LSU President William Tate leaves for Rutgers with an interim taking over.
LOUISIANA ROOTS
Kim Mulkey shares the story of her career and why she came back to LSU in exclusive interview with the Reveille.
MULKEY’S JOURNEY
Mulkey reflects on career accomplishments in one-on-one interview
BY TYLER HARDEN Staff Writer
The Reveille’s Tyler Harden had the opportunity for an exclusive oneon-one interview with LSU women’s basketball head coach Kim Mulkey. The following article and all quotes within it come from that interview.
In Kim Mulkey’s eighth grade year, her basketball team went undefeated.
At the time, the feat was the peak moment of her playing career. She then went onto win four state championships in high school, two national championships in college at Louisiana Tech, a gold medal at the 1984 Olympics and four college national titles as a head coach.
But Mulkey will tell you that eighth grade season weighs the same to her.
“I would never tell you one is more important than the other,” Mulkey said. “Your journey and things that you did along the way were so meaningful for you personally, and I don’t ever forget it.”
When Mulkey finds something as important in her journey, it’s important. Whether it’s a successful eighth grade basketball season or a collegiate national title, it’s important for a reason, and is held with pride.
Mulkey took her career to Louisiana Tech, and the winning came with her. Her Lady Techsters advanced to four Final Fours and won the national title in the 1981 and 1982 seasons.
After her senior year at Louisiana Tech, where her team finished with a 30-3 record and a Final Four appearance, she went onto play in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, where her U.S. team won a gold medal by 31 points over Canada.
That gold medal marked the end of her playing career and the start of a new chapter of her life. She stayed at Louisiana Tech and worked toward her master’s in business administration.
“My thought was, ‘I’m going to get this master’s in business. I’m going to
fly all over the country and be a CEO of a Fortune 500 company,” Mulkey said.
That was the plan for Mulkey, until the Louisiana Tech president, the late Dr. F. Jay Taylor, called her into his office.
Taylor wanted Mulkey to return to basketball in a different capacity and coach alongside head coach Leon Barmore. At first, Mulkey refused, wanting to put her basketball experience at Louisiana Tech to rest, but because of her relationship with Taylor, she changed her mind.
“Dr. Taylor was a visionary, and he started the program at Louisiana Tech,” Mulkey said. “I just didn’t want to let him down.”
Mulkey told Taylor she’d give him one season. She knew the game, and she knew how Barmore operated, but she never saw the game from the
coaching side. She had to learn to recruit and how to do all the things that needed to be done as an assistant coach.
In her first season as an assistant coach, she helped the Lady Techsters to a 27-5 record and an Elite Eight appearance.
After that, the one season she promised turned into 15 years.
Mulkey’s 15-year career as an assistant and associate head coach at Louisiana Tech finished with seven Final Fours and a national championship in 1988.
As her coaching career at Louisiana Tech progressed, Mulkey received several offers to become a head coach.
“I turned three jobs down as an assistant…it was [Texas] A&M, it was Missouri and it was South Carolina,” Mulkey said. “Good jobs, wonderful
jobs, but I was like, ‘No, I don’t know, I don’t think I’m ready.’”
When Mulkey became ready, Baylor just happened to be the school on the phone that offering her a head coaching position. Mulkey took the job at Baylor in 2000, but it was a move that required leaving her home state of Louisiana.
“I cried, probably the first two to three months, every night,” Mulkey said.
She arrived in Waco to a Baylor program that was fresh off a 7-20 season and a last place finish in the Big 12.
While there were tears from leaving her home state, she went to work and worked to build the Baylor women’s basketball program into a national contender.
The process started with a skill that Mulkey learned while being an assistant at Louisiana Tech: recruiting. She and her staff went after players that made Baylor a priority in their recruitment.
“We went after the right players that we could honestly get that believed in us, that wanted to get a good education from Baylor and help us build a program,” Mulkey said. “We didn’t go out and try to compete to come in second and third place, or to get a visit out of them.”
After NCAA Tournament appearances in three of Mulkey’s first four seasons, including a Sweet 16 appearance in 2004, she and her Baylor Bears finally reached the mountain top, winning a national title in 2005.
It was then that Mulkey had started a dynasty.
After her first national title at Baylor, she never missed an NCAA Tournament for the next 15 seasons (excluding 2020 due to COVID-19) and advanced to 13 Sweet 16’s, nine Elite Eights, three Final Fours and won
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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.
MATHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille
LSU women’s basketball head coach Kim Mulkey watches the action on the court Nov. 9, 2023, during LSU’s 112-55 win over Queens in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La.
ALEXIS PERSICKE / The Reveille
LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey yells Feb. 20 during LSU’s 79-63 win against Georgia at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La. see MULKEY, page 7
NEWS MOVING ON
LSU president leaves for same job at Rutgers, interim appointed
LSU President William F. Tate IV has left the university to become the next president of Rutgers. The university first announced the impending departure on May 19.
“This was a distinctly difficult decision, and one I did not take lightly,” Tate said in a statement released by LSU. “LSU, its students, faculty, staff, and supporters are all incredible and inspirational.”
Rutgers’ Board of Trustees voted to confirm Tate May 19, and Tate then delivered a brief speech to the board, highlighting his desire to emphasize the “Rutgers edge” and enhance the university’s campus life and athletics.
Tate’s last day at LSU was May 31. The interim president is Matt Lee, previously the vice president for agriculture and dean of the College of Agriculture.
“We are saddened by President Tate’s departure but grateful for the deep and meaningful impact his leadership left on the LSU enterprise over the last four years,” LSU Board of Supervisors Chairman Scott Ballard said in LSU’s statement. “We wish him well on his journey and will always consider him a Tiger.”
Tate arrived at LSU in 2021 as the university’s first Black president. Before that, he was the pro -
see PRESIDENT TATE, page 4
How students deal with long commutes to campus
BY TRIPP BUHLER
You wake up to your alarm, hit snooze a few times and finish out your morning routine before you grab your backpack and keys and head out the door to class.
The commute to campus that follows is the most frustrating part of any school day. Whether it lasts a few minutes or an hour, unexpected extensions of the commute can determine the success of the day.
Only 26% of students live on campus, according to university data. So most LSU students must commute – a little or a lot – and most have faced troubles at some point in the journey. Traffic from all directions can cause one to miss class or skip because it’s simply not worth it.
“I’ve turned my car into almost a secondary house,” said freshman Haddox Hebert, who lives with his family in Denham Springs.
Hebert, an international studies major, said his commute can last from 30 minutes to an hour, making it necessary to leave over an hour before his classes begin.
His 2019 Nissan Sentra gets a
fresh tank of gas at least three times every week, which can cost up to $140 a week, Hebert said.
Hebert said he decided to live at home to save money but has learned from what he considers a mistake.
“I am absolutely not doing this again next year. I’m getting a house with some friends and living as close as possible to campus,” Hebert said.
The long commutes affect some to the point where they sleep in their cars or on campus. Sophomore commuter Kalie Indest said she has crashed in the Digital Media Arts & Engineering building plenty of times.
“If you’re not struggling, are you really going to college?” Indest said.
Indest said most days she commutes about 150 miles to campus and back to her home in Metairie, traveling via Airline Highway due to the lack of visibility on Interstate 10 in the early morning and late night.
She cited the morning fog coming from the Bonnet Carré Spillway as a main reason the drive takes even longer than it should.
“The fog is such a pain in the ass. You sometimes cannot see past the hood of your car,” Indest said.
Indest said she’s even had to return to campus right after getting home to beat the fog that could start around midnight.
The interior design major said she gets up at 3 a.m. to get to campus early enough for her part-time job delivering the Reveille newspaper twice a week. Other mornings, she still gets up early to drive if she doesn’t sleep on campus, Indest said.
The commute, with gas fill-ups that occur at least three times a week, is still cheaper than rent she’d be paying if she kept her spot at the Villas at Riverbend apartments from last year, she said.
A walk from the Villas to the center of campus wouldn’t take as long as a drive from Metairie, according to Google Maps.
“It’s either we laugh or we cry, and one is definitely better than the other,” said Indest, sipping her coffee that she said keeps her alive and functioning.
She said that the coffee vending machine in the digital media building has been a saving grace.
Her 2007 Toyota Camry has gained 20,000 miles since her start
Student media head to retire
BY CAMILLE MILLIGAN KLSU
On his LSU web page, John Friscia’s official job title reads, “Director, Student Media.” However, this label doesn’t even begin to capture the passion and care he has devoted to generations of students, especially at KLSU as its adviser, over the past 26 years.
Friscia is set to retire at the end of the summer, and while his radio knowledge and engineering skills will be missed, what LSU students say they’ll miss most is having a trustworthy, understanding person they can turn to for advice beyond the media.
Alissa Clemmons, a senior at LSU and KLSU’s marketing manager, says Friscia’s mentorship has not only deepened her understanding of radio but has also inspired her to pursue the things she truly loves in life.
“The biggest thing I’ve learned and respect about Friscia is that you can have a job you’re passionate about,” Clemmons said. “You can really be happy working with people, finding something you love and building a community, and that’s kind of what he does.”
Cade Williams, KLSU’s sta-
at LSU, just under two years ago, Indest said.
Indest said she is unsure if she will continue commuting for the next two years, but loves to be able to be with her dog and cat at home, which will impact her decision.
For one student, the commute, early wakeups and classes skipped added too much stress to continue in-person schooling. After her third semester at LSU and first living at her home in St. Amant, construction management major Aubrey Humphries decided to switch to LSU Online for her sophomore spring semester.
Humphries said she lived in Spruce Hall on campus her freshman year, but switching to an apartment or house near campus was too expensive.
“I didn’t really have another option. It wasn’t really a decision as much as a must for me,” Humphries said.
Balancing a schedule of a class or two a day, working near her home at Houmas House Estate and Gardens and being involved in her
, page 4
CAMPUS LIFE
Writer
MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille
LSU President William F. Tate IV listens to Todd Manuel speak Jan. 24, 2024, at a Faculty Senate meeting within the Woods Auditorium on LSU’s campus in Baton Rouge, La.
see CAMPUS TRAFFIC
FACULTY see RETIREMENT, page 4
COURTESY OF LSU
A headshot of John Friscia.
sorority, Delta Gamma, became too much to handle with the commute every day, she said.
“Driving so far every day was getting very exhausting, and it was creating a lack of motivation in my schoolwork,” Humphries said.
She said she would often want to skip class but have to drive to campus to avoid trouble with her parents over skipping expensive classes. Between school and work and spending upwards of $100 a week filling up her 2011 Toyota Sequoia, which already has over 240,000 miles, she switched to LSU Online.
“I have a lot more motivation because I can do my schoolwork on my own time,” Humphries said.
She said she is also able to work more hours to begin saving money for a potential return to in-person classes and her sorority.
Her high school classmate and fellow Houmas House employee, Cooper Ancale, has stood in a similar position with his commute. The sophomore landscape architecture major said he has lived at home for two years and will continue to do so for the next two.
Ancale’s reasons for staying home are saving money and staying close to his family, as they are for most.
His commute makes school similar to a full-time job, where he arrives at 8 a.m. and stays for classes and studying until 4 p.m.
“After that long day, the last
thing that I want to do is to stay at school even longer,” Ancale said regarding his commute disrupting his involvement on campus with clubs and other organizations.
In contrast to the other three, Ancale said the commute does not make him want to skip class. Living at home is saving him money, he said, and skipping class would waste the money spent for him to attend LSU, keeping him motivated.
“I still have the same amount of focus that I would if I did live closer than 30 minutes to campus,” Ancale said.
Troubles with long commutes partially stem from the absence of public transport. LSU offers Tiger Trails bus rides up to three and a half miles away from campus. This means students beyond this distance are forced to drive, which prevents them from getting work done on the commute.
Many students who take public transportation can have their hands and minds free to get work done while on the bus or train, said the author of a study on mental health effects on college students, Dayna Herbert Walker.
The study was conducted in the San Francisco Bay Area, an area with a thriving public transportation system, Bay Area Rapid Transport (BART). Advancements made in public transportation available for students outside of the area closest to campus could help some get work done and eliminate the feeling of wasted time while driving.
RETIREMENT, from page 3
tion manager from fall 2024 to spring 2025, has worked with Friscia on a daily basis to keep KLSU running smoothly. To Williams, Friscia has served as both a leader and a valued friend.
“He’s been a great mentor for me,” Williams said. “He’s always been very supportive and respectful to the ideas I’ve had for the station. And we also are just like friends and, you know, we cut up and laugh and such.”
Although beloved for it, Friscia did not start out in the advising business. He was
born and raised in New York, and his adoration for music inspired him to pursue a degree in broadcasting engineering. Following graduation, he worked for Jive Records as a maintenance engineer for about three years before accepting a job at the United Nations headquarters. After eight years as a broadcast engineer at the UN, he accepted his current position at LSU and moved to Louisiana.
“I remember reading an article one time that said the majority of people are born, live their life, work and die within like a 50 mile radius of where
they were born,” Friscia said. “And I thought, like, that’s not going to be me. I wanted to do something different.”
At LSU, Friscia has done just that. The dedication he put into his job does not go unnoticed, and his impact within the student media community is deeply felt. During KLSU’s annual fundraiser week, he typically arrived at the studio around 7 a.m. and stayed until around midnight, toting with him positive energy and snacks for the all workers.
Barbara Friscia, Friscia’s wife, has watched him fall in love with student media over
vost at South Carolina.
Tate’s agenda as president included aiming for the university to become a top-50 research university and gain Association of American University accreditation. Under him, the university’s research spending grew to a record $543 million in 2023-24.
Tate has publicly pushed against ongoing federal initiatives like cutting National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding for universities and downsizing the U.S. Department of Education, penning several op-eds.
LSU has seen many university higher-ups depart in the last few months, with General Counsel Winston Decuir and Executive Vice President for Finance and Chief Administrative Officer Kimberly Lewis resigning. Provost Roy Haggerty will also soon leave the university, it was reported in April.
the years. She says he shows his devotion by always being available when students need him.
“That phone rings, and he’s on it,” Barbara Friscia said.
“It doesn’t matter the day, the time, nothing. He will answer that phone. He doesn’t get paid for that call either. It’s just what he does.”
Listening to his students and giving them the opportunity to improve the station are two of his top priorities. In just the past year, Friscia has worked closely with KLSU staff to design a new website, redecorate the music room and set up a podcast studio in the basement
Lee now takes over as interim president, with senior leadership expressing confidence in him.
“Matt’s long-term commitment to LSU, paired with his research and leadership expertise, made him the obvious choice to lead the LSU enterprise through this transitional phase,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Scott Ballard said in a statement released by LSU. “I can’t imagine a better person to steer us through this time.”
Lee started in his most recent role in August 2022 on an interim basis before being named the fulltime dean in April 2023. Before that, he served as interim executive vice president and provost, vice provost for academic programs and support services and senior associate vice president for research at LSU.
Lee earned his doctorate and master’s degree in sociology at LSU.
of Hodges Hall.
In addition to his dedication to KLSU, Friscia is responsible for many projects that do not revolve around the radio station. He repairs the equipment and cameras for all sections of student media, and he was a driving force behind the Tiger TV studio upgrades, even going so far as to hand-paint their green screen.
“He really prides himself on the upgrades and the work he’s done to give the students real places that look like they would in the workforce,” Barbara Friscia said. “He truly loves that.”
CAMPUS
MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille
Cars sit in traffic as East Parker Boulevard. is closed for a down cable on Aug. 22, 2023, on West Lakeshore Drive near LSU’s campus in Baton Rouge, La.
PRESIDENT TATE, from page 3
MATTHEW PERSCHALL/ The Reveille
LSU President William F. Tate IV discusses the change of wording from “inclusion” to “engagement” in the Division of Engagement, Civil Rights and Title IX Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, at a Faculty Senate meeting inside the Woods Auditorium on LSU’s campus in Baton Rouge, La.
ENTERTAINMENT
The Crane Wives bring folk music with emotional meaning to NOLA
BY SARAH WALTON Staff Writer
At the convergence of Tchoupitoulas Street and Napoleon Avenue, the line to enter Tipitina’s on May 24 took over the entire block. Hundreds of fans of indie folk band the Crane Wives were getting their chance to finally see them in person.
The Crane Wives is a band from Grand Rapids, Michigan, that takes music composition and lyricism to new heights. The band gained popularity in online spaces during 2020 for their songs “Never Love and Anchor” and “The Moon Will Sing.” Fans of their music resonate and connect deeply with the stories they tell through their art.
One of these longtime fans is writer Coda Wren. She and her friends sat between the bar and barricade.
“Their writing style, to me, is such a unique sound, and it has helped me through a lot of down moments, and they have lifted me up in my up moments as well,” Wren said. “It’s so nice to have an artist that still has that down to earth kind of music instead of trying to split their lens to appeal to everybody. I really enjoy having a group that has such a specific sound.”
Wren went on to talk about the specific sound the Crane Wives have created for themselves. Emilee Petersmark and Kate Pillsbury are the lead singers of the band, and they both play electric guitar. As Petersmark and Pillsbury sing and create these worlds through their music, Ben Zito, on bass, and Dan Rickabus, on drums, strengthen the music, allowing the songs to flourish onstage.
Harkening back to early folk music, the Crane Wives will also occasionally use a banjo. When talking about the Crane Wives, Wren called their style “magnetic.”
“I don’t think there’s a lot of artists that realize the impact that they have on the common folk, such as myself, and someone who lives paycheck to paycheck,” Wren said. “They definitely bring tranquilization into my life.”
Folk music has an important history in the United States, often stemming from the pain and struggles of black and poorer communities. One of the band’s most popular songs is Called “The Hand That Feeds.” The song stands as an indictment of capitalism and predatory practices that affect the common man. In that way, the Crane Wives’ music reflects the real experiences of their fans.
“With those down times, [the music] keeps my head on straight,” Wren said.
As time crept slowly to 9 p.m., Tipitina’s became packed full of fans. Many members of the crowd dressed like they came out of a fantasy novel. Donning crowns and corsets, fans dressed like rogues and mages straight from their character sheets.
The New Orleans audience was truly something special. The audience exploded with cheers and claps enveloping the venue as the band walked out.
Instead of just keeping to their newest album, the band performed a mix of the full discography, to the delight of many fans. Throughout the show, there were groups of fans reciting the songs word for word and moments of joking with the band.
Near the end of the show, the Crane Wives played “The Hand That Feeds,” and fans emotionally responded to the song.
“I loved how angry you all got! This next one is not on our records, but I need you to be
just as angry,” Petersmark said after the song.
The next song, “Take Me to War,” was a song about pushing back against oppression and bigotry, which resonated with fans just as much as “The Hand That Feeds.” In some ways, the songs are siblings, each primarily sung by the lead singers, both creating a sense of catharsis.
When the show ended and the band walked off stage, the vibrant Crane Wives audience almost immediately cheered for an encore.
Petersmark called it the “quickest organized encore” she’d ever seen. The band came back on stage to play two fan favorites: “Steady, Steady” and “Tongues & Teeth.”
May 24 was the last day of the Beyond Beyond Beyond Spring Tour, and New Orleans received the Crane Wives with open arms. By the end of the night, the crowd held the same sentiment a fan yelled during the show: “Please come back!”
SARAH WALTON / The Reveille
The Crane Wives band performing live at Tipitina’s bar on May 24 in New Orleans, La.
SARAH WALTON / The Reveille
Emilee Petersmark, The Crane Wives member, singing at Tipitina’s bar on May 24 in New Orleans, La.
SPORTS
NOT THROUGH YET
Baseball stunned, forcing regional final showdown
junior infielder Daniel Dickinson (14) walks towards the dugout before LSU’s 12-0 win over Dallas Baptist on May 31 at Alex Box Stadium on Gourrier Avenue in Baton Rouge, La.
BY ROSS ABBOUD Staff Writer
LSU baseball lost 10-4 in a gritty matchup versus Little Rock in the regional final on Sunday.
The Trojans continued their hot streak, scoring 40 runs through the three games they played after being shut out on Friday night by LSU.
LSU took an early 3-0 lead in the first inning, but Angel Cano’s two-run home run, followed by a
TRACK AND FIELD
double and a walk in the bottom of the second, put Little Rock in a position to flip the game on its head.
But Chase Shores shut the door on the Trojans’ momentum when he struck out both batters he faced after replacing Jaden Noot in the second inning.
When Shores came back out for the third inning, he walked the bases loaded with one out. Then, Cano hit a bases-clearing double into right field to give him a five-
RBI day and the Trojans the lead.
The Tigers ended what felt like an inning that would never end when Cooper Williams, who relieved Shores in the third, got out of the 30-minute-long frame.
Williams’ 3.2 innings of scoreless baseball kept LSU in reach while the offense attempted to chip away at the three-run lead. The Tigers got within two, but everything
see STUNNED, page 7
Baseball adds first portal player for 2026
BY ROSS ABBOUD Staff Writer
LSU baseball has landed its first commitment in the transfer portal as High Point infielder Brayden Simpson has committed to the Tigers, The Advocate reported Saturday.
In his junior season at High Point, the third baseman boasted a .477 on-base percentage and a .389 batting average in 58 games this season. Simpson also recorded 78 RBI with 22 home runs, including one that went 474 feet.
On X, formerly known as
Twitter, Simpson tagged LSU baseball’s account in his bio, but he hasn’t retweeted or posted anything related to his commitment.
Simpson has played first, second and third base in his three seasons for the Panthers. With LSU potentially losing all of its starters at those positions after this season, Simpson offers immense versatility for next season.
Head coach Jay Johnson has managed to reel in this high value commitment while working on returning to Omaha and the College World Series with the Ti-
Track and field sending 14 more to nationals after regionals
BY AINSLEY FLOOD Sports Editor
LSU track and field athlete Tima Godbless became the world’s fastest woman in the 100-meter after this week’s NCAA regionals in Jacksonville, Florida.
Over the course of four days, LSU competed in the East First Round to send 14 athletes to the national championship.
Godbless accomplished a first in her career – covering 100 meters in less than 11 seconds – and something only few have been able to complete.
In her first event of regionals, she shaved over a tenth off her previous personal record and crossed the line at 10.91 seconds. Godbless was visibly shocked, covering her mouth with her hands as she glanced at her time.
Her time ranks No. 1 in the world and the NCAA for 2025, and it’s the No. 4 time in LSU history.
The star sprinter will also go on to race in the 200-meter at the national championships after she and fellow sophomore
Aniyah Bigam earned qualifying spots on the final day of competition.
Michaela Rose returned to the track in dominant fashion for her rounds of 800-meter qualifying. Her first time of 2:01.75 won her heat, but Rose bested
herself on the final day with a 1:58.91, punching her ticket to the national championship.
She is a member of an elite group of three women in collegiate history who have raced the 800-meter in under 1:59. This was the second time this sea-
son Rose met that mark, coming close to her personal record of 1:58.12. At the SEC Outdoor Championships two weeks prior, she was the only Tiger to win gold – an SEC-record sixth 800-meter conference title.
Just before LSU traveled regionals, Rose was named to the Bowerman Post-Outdoor Conference Championship Watchlist for her historic run and anticipated performance at the national level.
Additional track qualifiers include Edna Chepkemoi, junior duo Matthew Sophia and Jaheim Stern, Jaiden Reid, Machaeda Linton, Aniyah Bigam, Nasya Williams, Ella Onojuvwevo and Garriel White.
Multiple field competitors solidified their spots, including throwers Trinity Spooner and Princesse Hyman and senior pole vaulter Johanna Duplantis for her first appearance.
She had a last-minute breakout performance when she cleared 4.24 meters on her final attempt at regionals. Duplantis is the fourth pole vaulter in her family to compete in the NCAA championships following her father and two brothers.
The NCAA Championships will be held in Eugene, Oregon from June 11 to 14 and decide who will emerge from the postseason finale as a national champion.
PAYTON PRICHARD/ The Reveille
LSU baseball
MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille
The women runners line up for the 1500 meter April 27, 2024, at the LSU Invitational in the Bernie Moore Track Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.
PAYTON PRICHARD / The Reveille
An LSU baseball player signs a ball before LSU’s 7-0 win over Little Rock on May 30 at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.
SOFTBALL
Edwards and Bergeron named All-Americans
America.
LSU softball’s Tori Edwards and Maci Bergeron were named Division I All-Americans by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Wednesday, capping off a successful season for the duo known as the “Smash Sisters.”
Edwards, a freshman first baseman, was named a secondteam All-American after tying the LSU single-season home run record with 18. She had a .375 batting average on the season with 73 RBI.
Edwards has also been named an All-American by D1Softball and Softball
MULKEY, from page 2
two national titles.
She helped develop players like Brittney Griner, a member of the 2012 national championship team; Sophia Young, a member of the 2005 national championship team; and NaLyssa Smith, a member of the 2019 national championship team, into top WNBA draft picks.
Mulkey had a good thing going at Baylor and easily could have continued her dynasty there. But another opportunity arose: an opportunity to return to Louisiana.
That opening was at LSU. Mulkey didn’t go to school at LSU, and she had no ties to LSU. But taking the job in Baton Rouge was important to her.
“I wanted to make the state proud, not just LSU people,” Mulkey said. “I wanted all the people in the state to be proud of the flagship university, whether you’re an LSU fan or not.”
Unlike her arrival at Baylor, Mulkey inherited a more established LSU women’s basketball program. While LSU had not been to the NCAA Tournament since 2018, the program had been to five Final Fours and had produced WNBA greats like Seimone Augustus and Sylvia Fowles.
The starting point of her time at LSU was much further ahead than her start at Baylor, but there was something at LSU that she couldn’t find: a national championship.
She promised the people at LSU she would change that and bring their women’s basketball program a championship.
“I came back here to be a posi-
STUNNED, from page 6
unraveled when Mayers allowed four free passes and a run in the bottom of the eighth before Maverick Rizy took the mound in relief.
“That’s why I believe he could be a starter,” head coach Jay Johnson said. “I have a lot of confidence, and he’s had a really good season in the opportunities that we’ve given him.”
The Trojans made Rizy surrender the three runners Mayers left
on to record a four-run bottom half of the eighth.
The Tigers could never plate anything in the top of the ninth inning, ending the game on a threeup, three-down frame.
“I think it’s just about opportunity tomorrow,” head coach Johnson said. “Less than 24 hours ago, we probably played the cleanest and best brand of baseball that you could possibly play.”
LSU’s inability to score base runners cost them. LSU had loaded
the bases with two outs in both the third and fourth innings, but could not plate any runs. Overall, LSU left 10 runners stranded.
“They’ve done a good job of bouncing back after a tough game, both individually and collectively this year,” Johnson said. “It gives me great confidence about what they can do tomorrow.”
LSU will now face Little Rock again on Monday at 8 p.m. CT to decide who will advance to the super regional round.
Bergeron, a junior catcher, received a spot on the third team. The Louisiana native batted .364 this season with nine home runs while also drawing 45 walks and providing a reliable defensive presence.
LSU hasn’t had multiple AllAmericans since 2021, when Taylor Pleasants and Aaliyah Andrews were each given the honor.
LSU finished 42-16 this season and hosted a regional as the No. 10 national seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers were eliminated after suffering two regional losses to Southeastern Louisiana.
tive,” Mulkey said.
Her first season at LSU put the nation on notice, as she helped her team make an appearance in the second round of the NCAA Tournament as a No. 3 seed. That success piqued the interest of players around the country who might want to join the Tigers.
Maryland forward Angel Reese was one of the top players available in the transfer portal, and she could have played for just about any program of her choice. But she believed in Mulkey’s vision and chose LSU.
Mulkey knew LSU was already an established enough program to be in the national spotlight, and the transfers she recruited after her first season helped strengthen that growing vision.
What she didn’t know was how quickly that vision would become a reality.
LSU was a No. 3 seed once again in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, and with wins over No. 2 seed Utah in the Sweet 16 and No. 1 seed Virginia Tech in the Final Four, the Tigers found themselves in the national title game with No. 2 seed Iowa.
Mulkey’s LSU team was an underdog and weren’t expected to be able to contain Iowa’s Caitlin Clark from making deep shots from all over the floor. But just as being in the position they were in so quickly was unexpected to Mulkey, defeating Iowa 102-85 was unexpected as well.
Mulkey won her fourth national championship after just two seasons in Baton Rouge.
“I knew there [LSU] was a place that could win at that level, but no
way were you ever going to think that you could win one in two years,” Mulkey said. “I came back to win one, but no way I could have told you two years.”
Regardless of the timing, Mulkey did exactly what she sought to do at LSU. From taking her basketball career to the collegiate level, becoming a coach, taking a job at Baylor and returning to Louisiana to coach at LSU, it was all about the journey to Mulkey and accomplishing things that were important to her.
But after helping LSU win its
first women’s basketball national title, Mulkey sat in her office at her desk and had a realization.
She, her players, assistant coaches and support staff all received their championship rings, but there were people who were missing them and were deserving of a ring.
Her past coaches. The people that paved the way for her success.
“They’re all still alive except one, and so I bought all of them a national championship ring,” Mulkey said. “I didn’t get to where I am as a coach without all the les-
sons, good or bad, that they taught me along the way.”
Included in that group of coaches was Fairy Hannible, Mulkey’s eighth grade basketball coach. Mulkey’s memories with Hannible never dissipated and never lost their importance.
Her journey included changes of plans, national championships and Olympic medals. But she couldn’t remember the journey without remembering the beginning, when her eighth grade basketball team went undefeated.
MALEAH BOURGEOIS / The Reveille LSU softball junior catcher Maci Bergeron (12) hits the ball during LSU’s 3-2 win against Southeastern on Feb. 9 at Tiger Park in Baton Rouge, La. STAFF REPORT
ERIN BARKER / The Reveille
LSU women’s basketball head coach Kim Mulkey rides down the parade route during the women’s basketball championship parade on April 5, 2023, on LSU’s campus in Baton Rouge, La.
PAYTON PRICHARD/ The Reveille
Little Rock’s first baseman tags out LSU baseball junior outfielder Chris Stanfield (1) during LSU’s 4-10 loss to Little Rock on June 1 at Alex Box Stadium on Gourrier Avenue in Baton Rouge, La.
OPINION
Tips on how to recover from spring
semester burnout
As soon as I completed my last exam during finals week, I did what any person would do: treat themselves. Trust me, I’m no stranger to doing so. And I surround myself with people who see no harm in taking a drive where the only mission is to unwind (I love my friends).
With a wave of relief washing over me after I pressed submit on my last exam, it was time to clock out. While summers look a little different from the ones I knew as a 15-year-old – which is normal when you hit “adulthood” – I somehow manage to keep my to-dos at a minimum during the months of June to August. After all, I’m only 22.
I’ve never been a fan of hustle culture, and I never will be. I prefer not to take summer courses unless I desperately have to. Instead, I take advantage of luxuries like not setting an alarm and clocking into my remote
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summer job with flexible hours, leaving me a delicious amount of time to lounge poolside with a fruity drink in hand.
I’ve come to the realization that some people are incapable of relaxing. The art of doing absolutely nothing at all has yet to be discovered by some. How tragic.
This has always fascinated me. Unlike these individuals, I have never struggled with the idea of making myself comfortable on a lounge chair without a care in sight or staying in bed for hours watching a movie marathon.
While you might have responsibilities to tend to these next few months, I’m here to tell you: take advantage of the windows where you have zilch to do. Generation Z is too pressed and stressed if you ask me. If they see someone doing something via Instagram or TikTok, they’re hit with the question, “am I doing enough?”
I have friends who absolutely fear staying still. Honey, you can be MIA for an hour; the world
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will keep spinning, Tom Cruise will still be making movies and “Grey’s Anatomy” will still be renewed once again. I guess this stems from FOMO, something I’ve never experienced.
It’s been proven that a little downtime is good for the soul and, most importantly, your health. Stress eats away at you from the inside out, according to the worldwide web.
The benefits of relaxation, however, are endless. Some benefits include improved sleep quality, lower blood pressure, reduced anger and frustration – the list goes on and on. After experiencing a health scare myself the weekend before finals, I was reminded that nothing, and I do mean nothing, is that deep or should ever take priority over my health. I will spare you most of the details. Long story short, I was covering an event as a social media manager as one does and ended my eight-hour shift by fainting twice in the parking lot. And to quote one of my favorite professors, “only people who are great at their jobs faint.”
Most of the time the culprit in a situation like this is one too many tequila shots, but that wasn’t the case for me. I happen to be a mocktail enthusiast. Dehydration, exhaustion and an overpacked schedule including assignments, projects, study groups, chores, countless errands, zoom meetings, coffee meetings and the adulting of it all had me down and out – literally.
This scenario was my crashout from a nonstop stressfueled semester. All I could think of at the moment was, “This is so embarrassing. How did it get to this?”
After showing myself grace and devouring a Cane’s box combo, I decided taking a break and fully recuperating was my summer goal. After all, if pop princess Dua Lipa can indulge in a gelato-tasting, beach-hopping, novel-reading, concert-going summer, so can I, and you should too. Less than 11 hours ago, I was dancing in a sea of strangers to “Berlioz” live at the House of Blues because I’m a
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The Reveille (USPS 145-800) is written, edited and produced solely by students of Louisiana State University. The Reveille is an independent entity of the Office of Student Media within the Manship School of Mass Communication. Signed opinions are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the editor, The Reveille or the university. Letters submitted for publication should be sent via e-mail to editor@lsu.edu or delivered to B-39 Hodges Hall. They must be 400 words or less. Letters must provide a contact phone number for verification purposes, which will not be printed. The Reveille reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for space consideration while preserving the original intent. The Reveille also reserves the right to reject any letter without notification of the author. Writers must include their full names and phone numbers. The Reveille’s editor in chief, hired every semester by the LSU Student Media Board, has final authority on all editorial decisions.
woman of my word. Operation Dua Lipa summer is a go. Curate the perfect summer itinerary for yourself. My itinerary consists of waking up when my body is ready to do so, limiting screen time, incorporating social media breaks, reading two to three novels monthly, taking my time with everything, moving my body, walks, Pilates, dips in the pool and occasional tennis matches. Lastly and most importantly, I’m only doing whatever I deem fun, and sometimes that’s partaking in nothing at all. My screen time was down 54% last week for an average of 30 minutes a day. Chances are I was somewhere snuggled up with an iced latte reading some suburban mom housewife thriller (I recommend “The Housemaid”).
Starting now, my phone is on “do not disturb.” The best way to get a hold of me is by way of messenger pigeon.
Ava Francis is a 22-year-old journalism major from New Orleans residing in Texas.
Quote of the Week
“Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability.” Sam
GRAPHIC BY KALEB SEARLE