERTAINMENT

Read on

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“Carrying out their tradition of delivering really meaningful and relatable lyrics as well as an album full of different genres, “Scaled and Icy,” was worth the wait.”

OPINION

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“These systemic problems persist, at least in part, because of a prevailing culture that fundamentally undervalues women.”

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

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HISTORY HIGHLIGHT

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Memorial tower, given to LSU by the American Legion of Louisiana, was one of the first structures on campus.

The Memorial Tower was dedicated in 1926 to honor the 1,447 Louisianans who died in World War I.

LSU Corps of Cadets dedicated a “time capsule” on the tower’s plaza to honor all past, present and future cadets

The new William A. Brookshire military museum gets ready to open to the public in the recently renovated tower.

The William A. Brookshire Military Museum’s grand opening will be the latest chapter in the LSU Memorial Tower’s storied history.

BY NICK FREWIN @itsnickfrewin The new William A. Brookshire Military Museum began with a soft opening Tuesday.

Visitors were allowed to visit the museum throughout the week of May 31 for free. The museum’s grand opening is scheduled for Veterans Day and will open concurrently with LSU Salutes activities.

The university cited the opening as the start of the celebration of the recent renovations done to the university’s iconic Memorial Tower. The tower has been undergoing remodeling for the past three years.

Cangelosi-Ward Construction were contracted to renovate the tower and refurbished the exterior, waterproofed the walls and replaced the windows and interior walls with newer and more energy-efficient versions.

While the university owns the Memorial Tower, the Cadets of the Ole War Skull were slated by the university to oversee the operations, according to Randy Gurie, the executive director of the Cadets of the Ole War Skull.

“The university owns the building technically, like they do all the buildings,” Gurie said.

“But the Board of Supervisors named us the primary occupants, with the understanding that it would become the LSU military museum.”

In 1919 and 1920, the American Legion called for all states to create something that would honor the fallen soldiers from their state. The American Legion posts of Louisiana came together to design and finance the Memorial Tower, according to Gurie.

“When this campus was dedicated in 1926, the American Legion then deeded this building to the university,” Gurie said.

The completed renovations

CHYREN MCGUIRE / The Reveille

Troy H. Middleton’s bust was moved from the LSU Library to the museum after the university removed Middleton’s name from the library in June for the Memorial Tower were remodeled tower which also inmuch needed according to Rich- cludes a new, clean plaza.”

The original projected cost for ard Lipsey, a Baton Rouge businessman and member of the the renovations increased substantially as the Board of Directors project ensued, for the Cadets of the Ole War Skull. “It’s one of the most but funding was found through “It was just in beautiful small numerous private terrible shape, and physically, the museums that you’ll donations with aid from the outside and inside. find anywhere.” state.

There were cracks “It started in the tower, the as a $6 million beautiful dome RICHARD LIPSEY project, and it had deteriorated, Board of Regents co-chair seemed like overthe glass was bronight it morphed ken on top and the clock rarely worked,” Lipsey told into about $14.5 million,” Gurie The Reveille. “Now we’ve got a said. “There were a lot of private totally renovated, inside and out, donations, and the state was very

helpful in getting some money to the mix. But it’s paid for and that’s a good thing.”

Lipsey went into further detail regarding how the funding to renovate the tower, create the museum and construct an exterior plaza was secured from the state.

“We went to the governor and Jay Dardenne, and they agreed that if we could raise half the money, they would give us the other half,” Lipsey said. “A total of $5.5 million from the state, and we ended up raising $6 million.”

While the university did not aid in financing the project, according to Lipsey, the aid given by certain individuals from the university’s Facility and Property Oversight department was essential throughout the renovation process.

“We had worked and worked with LSU and really got nowhere, as far as LSU helping us,” Lipsey said. “Then all of a sudden, we got to the right people at LSU, like Roger Husser, Tony Lombardo, and Paul Favaloro.”

The museum is named after William A. Brookshire, who aided in establishing the museum and made multiple gifts to the LSU William A. Brookshire Military & Veterans Student Center to aid veterans, service members, dependents and survivors succeed in higher education.

A select group of people who supported the renovations and remodeling toured the completed museum Monday, and Lipsey said the military museum turned out better than he had anticipated.

“It’s more satisfying, it’s more complete, it’s one of the most beautiful small museums that you’ll find anywhere,” Lipsey said. “I think it’s very important faculty, staff and students go see it. I think they’ll really appreciate the work that’s been done.”

The grand opening ceremony is scheduled for Veteran’s Day, Thursday, Nov. 11, and will open concurrently with the LSU Satultes activities.

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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@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 HAZED AND CONFUSED Kappa Sigma to remain at LSU despite hazing allegations

REVEILLE STAFF REPORT The LSU chapter of Kappa Sigma reached a settlement with the university that will allow the fraternity to remain on campus after an investigation found the chapter responsible for endangerment, coercive behavior, failure to comply and alcohol violations, The Advocate reported.

Since January, Kappa Sigma has been on an interim suspension for an “alcohol medical transport for a student” during a rush week party and a large party that violated pandemic restrictions. Additional allegations surfaced in late March, when the chapter was accused of hazing violations, throwing an unauthorized party and serving alcohol to underage students and breaking COVID-19 protocols.

The settlement, struck on June 1, drops some allegations against the chapter, like hazing, and places it on a deferred suspension until 2022 and disciplinary probation until 2023.

“I am hopeful that the Chapter is prepared to comply with the terms and timeline set forth above,” LSU Vice President for Student Affairs Jeremiah Shinn, wrote in a letter to the fraternity.

“However, failure to comply with the terms and timeline will result in additional sanctions and/or an extension of the sanctions outlined in this letter, up to and including a full suspension and a revocation of recognition.”

As part of the settlement, the fraternity’s “living quarters” cannot

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ENVIRONMENT

LSU AgCenter warns about termites

BY CADEN LIM @cadenlim5

THE REVEILLE ARCHIVES

The LSU Kappa Sigma house, located on Dalymple Dr. have alcohol or illegal drugs. But the chapter can still serve drinks to students of age at parties as long as they properly register the event and have a third party vendor on site.

The fraternity is also required to review each member to see if

they are “committed to the ideals of Kappa Sigma, the terms of [the settlement agreement] and the LSU Code of Student Conduct.” The settlement calls for more alumni supervision, advising and mentorship.

Kappa Sigma was placed on

probation in 2017 after LSU found it responsible for hazing, endangerment, alcohol and drug offenses.

The chapter received two “letters of reprimand” in 2015 and 2016.

The Advocate reported that seven complaints were filed against the fraternity between 2016 and 2019.

Termite season is in full swing on the Gulf Coast.

The Department of Entomology at the AgCollege has been conducting research on the social caste system of Formosan subterranean termites and how they use chemicals to communicate with each other.

Assistant professor of entomology Qian “Karen” Sun said the termites are a social creature and so are split into castes in each colony: a queen and king, soldiers and workers. The majority in a colony are workers and cause the most damage.

Sun also said the peripheral and central nervous systems of these termites are different from humans. She said workers and soldiers are blind, so they have to use chemicals to interact with each other. She said they use their antennae to perceive their surroundings, since they have a very small brain to process information.

“We want to understand how the termites communicate with each other and also detect the environment chemically,” Sun said. “And how they respond to the social and external environment behaviorally.”

see TERMITE, page 4

ENVIRONMENT

Wildlife & Fisheries looks for more piranhas in the LSU lakes

BY MADELYN CUTRONE @madelyncutrone r A local fisherman catching a red piranha in the LSU lakes last week made national news, and Louisiana’s Department of Wildlife & Fisheries is still investigating the situation.

LDWF said they believed the piranha was originally someone’s pet, and the individual released it in the lakes. Red piranhas — also known as red-bellied piranhas — are illegal in Louisiana and 26 other states. However, the fish can be easily obtained even within those states. Red piranhas can be purchased online for under $20 and can also be found at certain trade shows. Other piranha varieties are readily available as well.

LSU freshwater ecologist professor Michael Kaller said that while the aquarium trade is heavily regulated, it’s lightly enforced.

He said it wouldn’t be difficult for a student to obtain one of these illegal fish.

“Non-native fish only arrive in these habitats through the action or inaction of humans,” Kaller said, explaining the theory of someone releasing the fish in the lakes is the most likely scenario.

“I don’t think finding this right after the end of a semester is coincidental. That’s a really hard coincidence,” Kaller said. “That lends a lot of credence to someone dumping. Now, that doesn’t mean it was an LSU student; there’s a lot of different people who could do it.”

Kaller said accidental introductions are not always purposeful or malicious, and oftentimes someone might think a fish is dead when they are not, and release it in a lake or river.

“In our profession, we always advise people to dispose of aquar-

ium plants and animals through the conventional sanitary waste disposal system,” Kaller said. “In other words, put them in the real trash. Don’t assume they’re dead.

Don’t put them in the wild, particularly plants. Fish can appear dead and not be dead. That’s where the accidental side comes from.”

It’s also possible that a student was moving back home for the summer and didn’t want to kill their pet fish, so they released it in the lakes instead, not realizing the potential consequences this invasive species could have on the ecosystem, Kaller said.

In order to determine if the red piranha that was caught was the only one released in the lake, LDWF conducted a sampling program rather than a complete census, which often involves draining THE REVEILLE ARCHIVES

see PIRANHA, page 4

Six lakes surround LSU’s Campus in Baton Rouge on Friday, Jan. 24,

Monday, June 7, 2021

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Louisiana colleges to face new rules for misconduct claims ASSOCIATED PRESS BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — An effort to strengthen the requirements for how Louisiana colleges must handle sexual misconduct claims and spell out who is required to report such allegations is headed to the governor’s desk, after the Senate gave the bill final passage Wednesday.

JALEN HINTON / The Reveille

LSU students stand in support of sexual assault survivors on Friday, Nov. 20 at Pete Maravich Assembly Center on N Stadium Dr.

PIRANHA, from page 3 the entire body of water or putting a poison or toxicant into the lake to kill all of the fish so they can be counted. Sampling is a safer, although slightly less effective, alternative to censuses.

“What we do is we use a scientifically sound sampling program where we go to likely habitats and use appropriate sampling devices — nets in this case, fish traps, electrofishing which puts a current in the water that stuns the fish — and we’ll go to places and apply these programs to get high confidence that we have completely counted everything, but we never really do,” Kaller explained. “It’s all about applying these sound scientific practices to give us estimates. Estimating zero is truly difficult, but we can estimate that we’re pretty sure it’s zero.”

Kaller said the sampling process in the LSU lakes can be more difficult than other areas in Louisiana because it’s often shallow around the perimeters, and there are numerous underwater obstructions and tree stumps.

After completing an initial sample, LDWF did not come across additional piranhas.

“The Department plans to continue sampling for the presence of piranha,” LDWF Aquatic Nuisance Species Coordinator Rob Bour-

geois said. “We do not believe there is any increased danger to those using the University Lakes for recreation but continue to caution fishermen since they are more likely to be bitten while removing piranha from their lines.”

Kaller agreed that it should be safe to continue recreational use of the lakes at this time, as piranhas are not typically aggressive toward humans unless they are disturbed or in a feeding mode.

“I think it’s fine to kayak and paddle board in the lakes, [but] I would be cautious about swimming in the lakes simply because they’re a catch basin for so many parts — the LSU campus as well as all of these neighborhoods,” Kaller said. “You always want to be cautious when you have a lake like that, it can have E. coli and other microbes and bacteria, you want to minimize contact with that.”

Executive Director of the UREC Laurie Braden said they are taking directive from LDWF and kayaks, canoes, paddleboards as well as other lake equipment can still be rented from the UREC’s Adventure Center.

LDWF is urging anyone who thinks they may have caught a piranha to not return it to water and instead contact Rob Bourgeois at rbourgeois@wlf.la.gov or at (225) 765-0765.

Colleges will be required to fire employees who don’t report sexual misconduct, harassment and abuse allegations.

COURTESY LSU AGCENTER

have to follow new training requirements and publish detailed reports online about how they handle misconduct claims. The new law will ban retaliation against people who report allegations and limit their liability from lawsuits.

LSU hired independent law firm Husch Blackwell to review its response to sexual misconduct complaints after reporting by USA Today scrutinized the university’s handling of assault cases implicating two former football players.

The blistering report outlined multiple examples of the university ignoring student allegations of rape, domestic violence and assault.

The bill is filed as Senate Bill 230.

COURTESY OF THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES

An illegal red piranha, found in the LSU lakes, bares its teeth.

TERMITE, from page 3

Termites that originated from southeast Asia and were brought to the U.S. during World War II.

The Senate voted 36-0 for the measure sponsored by Republican Sen. Beth Mizell, of Franklinton.

That vote agreed to House changes to the bill and sent it to Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat who supports the legislation and is expected to sign it into law.

The measure pushed by female lawmakers stems from an independent report that detailed years of widespread mishandling of sexual misconduct claims at Louisiana State University.

Colleges will be required to fire employees who don’t report sexual misconduct, harassment and abuse allegations covered under federal Title IX laws or who make reports that are knowingly false. They will

Sun said her department is studying how antennae on termites in different castes interact chemically. Workers forage and collect food, soldiers defend the colony and the king and queen mate and reproduce.

“What we have done in the past couple years is to logically characterize their antennae,” Sun said.

The termites have different body parts they use to sense their surroundings: the antennae and the sensilla. She said her department’s studies compare antennae and sensilla in different castes and how they respond to chemicals differently.

These termites originate from southeast Asia and were brought to the U.S. during World War II. Today, they are

prevalent in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida and into Tennessee and the Carolinas.

Sun said Formosan subterranean termites are a “very destructive, structural pest.” She said they cost around $1 billion in damage in the U.S., with half of that damage in Louisiana.

They usually nest and tunnel into soil looking for cellulosecontaining food sources, such as trees and structural wood.

“We don’t think they have a positive effect on the environment,” Sun said. “It is an invasive species and our environment was fine before this species was introduced here.

After they were introduced here, a lot of problems were caused.”

Formosan subterranean termites are more destructive than the native species of termites,

according to an article from the AgCenter. Formosan subterranean termite colonies are larger, as they can have millions of termites in one colony, are more aggressive and can make their way above-ground.

The peak of the termite season starts around Mother’s Day and lasts until late June or early July. Many people can be affected by “swarmers” at this time, where winged termites fly out of their nest to mate and start new colonies.

Unlike the native Louisiana species that flies during the day, Formosan subterranean termites like conditions at dusk. They are most common when it is warm, humid and windless. People affected by the termites should limit their light, food and water sources to avoid swarms, according to the AgCenter article.

ENTERTAINMENT

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Rev Rank: Scaled and Icy is less intimidating than it sounds

BY ASHLEY LATCHA @ashleylatcha Three years after their last release, “Trench,” the popular alt-rap band Twenty-One Pilots returned with another full-length album, “Scaled and Icy,” on May 21. The group is widely recognized as a band that caters towards a fanbase that can relate to the mental health discussions that are poured into their lyrics. Their hit 2015 album “Blurryface” earned gold certifications for every single song in the album. With many of their songs being widely addicting with beats and lyrics that are played through car speakers in the middle of the day or earphones in the middle of the night, “Scaled and Icy” upholds the band’s reputation with a musical twist.

“Scaled and Icy” starts off with a beat that is quite the opposite of what the group has been associated with in the past. The first song, “Good Day,” introduced an upbeat alt-pop genre to the album. The song is mellow and gives a positive, uplifting message of “being alright” and having a good day even when things are not going well in life.

“Choker” starts to shift to a

COURTESY OF TWENTY-ONE PILOTS

Twenty-One Pilots’ new album, “Scaled and Icy,” released May 21. deeper tone and sounds more like a Twenty-One Pilots song. The track has upbeat moments, but the overall tone of the song is very melancholy. The lyrics are more somber, but carry the same effect as the songs that the band has previously released.

Their third track, “Shy Away,” took me by surprise from the very first beat. The synth-pop beat reminds me of some older songs produced by the band The Strokes; however, Tyler Joseph’s voice really solidifies the track as a Twenty One Pilots original. The song is upbeat and made me turn my volume up

immediately.

“The Outside” was a pleasant follow-up to “Shy Away.” The song reflects some R&B influences with an addicting, groovy beat. The lyrics are also funny, and of course, relatable. The song became the first one from the album that I played more than once (and will be repeating for a while). “Saturday” goes back to the pop genre. It is one of those feel-good songs that makes you want to paint the town on a Saturday. One of the most unique parts of the song includes a conversation between Joseph and his wife discussing his intentions to

continue working on the song or finish watching “Friends.”

Their sixth track, “Never Take It,” does the most for the rock genre out of the other preceding songs. The importance of the guitar is made clear through this song and is another favorite of mine. The next track, “Mulberry Street,” takes another shift back to the mellow, breezy alt-pop genre, but goes into “Formidable,” which is another fantastic track. The song brings out the acoustics in a really tasteful way.

I was on the edge with “Bounce Man” with the way it sounds like an introduction song for overpaid

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Youtubers, but the lyrics are what makes it an interesting song.

The change from an upbeat, ukulele driven song to “No Chances” was a huge transition. The song sounds like a track that did not make it for the final production of “Blurryface” so the group put it in “Scaled and Icy,” and I mean that in the best way possible. The song is dramatic with heavy musical tones, but it makes a softer shift as Joseph sings the lines “we want you home in one piece now.” The classic “emo rap” verse that Joseph is known for is showcased in this song as well.

The album ends with beautiful tones found in “Redecorate.” The message of the song is powerful, and Joseph was inspired to write the song after a friend’s son passed away, and they decided to keep his room the same. The musicality of this song is my favorite overall from the album. It is unique and almost dream-like.

Carrying out their tradition of delivering really meaningful and relatable lyrics as well as an album full of different genres, “Scaled and Icy,” was worth the wait. The full album is available on all streaming platforms and on sale through their website twentyonepilots.com.

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OPINION

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Call for Investigation

Louisiana colleges and police enabled sexual violence SULLY’S SCOOP CLAIRE SULLIVAN

@sulliclaire

Nearly seven months have passed since a USA TODAY investigation into LSU’s mishandling of Title IX cases lit a fire in Baton Rouge. Since then, much has been revealed about the shortcomings of the university and its officials in preventing and investigating sexual assault and domestic violence.

USA TODAY’s most recent reporting proves these issues extend far beyond our own campus.

An investigation by reporter Kenny Jacoby revealed violations and sidesteps of Act 172 — a law enacted in 2015 that required communication between police departments and college campuses about sex crime reports against students — enabled former student Victor Daniel Silva to transfer between LSU, University of Louisiana at Lafayette and Louisiana Tech to avoid investigation and accountability for sexual misconduct reports.

During his time in college, a total of at least six women reported sexual misconduct by Silva.

Two months into his freshman year at LSU, Silva was accused of rape by a female classmate. When he transferred to ULL the next semester, the college was unaware of this allegation, as LSU had cleared him of wrongdoing in their investigation (an investigation that took place during a time in University history where there was still no full-time Title IX employee) and failed to notify the woman of her right to report at ULL. So when Silva was arrested for second-degree rape against another LSU student during his first semester at ULL that winter, administrators believed it to be an isolated incident, placing Silva on a two-year probation and ordering counseling.

Silva completed the two-year probation without incident, or rather, that was what was believed

by ULL at the time. In reality, over the course of his probation, three more women brought sexual misconduct allegations against Silva to the Lafayette Police Department. The LPD was required to report such crimes to ULL’s Title

JALEN HINTON / The Reveille

After the publishing of the Husch Blackwell report, members of the LSU community protested outside of the football Operations Center on campus.

IX Coordinator under Act 172, but did not do so.

“At best, it is a complete, callous disregard for what victims are going through — and not just what they’re going through, but what the future victims will go through, as these predators find new victims,” J.P. Morrell, who sponsored Act 172 when he was a state senator, told USA TODAY. “At worst, it’s almost malicious.”

Not long after his two year suspension ended, Silva transferred to Louisiana Tech. Social media posts circulated warning students of Silva’s past conduct, but to the university itself, it appeared Silva had a clean record. Act 172 was

not enacted until two months after Silva’s probation at ULL had begun, and administrators used this as an excuse not inform Louisiana Tech that Silva had been on probation for rape.

Three months after his transfer, Silva was accused of sexual assault by a female student at Louisiana Tech. Three days after the Title IX report was filed against him, he left the school.

Administrators said that because of his quick departure, they had not started an investigation, which enabled Silva to transfer back to ULL. One of the central purposes of Act 172 is to safeguard against this type of evasion of

investigation, but an institutional disregard for the law allowed Silva to escape accountability once again.

Silva graduated from ULL in 2020 with a degree in chemical engineering. Days before he received his diploma, he sexually assaulted his then-girlfriend’s friend, who chose not to report the crime.

The ways in which colleges and police departments circumvented the guidelines in Act 172 — a piece of legislation crafted to protect students on college campuses from sexual assault — are deeply troubling.

An incredible amount of pain may have been avoided if

Editorial Policies and Procedures EDITORIAL BOARD Reed Darcey Nick Frewin

Editor in Chief News Editor

Domenic Purdy

Opinion Columnist

Claire Sullivan

Opinion Columnist

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.

not for the gross negligence and incompetence of these institutions — institutions that claim to act in the best interests of their community. These violations of Act 172 enabled a serial sexual abuser to assault women at three different Louisiana public colleges. One cannot help but wonder how many survivors these institutions have failed over the years, and how many other abusers they have enabled.

Still, these colleges refuse to admit any wrongdoing, either claiming they did the best they could or citing loopholes in Act 172 that supposedly absolve them of culpability. The intention of the law and its guidelines were exceedingly clear; operating on a technicality in order to avoid protecting students is hardly less disgraceful than violating the law outright (which, to be clear, occurred as well).

It is shameful that these colleges not only failed their students so miserably, but have not even the decency to recognize the trauma they perpetuated. The sad truth is that these colleges are more interested in avoiding a lawsuit than addressing the ways in which they have betrayed their students.

This report is a referendum on sexual violence prevention on college campuses in Louisiana. The state must launch a thorough investigation into violations of Act 172 committed by police departments and public colleges. Broken Title IX systems across the state require urgent reform, and individuals who did not follow the law should be held responsible.

The trust between female students and their college administrations has grown increasingly strained. These horrifying displays of institutional apathy suggest that the well-being of women on campus rank low on the priority lists of these institutions. These systemic problems persist, at least in part, because of a prevailing culture that fundamentally undervalues women.

That culture, the systems it feeds and the individual negligence it enables must be addressed once and for all.

Claire Sullivan is an 18-year-old coastal environmental science sophomore from Southbury, CT.

Quote of the Week “It was June, and the world smelled of roses.”

Maud Hart Lovelace Author 1892 — 1980

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41 __ mignon; tender cut of beef 42 Said 44 Sends in payment 45 Adriatic or Baltic 47 Film holders 48 Dread 49 Light greenishblue

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Monday, June 7, 2021

page 8

Conservatives don’t understand nuance of pop culture DOM’S UNCANNY DISCOURSE DOMENIC PURDY @tigerdom16 I grew up reading comic books.

From an early age I could tell you everyone’s symbol. SpiderMan, Batman, Superman, Daredevil, Invincible; the list goes on.

There is, however, one superhero’s symbol that comic books didn’t teach me — The Punisher.

Instead of learning about Frank Castle’s symbol from the pages of his titular comic book, I was exposed to it on the backs of lifted pickup trucks, the news and on the occasional police cruiser. To me growing up in Louisiana, Punisher was hardly even a Marvel Comics character; he was a symbol conservatives misunderstood and adopted as a political symbol.

The Punisher skull is not a symbol conservatives, much less anyone, should take inspiration from. Don’t believe me? His original writer hit the nail on the head in an interview in 2019.

“To me, it’s disturbing whenever I see authority figures embracing Punisher iconography because the Punisher represents a failure of the Justice system,” Punisher creator Gerry Conway said. “He’s supposed to indict the collapse of social moral authority and the reality some people can’t depend on institutions like the police or the military to act in a just and capable way.”

Punisher is far from the only pop culture icon that American conservatism misunderstands and manipulates.

Within comics alone, conservatives misinterpret Captain America and Superman’s symbols as representing their far right, nativist ideals, when in reality Cap has turned his back on American conservatism multiple times and Supes is a literal immigrant power fantasy created by Jewish men as a protector of the innocent.

When the creator of Captain America’s son says he is “appalled” and “disgusted” by his father’s imagery being used at the January 6 Capitol riot, you may not understand your symbol.

American conservatives just don’t understand the things they proclaim to be fans of.

Take the go-to phrase for conservatives who have been ‘enlightened’ is to be “red-pilled.”

The phrase itself comes from “The Matrix,” a film created by two trans women interpreted by film theorists as an allegory for their own transgender identity.

How ironic that those who claim to take the ‘red-pill’ cannot grasp conservativism’s transphobia goes counter to the object they use to express their beliefs?

Even video games aren’t safe from the misinterpretation of conservatives. The more left -leaning messages of “Bioshock” and “Metal Gear Solid” seem to just go over the heads of rightwing gamers.

“Bioshock” for example, is a critique of the Objectivist ideology presented by Ayn Rand, but some conservatives seem to think that it endorses the ideology and shows capitalism’s benefits in a sea of left-wing propaganda. In reality, Ayn Rand’s ideas of unfettered free market

CHYREN MCGUIRE / The Reveille

Comic books line shelves in comic book stores throughout the country, giving die-hard fans and newbies alike access to old favorites and new finds. capitalism are shown to be the down fall of society in the 2007 first-person shooter’s world of Rapture.

Then there’s the classic example of conservatives finding out the rock band Rage Against the Machine isn’t just about getting frustrated at a fax machine, but a band with revolutionary politics about subverting the powers at be.

“Music is my sanctuary and the last thing I want to hear is political BS when I’m listening to music,” one now-deleted tweet from a so-called Rage fan read.

“As far as I’m concerned you and Pink are completely done. Keep

running your mouth and ruining your fan base.”

How could you possibly listen to “Killing in the Name,” with a lyric like “some of those that work forces are the same that burn crosses,” as a conservative and not understand it’s a protest song?

And the list goes on.

“Watchmen” ‘fans’ being upset when Damon Lindelof makes Rorschach the face of neo-Nazis.

TikTok conservatives proclaiming Green Day’s “American Idiot” a conservative anthem.

Jordan Peterson being upset about being the inspiration for the newest iteration of Marvel’s

Red Skull in Ta-Nehisi Coates’ “Captain America.”

With the internet, there are just legions of these conservative ‘fans’ that watch things purely surface level — sometimes even lighter than that — and miss the meaning entirely.

If you can, with a straight face, say The Punisher is a valid conservative symbol to aspire to be like, much less brand yourself as, then there’s more wrong than a simple misinterpretation of a comic book character.

Domenic Purdy is a 20-yearold journalism junior from Prairieville.

Letter to the Editor: What shall we say to gun violence?

HERMAN KELLY @pastork25

THE REVEILLE ARCHIVES

After only a few months of 2021, Baton Rouge is on pace to break annual gun violence records.

These past few weeks in the Baton Rouge community have been peppered with violence and unwarranted crime.

A city we love, work, and worship has become a battleground of young people and violence. Where did they the learn to be so violent?

Is violence the only way to communicate when we have differences?

First, we all must be committed to making Baton Rouge a better place for all her citizens. We can not blame any one person for the violence. It belongs to all of us.

Someone once said, “for evil to exist, good people remain silent.”

We cannot remain silent anymore. We must invest in our young people and not be afraid to share our time and our energy. As a youth in Florida, I remember those persons who spent weekends and evenings to help me grow and mature to become a productive young person.

Secondly, we must share our

stories with our youth. We all made mistakes, but we did not settle our issues with gun violence. We were taught the value of humanity and life. Dr. Martin Luther King called it personalism: the value of the human personality. We must teach value and love toward each other.

Our faith must extend to help others handle life’s existential problems and circumstances.

Lastly, we all must help support and develop youth activities for the Baton Rouge community.

We must develop safe spaces for our youth, and we have to teach non-violence as a lifestyle and a way of communicating. Peace does not mean weakness, but strength.

At Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, we have developed a swimming ministry, STEM Community Camp and other activities to help our youth focus on positive behavior and encouragement. It takes time, money and commitment.

We must save our youth and our community. If we do not do it, who will do it?

Herman Kelly is an adjunct instructor in LSU’s African and African American Studies Department.