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Inside two players’ journey to Baton Rouge.
FROM THE BRONX TO
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B-16 Hodges Hall Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, La. 70803
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Editor in Chief CLAIRE SULLIVAN Managing Editor LAUREN MADDEN Digital Editor JOHN BUZBEE News Editor CROSS HARRIS Deputy News Editor OLIVER BUTCHER Sports Editor PETER RAUTERKUS Deputy Sports Editor MACKAY SUIRE Entertainment Editor MOLLY TERRELL
Del Rosario and Velez continue career together at LSU ERIN BARKER / The Reveille
LSU women’s basketball freshman guard Mikaylah Williams (12) shoots the ball on Sept. 25 at the women’s basketball open practice in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La. BY TYLER HARDEN @ttjharden8 Aalyah Del Rosario and Angelica Velez came to Louisiana as true freshmen two months ago. It was an unfamiliar place, but the two young women , who were anything but strangers from the Bronx made the move with each other. Del Rosario came to the United States in 2014 from the Dominican Republic. She met Velez while living in the Bronx in the seventh grade, and the two bonded over basketball. Del Rosario also knew of Kateri Poole, who’s also from the Bronx. They embraced the New York style of basketball, especially as their careers progressed. When their careers took them elsewhere, the effort to represent the Bronx remained within them. “I’ve known Angelica [Velez] since I was in seventh grade. I
knew Kateri [Poole] since I came to the States, I knew of her,” Del Rosario said. “Being able to play with them is such a blessing, because not only do you get to be around them, but you get the feel of New York back again being here in Louisiana.” Del Rosario and Velez both made the move to the Webb School, a boarding school in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, for their high school career. Coming from one of the biggest cities in the world to a small, Southern town of just 400 people couldn’t have been more different. For Del Rosario, it was hard to leave her school on the outskirts of the city, but the move to the Webb School allowed her to become familiar with how a college setting would be. For Velez, the decision to move to Tennessee was one she made for the reason of change. She needed a different life away
ERIN BARKER / The Reveille
Fans cheer on Sept. 25 at the LSU women’s basketball open practice in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La.
from the Bronx, and going to the Webb School in Tennessee was her way of finding it. “There’s a lot that goes on in New York and the Bronx,” Velez said. “So I made the decision for myself to get out of the city and make a better life for myself, because I needed to get away.” The two had successful high school careers at the Webb School, to say the least. They won back-to-back state championships as juniors and seniors, were both top 25-ranked players in the country for their class and both participated in the BallIsLife All-America Game. Del Rosario won a Gold Medal with the United States U18 FIBA World Cup team in Argentina in 2022, and Velez was awarded the 2023 Division II-A Miss Tennessee Basketball Player of the Year. With the platform they had, many major schools came into the picture when it came time for college recruitment, including schools such as Tennessee, Florida State and more who were interested in both players. For two best friends on and off the court, this was everything they could have dreamt of. However, they never talked about the recruitment process around each other; they never let each other get in the way of making their own decisions. “She had her own process, and I had my own process. So that’s why we didn’t really talk about it,” Velez said. “She’s going to go to the school that best fits her, and I’m going to go where it best fits me.” Obviously, both players ended up at LSU. It was far from
planned, but it made sense to both of them. They know each other well on and off the court, so taking that to the next level was something they could both benefit from. It’s one thing to go into a program with a lot of talent, but having chemistry like Del Rosario and Velez have will be very valuable to the team. They know what the other is feeling, and they know how to encourage each other. “Having a point guard that knows how you play, knows who you are on the court is really important,” Del Rosario said. “Me being able to play with her is such a blessing.” Away from the court, however, being in each other’s presence at the college level, a place both worked so hard to get to, is something they feel blessed about. As best friends, being around each other motivates them to play better. They’re able to play the game they both love, at a place they both love, while representing a city they both love. Despite ending up in Louisiana after playing their high school careers at a boarding school in Tennessee, both players look back and see that seventh grader from the Bronx who goes to the park to play basketball and loves everything about it. “Just being here is a blessing. I come from the Bronx, and a lot of kids don’t get this opportunity,” Velez said. “But just to be surrounded by great coaches that I have, my teammates to push me every day…no better place to be than LSU.”
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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@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 SNAP HOMECOMING 2023 toincreases benefit
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ECONOMICS
2023 Homecoming court and royalty candidates announced
BY JOHN BUZBEE @thebuzzbuz The 14 members of the 2023 LSU homecoming court were announced Friday evening. Additionally, voting for homecoming royalty—king and queen—opened Monday evening. Three of the six seniors selected for court compete for king, and the other three compete for queen through an election held via TigerLink. Of the 14 members of the homecoming court, six are seniors, four are juniors, two are sophomores and two are either graduate students, LSU Law Center students or LSU School of Veterinary Medicine students. Selections for the court are based on grade point average requirements, disciplinary checks and official academic classification, according to LSU’s website. This process began roughly a month ago. Candidates are interviewed by a panel of judges who ultimately select the 14 members of court. Over 200 students applied for homecoming court. Voting for homecoming king and queen will remain open until midnight on Oct. 19 for all students attending LSU’s Baton Rouge campus. Click here to vote for king and queen. For the homecoming game, LSU football will play against Army with a kickoff scheduled for 6:30 p.m. The court is traditionally presented on the field during halftime.
Homecoming king candidates
BY BLAKE EDDINGS @lsureveille
PHOTO COURTESY OF BROOKS BELANGER
PHOTO COURTESY OF COLIN RABY
PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN MICHAEL SWEAT
Brooks Belanger is an economics senior. He is currently the president of Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity and previously served as the president of the Interfraternity Council. He’s vice president of DebateLSU, justice of the University Court with Student Government and is a member of Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society and Order of the Omega Honor Society. “I am running for homecoming king to represent the LSU community and give back to the university that has given me so much in my time,” Belanger said.
Colin Raby is a mechanical engineering senior minoring in aerospace engineering and economics. He’s served in the Student Senate for three years, been a president of Silver Wings, hosts the Campus Connections radio show and has been a residential assistant for three years. “I aspire to become homecoming king to show that one’s origin or background should never limit their potential,” Raby said. “Our Tiger community, at its best, can empower each of us to achieve our highest aspirations.”
John Michael Sweat is in his third year pursuing a triple degree in political science, psychology and sociology. He’s the president of the Resident Hall Association, the director of Academic Affairs with Student Government and is a Louisiana Service and Leadership Scholar. Sweat said he’s not that interested in being elected king. “I think it would be weird to run for king as a junior, but I had too many credit hours to classify as a non-senior,” Sweat said.
Homecoming queen candidates
Here are the rest of the members of the 2023 homecoming court: Sophomores • Anna Kate Jackson of the E.J. Ourso College of Business • Jayden Bates of the of the College of Science Juniors • Malynn Cooper of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences • Lailah Williams of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences • Mason Pfeffer of the E.J. Ourso College of Business • Landon Zeringue of the Manship School of Mass Communication Graduate Students • Samantha Jacobsen of the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center • Md Tanvir Ahmed Sarkar of the College of Engineering
Louisiana
PHOTO COURTESY OF JULIETTE LERAY
PHOTO COURTESY OF ALYSON RIVERS
PHOTO COURTESY OF ELENA TEMPLET
Juliette LeRay is a mass communication senior minoring in business administration. LeRay has served as the president of the LSU chapter of Public Relations Student Society of America, an outreach coordinator of Student Philanthropy Council and in the Student Senate. She’s a member of Delta Gamma Sorority, where she’s held a few leadership positions. She has also been an ambassador to the university, her senior college and Greek life. “I have always strived to positively represent LSU through academic excellence, involvement and, most importantly, community service.” LeRay said. “It would be a dream come true to represent the university I love as homecoming queen.”
Alyson Rivers is a psychology senior; she said she plans to earn a doctorate upon graduation. She said she’s dedicated years of research and volunteer work toward suicide prevention, which is the subject of her honors thesis. Rivers has served as a supplemental instructor for statistics and also holds a leadership position in her sorority, Zeta Tau Alpha. “I feel like I’ve lived a thousand lives at this beautiful university,” Rivers said. “It is with great gratitude that I reflect on all of the blessings LSU has poured me; I cannot think of a better way to celebrate than to represent LSU as its homecoming queen.”
Elena Templet is majoring in agriculture and extension education and is minoring in agricultural communication. She’s been a peer-mentor for the College of Agriculture and has held leadership positions for the agriculture sorority Sigma Alpha, Ducks Unlimited, Louisiana 4-H Youth Wetlands, LSU’s Student Chapter of the Society of Wetland Scientists, Omicron Delta Kapapa and Companion Animal Alliance. Templet also said she’s represented her senior college abroad in the Czech Republic. “I am a first generation college student, and attending LSU has been a childhood dream come true. Being a forefront figure and representative of this university is an absolute honor,” Templet said.
Beginning in October, thousands of eligible Louisiana residents can take advantage of a recent increase in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. Driven by a rise in the cost of essential healthy foods, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is adjusting the cost-of-living for 2024, which will allow SNAP to provide more funds to low-income households to keep up with the growing cost of food. SNAP recipients are allowed to use funds for numerous staple goods, such as fruits, vegetables and meat products. Certain “accessory foods” can also be purchased, including some condiments and snacks. Starting Oct. 1, a single-member household will have maximum benefits rise from $281 to $291, and a two-member household will experience an increase of funds from $516 to $545. A five-member household will now receive $1,155 instead of $1,116. Additionally, income eligibility is being raised. A full breakdown of the benefit increases can be found on the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services website. This isn’t the first time SNAP benefits have risen in recent years, as the COVID-19 pandemic forced multiple increases to compensate for weakened food security due to production being forced to slow down. One of the largest groups to endure food insecurity is college students. The stereotype that college students only eat instant ramen noodles is a reality for many, as students often opt for cheap, unhealthy foods to be able to afford expensive textbooks or tuition fees. University students are eligible for SNAP benefits, however, before the pandemic they were limited to students that qualified for work-study programs that required at least 20 hours of work a week. This changed during the pandemic, as SNAP expanded its benefits to all students who qualified for work-study programs or had no family support, regardless of hours worked. Despite this, access to SNAP might soon be on the decline. Over the next year, eligibility requirements are expected to shift back to pre-pandemic work requirements despite the growing cost-of-living. This could place
see SNAP, page 4
Thursday, October 12, 2023
page 4
LSU Library kicks off fall season with murder mystery night BY SARAH WALTON @sarahrosewalton To celebrate the beginning of the Halloween season, the LSU Library held a murder mystery night Tuesday. As attendees walked into the library they were greeted by the many librarians of LSU, Halloween music and other groups already trying to solve the night’s mysteries. “When we create a new program, it’s always a little scary because we’re not quite sure will the students like it? Will it be at the right time? We put a lot of energy and effort trying to make a de-stress, and an exciting event for the students,” said LSU librarian Danielle Costello. “Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, so it’s always exciting and terrifying to be able to see what happens, and so I’m really glad that so many people came out and seem to be enjoying themselves.” Students of all years came together to solve murders and mysteries alike, from murder crosswords and “Murdles” to
SNAP, from page 3 millions of college students back
Clue and Nancy Drew. Some students were playing online mystery games with each other, while others were given a case file and mulled over the suspects, potential motives and interrogations. Throughout the night, gasps and the fluttering of papers from hand to hand hinted at investigative breakthroughs and revelations as students were out to find the killers. By the end of the night, some groups found their culprit, while some groups missed the criminal right under their noses. If nothing else, they had fun and met new people. The librarians were already thinking up ways to improve the event next year by moving it closer to Halloween, doing costumes, providing snacks and making the experience more immersive, Costello said. “The murder aspect of it seemed to really jazz people up,” Costello said. “You know, it’s fun to have an event where you get to get out of your school self and get something and immerse yourself into the fun of into food insecurity with inflation on the rise. For food insecure students on
FRANCIS DINH / The Reveille
Event goers play Nancy Drew “Mystery at Magnolia Gardens” Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023, in Room 109 at the LSU Library. puzzling.” Murder mystery night is one of the many events the LSU Library holds for students; they all have a common goal in mind. “We want to be able to provide de-stress events, provide a
lot of different experiences, because the library is more than just space, it’s also a place where you can connect to your cohort, connect to your community, connect with the librarians as well. We want to keep making events
that continue to support that,” Costello said. Upcoming library events include relaxation rooms, dog therapy during the midterms and a showing of the film “Everything Everywhere all at Once.”
campus, the LSU food pantry aims to end food insecurity by providing nutritional foods for students
Monday through Friday. Located in the Student Union, students can find resources to help end
the decision of choosing between purchasing food or meeting their basic needs.
HOMECOMING WEEK: OCTOBER 16-21
Homecoming Court voting is open Now through Thursday, October 19 at 11:59 p.m.
All LSU-Baton Rouge, LSU Veterinary, and LSU Law students vote for Homecoming Royalty from six senior candidates via TigerLink. Find the link to vote and all Homecoming Week events at lsu.edu/homecoming
ENTERTAINMENT
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Meet Foam Finger, Baton Rouge’s newest up and coming band BY EMILY BRACHER @emily_bracher_ Foam Finger is bringing back ‘80s pop and rock as they grow bigger. The group originally started with bassist Jackson Morris and drummer Grant Broussard, who were looking to start a new band. They sent out flyers that eventually got into the hands of lead singer Audrey Tate and guitarist Evan Decker. From there, it was all “uphill,” and Foam Finger began. Since they’re fresh to the music scene, they’ve only been playing live gigs since the beginning of the semester. Performances at The Revelry and at Fred’s Bar for Christmas in August have shown the band off to the public. “Once you get that first hit of playing up on stage and connecting with these people, you just want to do it again and again,” Morris said. Spending so much time together has strengthened their abilities as musicians. Tate said that they try to “sprinkle in” what people want to hear at a
bar, so their songs range even further from their ‘80s pop brand. “It’s stuff that if you go into a bar and hear a band, you’re going to be very excited about what we’re playing,” Tate said. Behind the scenes, the four of them balance the band and school life. From engineering to biology majors, they have a lot on their plate and still manage to bring their all to practice and up on stage. Broussard said that when they play music together, it’s like an escape from the real world. When they started, they were practicing almost every day of the week. When they weren’t practicing, they said that they were still thinking about the band. It’s the “best kind of homework you could ever do,” Morris said. “It’s way more exciting than Physics 2,” Decker said. “I like playing rock and roll.” Decker said that finding a personable lead singer is one of the most important things about a band. Having people that get along and put in the work is
what makes a band successful, he said. “I would say a lot of our success is due to Audrey,” Decker said. Tate referred to the group as her “Roman Empire” because of how much she thinks about it. If she hears a song, she says that she immediately wants to play it. When she sees a shirt, she thinks that they should make some for Foam Finger. LSU Junior Luke Piskun has had the opportunity to see Foam Finger at one of their shows. “They have good covers to popular songs, and the performers are very energetic and interact with the crowd a lot,” Piskun said. Nights at the Grouse Room, hanging out backstage at Fred’s and even just riding home after gigs have made them more excited than their audiences for the path ahead of them. “This happens a lot when someone’s sounding really good, and we just kind of nod to each other,” Morris said. “It’s like, yeah, we’re doing this, and we’re doing this right.”
COURTESY OF FOAM FINGER
“Foam Finger” in a porta potty at The House after one of their performances
LSU art faculty co-authored book honoring Robert Williams BY JOHN BUZBEE @thebuzzbuz A book co-authored by two of LSU’s art faculty members was ranked No. 1 under the surrealist literary criticism category of Amazon.com’s new releases last week. The book profiles Robert Williams, a painter and cartoonist, who has been labeled by critics as the epitome of “Lowbrow,” a genre of art which he’s in-part credited with establishing. The book is called “Robert Williams: Conversations.” Likely Williams’ most recognizable work is the painting “Appetite for Destruction,” which was adopted by Guns N’ Roses as the original art of the album featuring the same name. The album’s art was deemed controversial by many retailers, so the original cover by Williams was eventually censored. Williams contributed to the counterculture Zap Comix and is a founder of Juxtapoz Art & Culture Magazine, which propelled both the genre of Lowbrow and careers of many of its aspiring artists. Lowbrow art, sometimes called pop surrealism, originated in the ‘60s, drawing heavily on punk rock, the underground comic scene, surrealism, graffiti and hot-rod street culture. Beyond just being about Williams or his art, author and art history professor Darius Spieth said, the book is also “a very rare and lucid attempt to clarify the relationship between graphic art/ comics and contemporary art.”
Spieth said he first discovered Williams’ art when he was a graduate student in the mid-’90s, before the internet went mainstream. Then, Spieth said, new art was predominantly circulated through magazines, and Juxtapoz stood out from the rest. “Conceptualism, minimalism and performance art were still going strong and what you saw in those magazines looked like art that was put together by a bunch of really boring corporate lawyers,” Spieth said. “Everything was very black and white, very serious, very dull. Juxtapoz was truly different: colorful, vibrant, rebellious, steeped in youth culture and things such as surfing, skating, comics, graffiti, street art and tattoos.” The items featured in Juxtapoz weren’t touched by mainstream “Highbrow.” It was refreshing, he said, to see a return-to-form of figurative art and surrealism’s legacy revisited. Years later, Spieth would have the opportunity to visit him while teaching at the California Institute of Technology for a year. By then, he said, he had a pronounced appreciation for Lowbrow. Spieth said he first had the opportunity after a friend, painter Sandow Birk, introduced him with Greg Escalante, who The New York Times described as a pioneer and champion of the Lowbrow scene. Escalante, Spieth said, liked connecting people, so he coordinated Spieth to meet Williams and his wife at a favorite restaurant of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
JOHN BUZBEE / The Reveille
“Evaporation of the Subconscious” by Lowbrow artist Robert Williams is featured in black-and-white in the book coauthored by LSU art faculty Darius Spieth and Joe Givens. They collectively ran the tab to something around $1,500 and Escalante single-handedly covered it. Since then, Spieth and Williams have regularly stayed in touch with phone calls and inperson meetings, Spieth said. The book’s other author is Joe Givens, another faculty member at the College of Art and Design who leads a program specializing in overlooked and underappreciated art movements. His and Spieth’s interests in Lowbrow and an edited volume of interviews with Williams intersected, so they jointly proposed the book to a publisher. Compiling the interview that
make up the book was surprisingly difficult, Givens said. “I had a great time trying to find the content that contributed to the knowledge of art yet would be so far beyond what a typical art historian would select,” Givens said. “The problem with some of these interviews is that in the realm of fly-by-night journalism and underground zines, the 1990s is ancient history.” Included in the book is an interview Williams had with actor Nicholas Cage and another with art curator Jeffrey Deitch. Spieth said he and Givens were able to “sneak in” an interview with Escalante as the book’s appendix. Spieth said he was proud to in-
clude the Escalante interview in the book almost as a tribute to him. He said Escalante committed suicide in 2017. Givens said more than anything, Williams’ work has challenged the elitism that he said constrains visual art’s “legitimate spaces.” But his work still features much of the technical sophistication of classical painters, Spieth said. It’s subtle, and the imagery a little distracting to this point, but Williams can’t be faulted for perspective, proportions or anatomy. Williams has visited Baton Rouge twice. He had run-ins with Hell’s Angels early in his career. Some sellers of magazines featuring his comics were arrested for having sold them, Givens said. He was the first painter to be given a cover on Thrasher Magazine. When the Museum of Contemporary Art launched the first major exhibition of graffiti, Art in the Streets, Williams was awarded a special plaque for his contributions. Not only is he one of the greatest artists of the 20th century, Givens said, he is also one of the greatest troublemakers. “This wave of psychedelia [Lowbrow] washed over culture affecting everything from interior design to Saturday Morning Cartoons, yet the museums were virtually unphased,” Givens said. “When you read his reflections, you learn that Williams never gave up on the idea that imaginative, lurid visuals would have their return to museum walls. It took nearly 30 years for him to realize a modest version of his dream.”
Thursday, October 12, 2023
page 6
LSU pre-pharmacy freshman Abigail Schiff sits in her dorm at Cedar Hall on Friday, Sept. 8. LSU pre-athletic training freshman Autumn Rogers sits in her dorm at Cedar Hall on Friday, Sept. 8.
LSU kinesiology freshman Camille Jacobs sits in her dorm at Cedar Hall on Friday, Sept. 8.
Thursday, October 12, 2023
A vase of LEGO flowers sits on a desk in a Cedar Hall dorm room on Friday, Sept. 8
Are you still getting ideas for your dorm? Do you need a mid-semester remodel? Check out these LSU freshman and their revolutionary rooms!
page 7
LSU pre-pharmacy freshman Abigail Schiff (left) and mass communication freshman Lainie Delcambre (right) smile in their dorm room at Cedar Hall on Friday, Sept. 8
LSU mass communication freshman Lainie Delcambre sits on her couch in her dorm at Cedar Hall on Friday, Sept. 8
Photos by Reagan Cotten & Erin Barker
LSU kinesiology freshman Camille Jacobs sits at her desk in her dorm at Cedar Hall on Friday, Sept. 8.
LSU psychology freshman Lexi Marshall (left) and kinesiology freshman Emily LeMoine (right) sit in their dorm room at Cedar Hall on Friday, Sept. 8. LSU computer science freshman Alex Hollier smiles on Wednesday, Sept. 6, in Camellia Hall.
Design by: Paola Santiago Rodriguez
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THE Daily Commuter Puzzle by Jacqueline E. Mathews ACROSS 1 Piece of china 4 Zeal 9 “Get lost!” 13 Like nonreturnable goods 15 Go away 16 “Old King __” 17 Suspenders alternative 18 Spouses 19 Ceremony 20 Toiletry product 22 Flying saucers 23 Clothing fasteners 24 Carl Reiner’s son 26 Felt about blindly 29 Fruit stand location 34 Bounded along 35 __ Letterman 36 Scout group 37 Passé 38 Twelve 39 Predicament 40 Veil wearer 41 Meningitis symptom 42 Big game 43 Left high and dry 45 Pillaged 46 Tall tale 47 Chess piece 48 Equestrian’s command 51 Actress Applegate 56 Stack 57 Tantalize 58 Head movements 60 Is mistaken 61 Avid 62 Long look 63 Facial feature 64 Frock 65 Chop down
Created by Jacqueline E. Mathews
5 Raises, as kids 6 Facts & figures 7 Kitchen feature 8 Hold back 9 Surgeon’s attire 10 Hairstyle 11 Singing voice 12 Casual shirts 14 Halted 21 Gave up the ghost 25 Weird 26 Thyroid or pituitary 27 Scoundrel 28 Some tennis tournaments 29 Leveled, as a building 30 Take __; assume control 31 Dimwit 32 Hard to teach 33 Came to a close DOWN 35 Bar soap brand 1 Taxi 38 Discovered; 2 Not brand new spotted 39 Hotel 3 Heap reservation 4 __ Joy; candy bar
10/12/23
Wednesday’s Puzzle Solved
©2023 Tribune Content Agency, LLC All Rights Reserved.
41 Tomorrow: abbr. 42 Not worth debating 44 Go by, as time 45 Ne’er-do-wells 47 Stands up 48 “__ Harry Met Sally…”; 1989 film
10/12/23
49 Rescuer 50 Gondola movers 52 Listen 53 Become furious 54 Famed boatbuilder 55 Sculpting tool 59 Stitch
SPORTS The history of TIGERS VS. TIGERS LSU’s No.
page 9
FOOTBALL
Analyzing Auburn’s unique offense ahead of matchup with LSU
BY TYLER HARDEN @ttjharden8
Out of every team LSU has played this season, Auburn has arguably the most unique offense that LSU will see in the regular season. It’s an offense that has been stopped as of late, as Auburn is coming off two straight losses to Texas A&M and Georgia. But Auburn has been able to reassess after a bye week this past weekend, so LSU may see some change from the team from what it has done this season. For starters, Auburn is a runheavy team. In contrast to Mississippi State, another run-heavy team LSU has seen, the wealth is much more spread throughout the depth chart. Auburn has four different running backs with over 10 carries on the season. Jarquez Hunter leads the running back room with 50 carries for 202 rushing yards and two touchdowns. While he gets a lot of carries, many of his attempts are for short gains. His longest run of the season is just 19 yards. Similarly, Brian Battie and Damari Alston also get considerable reps, and many of their carries are also for short gains. Where Auburn sets itself apart is at quarterback. Payton Thorne, a transfer from Michigan State, is the primary quarterback; he has completed 59 of his 94 pass attempts for 643 passing yards and four touchdowns. He’s also run the ball for 198 yards on 45 carries for two touchdowns.
40
BY CONNOR BARNEY @theconnorbarney
son. Away from the run game, Jay Fair leads the receiver room with 196 receiving yards on 18 catches along with two touchdowns.
Jersey numbers hold extensive history for many teams. Many great players have passed down college jerseys like a rite of passage for talented players handing the torch to the next generation. No. 1, No. 7 and No. 10 are numbers consistently given to each team’s best players. For LSU, one number seemingly sticks out as a foundation for talented linebackers: No. 40. Duke Riley As the first talented linebacker in recent history to brandish the No. 40 jersey for LSU, Riley held onto his number for the entirety of his collegiate career. During that time, Riley was named team captain and team MVP in 2016. Riley opened the gates to the prestige the No. 40 jersey would soon be followed with. After being drafted in the third round to the Atlanta Falcons, Riley passed the torch to one of LSU’s greatest linebackers of all time: Devin White. Devin White White entered his freshman season in 2017, following in Riley’s footsteps as the next player to wear No. 40. He took the jersey to an entirely different level, becoming one of LSU’s most decorated players. White was twice
see ANALYSIS, page 10
see LEGACY, page 10
COURTESY OF JOHN BAZEMORE
Auburn running back Jarquez Hunter (27) breaks away from LSU safety Jay Ward (5) after a catch in the first half of an NCAA college football game Oct. 1, 2022, in Auburn, Ala. When Thorne is controlled in the run game, Auburn may resort to its running backs and also quarterback Robby Ashford, who started against LSU last season. Ashford often comes in at
quarterback when Auburn gets in the red zone. He has five rushing touchdowns on the season on 27 carries for 134 yards. He has arguably been more of a force in the red zone than any Auburn running back this sea-
FOOTBALL
On the lookout: Auburn players to watch against LSU football BY LIZZIE FALCETTI @lizziefalcetti After a week off, the Auburn Tigers will head to Death Valley on Saturday for an SEC West matchup against No. 22 LSU. In its last game, Auburn narrowly lost 27-20 to the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs in a hardfought battle. While Georgia’s win came from a powerful offensive drive in the fourth quarter, it was their defense that kept the Tigers competitive throughout the game. The Auburn defense forced two turnovers in crucial plays late in the game. However, the offense’s inability to make critical passing or rushing plays have been common themes for Auburn this season. Though LSU’s defense has performed under par recently, it should be able to capitalize
on Auburn’s receiving corp and starting quarterback, Payton Thorne, who is last in SEC passing yards and quarterback ratings. LSU’s defense is proving it can get better week by week, but Auburn will come into the game looking for its first SEC win. Here’s an overview of Auburn players who will test LSU. Defensive players: Eugene Asante In his second season with the Tigers after transferring from North Carolina, Asante has been an early leader for the Auburn defense at linebacker. With his catchphrase “let’s work,” he will be bringing high energy into Saturday’s game, aiming to break through LSU’s offensive line. Asante leads the team in
see LOOKOUT, page 10
COURTESY OF JOHN BAZEMORE
LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) breaks away from Auburn safety Donovan Kaufman (1) in the first half of an NCAA college football game Oct. 1, 2022, in Auburn, Ala.
page 10
ANALYSIS, from page 9 Rivaldo Fairweather is right behind with 145 receiving yards on 15 catches along with a score. Auburn’s offense can be compared to Mississippi State’s in many ways, but what makes them more of a threat is that they have more options. Auburn is also a “small ball” type of team; the offense rarely has a breakaway run or pass for a large gain. In fact, Thorne has the longest run of the season for Auburn with a 61-yard run against Georgia. Auburn will attack with the run and attack slowly. A slow attack has been the role Auburn has played in the Southeastern Conference this season. Against Georgia, Auburn was tied with
LOOKOUT, from page 9 tackles with 35, 26 of which are solo. He’s also tied for first on defense with two sacks. In Week 2, Asante was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week with 12 tackles against University of California, Berkeley. Jaylin Simpson Simpson leads the team with four interceptions and had an interception in each of their first three games, which tied him for the most in Auburn history. He didn’t play in the last game
Thursday, October 12, 2023 Georgia 20-20 in the fourth quarter. Alongside two field goals, its two touchdowns were for runs less than 10 yards: a five-yard run from Hunter and a nine-yard run from Ashford. The key to stopping Auburn is to stop its main threats in the run game and force Thorne to throw the ball. While its pass game isn’t terrible, it’s a phase Auburn doesn’t feel totally comfortable in. Overall, making Auburn uncomfortable on offense is just what LSU needs. LSU’s defense has been its weak point in decisive games this season. If the defense can find an edge, the offense is capable of picking up their momentum from the past few games. against Georgia because of a calf injury but will be back on Saturday after two weeks of recuperation. Although listed at cornerback, Simpson is mostly positioned at free safety and is a ballhawking pass defender. Because LSU receivers Brian Thomas Jr. and Malik Nabers have been on fire, Simpson will aim to interrupt big passing plays. D.J. James On3 recently ranked James as a top-10 cornerback in the NCAA following his defensive
named First Team All-Southeastern conference, First Team AllAmerican and was awarded the Butkus Award in 2018 before being drafted No. 5 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. He spent his entire LSU career under the No. 40 jersey, solidifying its status as a legendary linebacker jersey. Harold Perkins Following White, Perkins entered his freshman year with impossible shoes to fill. Given the No. 40 jersey, he made his case as one of LSU’s most talented linebackers. In his LSU career so far, Perkins has solidified himself as a top 10 player in the country, being named LSU Defensive Player of the Year, First Team All-SEC
and a Freshman All-American. In his one year under the No. 40 jersey, Perkins Jr. became the backbone of a new age LSU team, further establishing the prestige of the jersey. As he continues to excel this season under No. 4, the No. 40 jersey has found a home under a new talented linebacker. Whit Weeks As the current holder of No. 40, Weeks has impressed as a true freshman in the defensive rotation. Boasting a total of 34 tackles and three tackles for loss in six games, Weeks has only started three games for the Tigers. Following the injury of Omar Speights, Weeks has emerged as a bright spot for the future in the linebacker role. LSU’s defense has seldom been positive this
season and consistently been the point of criticism, but Weeks’ performances so far show his promising outlook. “He’s a high-energy guy. The defense feeds off him and that speaks a lot about him as a person. He’s a freshman on defense, starting in the SEC, and the guys around you are gelling to you like you’ve been here forever,” running back Logan Diggs said before LSU’s game against Ole Miss. As the season continues, Weeks continues to impress with his hustle and open field tackling. Following in the footsteps of the great linebackers before him, Weeks brandishes the prestigious No. 40 jersey well, and he could continue that legacy in the coming years.
performance in Auburn’s first five games. A versatile player, he has the ability to make pass breakups, interceptions and tackles. James has 2.5 tackles for losses and will be a threat while covering LSU’s receivers. Marcus Harris Harris is a defensive lineman who currently sits third on the team in tackles with 19 total. He has two sacks along with multiple other Auburn defenders and five tackles for losses. Harris has one forced fumble and is aggressive in stopping the run.
He will target the containment of running back Logan Diggs on Saturday, so LSU’s offensive line must hold him back. Offensive players: Kam Stutts This right guard is in his sixth season with Auburn and has stayed with the Tigers through three coaches. In 2022, he played on both sides of the offensive line, but now is solely on the right. Against LSU, Stutts will use his size and strength to hold off LSU defenders from stopping running back Jarquez
Hunter and getting to Thorne in the pocket. Jay Fair While Fair doesn’t rank high in SEC stats, he is Auburn’s best wide receiver. Fair has 196 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. Last season, with little playing time, he recorded only 34 yards on two receptions. More game experience has developed his skill immensely. Along with tight end Rivaldo Fairweather, Fair is a main target for Thorne. He leads Auburn in catches.
LEGACY, from page 9
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OPINION
page 11
Taylor Swift provides opportunities and challenges for the NFL SERIOUSLY KIDDING FRANK KIDD
@FK446852315 Editor’s note: The following column is satire. Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is dating Taylor Swift. Swift has watched the last two Chiefs games alongside Kelce’s mother Donna. Much speculation has been made about how this is an opportunity for the NFL to appeal to female fans, but what hasn’t been discussed enough is the impact that the relationship could have on the field. Swift has a dedicated fan base. The Swifties would follow her to the ends of the Earth, meaning the Chiefs now have a dedicated army on their side. Imagine an opposing line-
backer closing in on Kelce as the ball is being thrown to him. There’s an opportunity to lay him out and break up the pass. But the thought of angering his millions of new fans stops him in his tracks, as he thinks about the coordinated harassment campaign he’d have to endure if he hurt football’s new golden boy. He’d instead have to tackle him as politely as possible, and ask for an autograph from Swift for his daughter after the game. The pressure the NFL feels now practically gives him immunity during touchdown celebrations. Kelce could throw the football at the opposing player covering him and flip a double bird if he wanted. Commissioner Roger Goodell wouldn’t dare fine Kelce knowing that thousands of Swifties would descend upon his house, blasting her albums in order and singing every word to
stop him from sleeping. The referees of Chiefs games now have a clear incentive to make calls in favor of Kelce. If referees missed a pass interference call, they would have to check their coffee cups for cyanide and cars for explosives the next morning. Coach Andy Reid’s job will soon be much easier after Swifties study football day and night to help the Chiefs take advantage over opposing teams. Kansas City will soon have the largest volunteer coaching staff in the history of professional sports. Some fans’ scouting reports have already started to come in, and the NFL has been monitoring them for illegal information. One leaked letter reads, “Hello Coach Reid, I’m writing on behalf of Taylor. I started watching football last week, and I have a couple of important notes to con-
sider while you’re coming up with this week’s game plan. You play the Chargers this week and they run inverted cover six (or cover eight) on 26% of third and medium to third long plays. A fake screen from a trips formation with a backside post will freeze the trix safety and leave Kelce open over the middle with room to pick up YAC. They’ll probably play two high shell mostly, but if they aren’t and there are no cover six indicators expect a fire zone call. On these plays, let’s look to get a receiver in a cheat motion away from Kelce to give him more space to work on the hook curl defender.” If their on-field adjustments aren’t enough, the Swifties may resort to levels of cheating that would make Bill Belichick blush. Expect them to construct giant leaf blowers and fire them from the left side of the stadium to
push all opposing teams’ kicks wide right. The NFL will have to watch out for devices placed in footballs that allow them to be controlled remotely. If not, Kelce’s highlight reel will be filled with catches on passes that travel between multiple defenders’ legs and circle them a couple of times. The league should also be on notice for any plots involving Swifties taking referees’ uniforms and calling the games after hogtying them and shoving them in a broom closet. The Kelce-Swift relationship is going to bring a lot of new eyes to the product, and it’s nice to see them embrace that. Whatever they have to do to prevent mafia-style intimidation tactics and cartoon villain schemes will be worth it. Frank Kidd is a 22-year-old mass communication senior from Springfield, Virginia.
Parents should play an active role in their child’s education JEMIAH’S JUSTIFICATIONS JEMIAH CLEMONS
@Miclemah
Education was neglected during the pandemic. That fact has become more evident as teachers express their concerns via social media. Recently, a TikTok of a seventh grade teacher discussing the fourth grade reading and comprehension level of his students went viral. This teacher and several others have placed partial blame on the parents of their students. They’ve expressed that parents should have a more active role in their children’s education. Teachers, parents and, ultimately, students have been drastically impacted by the pandemic. For students to have academic success, the adults in their lives will need to mend the learning gap that’s forming in this country. When schools closed in March 2020, most schools offered students a pass-fail option, Zoom instruction or hybrid learning. No matter which route they took, this was harmful to students of all ages and backgrounds. This shift put teachers and parents in a tough spot as well, because the education of younger students fell into the
laps of many parents nationwide. “Teachers, for a very short period of time, became ‘heroes,’ and it seemed that we were finally going to be respected as a profession. That was very short lived. The pandemic wound up convincing parents that they were educators and knew better than trained professionals on how to educate their children. Parents now feel they are better equipped than their child’s teacher and question every decision made in classrooms,” said a fourth grade teacher from Bossier Parish, who asked her name not be used in fear of professional repercussions. Yes, high school and college students also suffered through this transition, but they at least had the fundamentals to ease them into the next academic year. Meanwhile, elementary and middle school students have been struggling to learn the basics. To relieve some pressure from teachers and parents, some schools have put new programs in place to help mend the learning gap. “My school district and school have implemented a daily program that is worked into our school minutes called RTI, or Response to Intervention. This program was created to help
identify students with learning gaps and work with students on their specific skill deficits. This program was put in place before COVID-19 and was very successful; however, the enormous amounts of students being promoted to the next grade when they are not ready has stressed this system, and it has become less successful because of the sheer number of students needing support,” she said. Students being passed onto the next grade without fully learning the curriculum from the previous school year will have a long term effect on the education system. Most curricula are cumulative, so when the foundational work hasn’t been done, students get set up for failure and educators feel the pressure. It should also be known that not all school districts have the funds to provide remedial programs for students that need it. So, children in low-income areas may continue to struggle with their education without receiving the help they need. As students move on to higher education, the educational effects of the pandemic are becoming crystal clear. Similar to LSU, other universities are breaking records for the amount of students admitted each year. While these statistics look good
GRAPHIC BY MADDIE FITZMORRIS
on paper, this doesn’t benefit student learning. Bigger class sizes and housing crises do nothing but create a more difficult learning environment for college students. The purpose of higher education is to create young professionals and pass them through to the “real world.” It’s not good for anyone if the doctors of tomorrow couldn’t pass chemistry or read a paragraph proficiently. This gap in the education system may have detrimental effects on the workforce, economy and more if it’s not handled soon. For students to avoid this potential reality, parents must be more involved in their children’s education. Reading a book or
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doing interactive activities together can make a world’s difference. School districts must also provide resources, if possible, to help students in a learning deficit. “I would love to get back to a place where parents could be allowed back into the classrooms to help with struggling learners and be present in areas around the school so children could see the parents, teachers, faculty and administration are on the same page to do what is necessary for them to succeed,” she said. Jemiah Clemons is a 19-year-old Kinesiology sophomore from Miami, Florida.
Quote of the Week “I enjoy making people laugh. If I can put a smile on someone’s face if I do a dance in the end zone, why not?”
Travis Kelce
American football player 1989 — present
Thursday, October 12, 2023
page 12
You should be concerned about the global wave of the far-right NATE’S TAKES NATHANIEL DELA PEÑA @NateDerDoner When you think of American politics, you may imagine chaos. Former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy would probably give you an hours-long rant on chaos after facing a historic (and ultimately successful) revolt by the far-right wing of the Republican Party. But what if I told you chaos in politics wasn’t exclusively American? The Western world is facing a wave of far-right populism that threatens to destroy the stable democratic institutions established by principled statesmen long ago. The far-right mob is willing to destroy these institutions to preserve its idealized world: a world ruled by white men, where everyone else toes the line. The provocative right-wing populism embraced by former President Donald Trump has spread like wildfire to other countries, where opportunistic politicians have embraced hating the establishment. And, while hating the establishment can be productive, these far-right firebrands have offered little to no substantive policy positions that can re-
GRAPHIC BY JACOB CHASTANT
place the democratic system. Javier Milei, an eccentric Argentine anarcho-capitalist economist, has become the front runner in the country’s presidential election that will be held later this month. Milei was the top vote getter in the presidential primary held last August, much to the chagrin of the two Argentine establishment parties. He has promised radical solutions to end Argentina’s frustratingly woeful economic state, such as replacing the Argentine peso with the U.S. dollar as the main currency, privatizing all government-owned enterprises and massively cutting taxes. It must be noted, however, that
even Milei is struggling to maintain a coherent economic plan for Argentina. He has revised it 50 times, according to Pablo Touzon, an Argentine political consultant. Trump has exported mindless populism to many Western countries. But this mindless populism has become dangerously popular, though — admittedly, for good reason. The average Argentinian clearly doesn’t want an establishment candidate to lead the country after years of economic trouble and high inflation. But the far right is promising a Faustian bargain. Economic woes could possibly end in the short term, but authoritarianism will reign for decades.
Viktor Orban, the kleptocrat of Hungary, demonstrates the danger we all face from a far-right government. Orban and the ruling party, Fidesz, destroyed the democratic institutions of Hungary during the 2010s by passing laws that allowed Fidesz to destroy the balance of power between the three branches of government. The results were astonishing. Given its status as a member of the rich European Union, Hungary benefited from union subsidies. Once Orban solidified control over the country, rich contracts were given to Orban’s closest allies. And now Hungary faces both the issue of a flawed democratic system and a tanking economy. Orban has used his office to rail against migrants, neglecting his duties in managing the Hungarian economy. Hungary also faced a massive budget deficit and soaring inflation. In a speech last year, Orban cheekily tried to switch the conversation from the abysmal state of the Hungarian economy to the threat of “gender and migration.” This is a perfect example of how right-wing populists run away from their responsibilities, rather than deal with the problem. While Milei and other rightwing populists may seem like vi-
able candidates for running the government, flamboyant rhetoric doesn’t translate into good governance. It’s radical change, not radical rhetoric, that’s needed for our world today, especially as we face many problems that will need a vigorous response. Chaos for the sake of personal and ideological gain does not benefit anyone. “Owning the libs” shouldn’t be done by destroying the fundamental structures of democracy and creating a one-party government to destroy the opposition. The rule of law shouldn’t be sacrificed for any politician, especially in our political system. Former President Trump isn’t facing a “witch hunt” from Democrats, but rather, investigations into potential misconduct and crimes that merit a response from the independent judiciary. Good governance means that all citizens should be held accountable for their crimes. We need to learn the lessons that other countries like Hungary are facing now, before the “city upon the hill” falls to the horde of far-right provocateurs on a quixotic quest to return us to the Middle Ages. Nathaniel Dela Peña is a 20-yearold political science and history senior from Alexandria.
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