LSU defeats Florida 52-35 in Death Valley
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‘TAKING A STAND’
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LSU community members protest for Palestine.
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‘FREE PALESTINE’
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Attendees gather for a speech Nov. 9 during a rally for Palestine in Free Speech Alley on LSU’s campus in Baton Rouge, La.
‘Taking A Stand for Humanity’ protest calls for ceasefire, LSU action BY TYLER LAULAND @tlauland Members of the LSU community gathered in Free Speech Alley Thursday for the “Taking A Stand for Humanity” protest to raise awareness for the plight of Palestinians under occupation in Gaza. “We’re out here today taking a stand for humanity, trying to bring about humanitarian intervention in a moment where the international community has turned its back on millions of people suffering, not just in Palestine, but in Sudan and the Congo,” political science freshman Gabriela Juárez said. The event was led and organized by students. They are demanding an “immediate ceasefire by all parties to end the ongoing
humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza,” according to a document released by the organizers. The document also calls for a repeal of Louisiana’s “Anti-Boycott Law,” which would allow LSU to issue a public statement expressing solidarity with Palestinian students, and for the U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson to “actively advocate for the signing of the ceasefire resolution in the House of Representatives.” The protest began with people gathering in a circle holding signs with messages like “Free Palestine,” “From the River to the Sea, May All Beings Be Free,” “Corporate News is Zionist News” and “Biden is Supporting Genocide with Our Tax Dollars,” all while shouting chants led by a man draped in a Palestin-
ian scarf. The crowd grew energized as they shouted chants of protest. “Free, free Palestine! Free, free Gaza!” “Gaza, Gaza, don’t you cry, in our hearts you’ll never die.” Juárez then stood above the crowd, saying an event like this on campus is “long overdue,” pausing for a moment to let the cheers subside. “If you’re a human being, this struggle is your struggle, because it is a struggle for humanity,” Juárez said as passing students began to stop and listen in. “What we’re seeing in Gaza right now, it’s not conflict, it’s genocide being perpetrated by the Israeli state against the Palestinian people.” The protest stems from the fall-
MORGAN COOK / The Reveille
Protestors observe Nov. 9 during a rally for Palestine in Free Speech Alley on LSU’s campus in Baton Rouge, La.
out of an Oct. 7 attack perpetrated by the militant group Hamas, a U.Sdesignated terrorist group, when it launched an attack in southern Israel, killing an estimated 1,400 Israelis, many of whom were civilians. Israel formally declared war on Hamas on Oct. 8 and has since launched missiles and sent armed forces into the majority Palestinian Gaza Strip, which Hamas currently controls, killing upward of 10,000 people, including at least 4,104 children, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. “The fact of the matter is that for 75 long years, the state of Israel has engaged in a campaign of genocide against the Palestinian people. From its inception as a state, it was built on ethnic supremacy and ethnic exclusion,” Juárez said. After a series of speeches, the protesters marched through Free Speech Alley, continuing their chants. Tensions flared between the crowd and a small group of counter-protesters, leading to loud hollering. This isn’t the first time LSU has seen protests supportive of Palestine. There was one in 2021 that led to controversy after the LSU Student Government posted its support for the movement on Instagram before quickly removing it after receiving backlash from some Jewish students. Such events have not deterred movements for Palestine on LSU’s campus. “The voices demanding a ceasefire echo across the spectrum, reflecting a collective call for compassion, justice, and peace. Now is the time to act, to stand with LSU and Louisiana, and to contribute to a lasting resolution for the greater good,” reads the final list of demands from the group.
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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 UNCERTAIN FUTURE Last Louisiana climate task force meeting under Gov. Edwards
BY CONNOR REINWALD @Conur16 With coastal erosion and rising sea levels threatening to swallow the state, many Louisiana residents are familiar with the effects of climate change. It was with these issues in mind that Gov. John Bel Edwards formed the Climate Initiatives Task Force in 2020—Louisiana’s first-ever foray into studying and forming strategies to reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions. Now, Edwards is leaving office, and three years after its inception, the task force held its final meeting Thursday under Edward’s administration. As Gov.-elect Jeff Landry plans his transition into office, the future of the task force is unknown. Shortly after winning his second term as governor, Edwards formed the Climate Initiatives Task Force by executive order in August 2020. “Louisiana’s working coast is a national treasure,” the order reads, going on to explain the economic, ecological and sociological importance of the region. The order also points to the fact that Louisiana’s coast is experiencing one of the fastest rates of land loss in the world. “... [T]o improve our resil-
page 3 STUDENT LIFE
LSU International community holds festival BY SARAH WALTON @sarahrosewalton
global temperatures, rising sea
LSU’s International Student Association hosted a Festival of Nations on the Parade Grounds Friday. The festival’s purpose was to honor “diverse cultures from around the world,” said ISA President and civil and environmental engineering graduate student Md Tanvir Ahmed Sarkar in a message to the Reveille. This was the ISA’s second year putting on the Festival of Nations. The ISA is a student organization formed to promote the well-being of international students and foster ties between LSU’s international community and the campus at large, according to its website. The association organizes cultural events, creates spaces on campus where international students can find comfort and advocates for international students’ needs, Sarkar said. As the Festival of Nations geared up to start Friday, Sarkar said he was most excited for ev-
see CLIMATE, page 4
see ISA, page 4
CONNOR REINWALD / The Reveille
The Climate Initiatives Task Force meets in a Louisiana State Capitol House Committee Room on Nov. 9 in Baton Rouge, La. ience, sustain our coast, and help avoid the worst impacts of climate change,” the order contin-
ues, “Louisiana must proactively work to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that are driving up
STUDENT GOV.
LSU SG improves transparency with new financial dashboard BY AIDAN ANTHAUME @aidanth04 LSU Student Government released a tool Tuesday aimed at promoting transparency, accountability and student engagement by clarifying how student funds are spent. Developed by senior student Sen. Colin Raby from the College of Engineering, the new “Financial Dashboard” offers a realtime overview of SG’s finances by breaking down expenditure categories and visualizing the impact of each allocation. Before the dashboard was introduced, Raby noticed there were no means of tracking the money SG spent. “What are we doing?... why do we not have something that shows live updates whenever we spend money, the state of all of our accounts?” Raby said. The new dashboard, which can be accessed through the LSU SG website, will be a gamechanger, Raby said, fostering a culture of fiscal responsibility and collaboration within SG. “It’s going to make it very easy
for things to be transparent. It’s going to make it easy for things to be accurate, and it’s going to be easy to make it understandable... giving a visualization of where our money goes in a very accessible format that students can interact with,” Raby said. With automatic updates as money is spent throughout the year, the dashboard provides students with a comprehensive and categorized overview of SG’s financial decisions. A recent Reveille investigation revealed multiple violations committed by SG in relation to the open meetings law and a general lack of transparency surrounding its operations. “We’re definitely not where we should be. But, if you look at the last two years, we’ve come a long way toward being a transparent, accountable and productive Senate body,” Raby said. The release of the dashboard is one of many steps SG plans to take to encourage open communication and collaboration between the organization’s branchFRANCIS DINH / The Reveille
see TRANSPARENCY, page 4
LSU Student Senate holds a meeting Nov. 8 in the Capital Chambers room in the LSU Student Union.
Monday, November 13, 2023
page 4 CLIMATE, from page 3 levels, and increasing the risks that threaten our health and safety, quality of life, economic growth, and vital habitats and ecosystems.” The Climate Initiatives Task Force’s stated goal was to comment on ongoing efforts to reduce greenhouse gasses in the state and recommend further policies, strategies and incentives. In 2022 the task force submitted a Climate Action Plan to the governor, outlining the steps that could lead Louisiana to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Two-thirds of Louisiana’s greenhouse gasses come from the industrial sector—a sharp figure, given that the national industrial sector accounts for 17%
of the country’s total emissions, according to data used by the Climate Action Plan. The plan found electrifying Louisiana could usher in a greener future. “Louisiana’s ultimate success will hinge upon a holistic and coordinated approach to these three interconnected policy pillars: renewable electricity generation, industrial electrification, and industrial fuel switching to low and no-carbon hydrogen,” the plan reads. Aside from the industrial sector, 19% of Louisiana’s greenhouse gasses are produced by transportation, 13% by electrical power, 1% by residential and 1% by commercial sources, according to data from the plan. The Climate Initiatives Task Force used its last meeting under
the Edwards administration to give updates on efforts to lower the state’s emissions, reflect on its accomplishments and make plans for the future. “I think we can all agree that this effort could not have been more important or more timely, and the riskiest thing for us to do would have been to ignore not just climate change but the energy transition and not be able to participate in it and benefit from it,” Gov. Edwards said. “The energy transition is going to take place with or without our participation, and so we might as well get out in front of it, shape it and maximize the benefits that we can achieve.” Given that Louisiana is an energy producing state reliant on fossil fuels, it has an important role to play in the climate’s fu-
ture, Edwards said. “Our economy and workforce is historically and currently driven by oil and gas and petrochemical manufacturing, and those sectors remain important,” Edwards said. “The good news for us is the most carbon-advantaged barrel of oil produced anywhere in the world is produced in Gulf of Mexico, and it’s produced under environmental regulations that we determined, that we enforced, and then that oil isn’t transported very far before we can refine it and so forth. And so, as long as we’re going to be consuming oil in this world, we might as well be doing it in the Gulf of Mexico with all of those benefits.” Edward’s attributed the success of the task force to its economic approach, focusing on in-
vestment opportunities in green energy while reducing greenhouse gasses from Louisiana’s fossil fuel industry. With Gov.-elect Jeff Landry’s administration on the horizon, the future of the Climate Initiatives Task Force remains uncertain. At a 2018 press conference, Landry called global warming and climate change a “hoax.” Still, the task force hopes to continue its advocacy for a netzero Louisiana by 2050 under the Landry administration. “We would like to think that there has been a lot of broad base support within government, within the private sector, where the momentum will carry forward through the transition,” Deputy Director Harry Vorhoff said.
ISA, from page 3 eryone to enjoy the event and for the launch of the ISA Magazine. The magazine, named Continental Fusion, has stories, poems, articles and a book review from various LSU community members. These submissions also include artwork, photography and the stories and experiences of the wider LSU community. The magazine also featured compilations of the events and notable ISA moments from past years. To kick off the festivities, Sarkar gave a speech, wearing a T-shirt made by the ISA for the event, reading, “Bringing Culture Building Community.” After Sarkar, Vice President of Student Affairs Brandon Common spoke, unveiling the ISA Magazine. “Our culture is comprised of individuals from across our state, country and world who come to LSU to learn, teach, create new knowledge and, most importantly, to change the lives of others for the better,” Common said. “Our international students bring their own unique cultures and experiences to LSU, enrich the learning environment for everyone by bringing diverse perspectives and experiences to our Campus Community.” The festival had an inflatable course with a slide and an inflatable football game. There was also a food truck, a 360-degree camera and games. Just by walking past the Parade Ground, students could hear music from all over the world as attendees laughed, met and played games. LSU Student Government sponsored the Festival of Nations, and nine student clubs and associations collaborated with the ISA to make the day
TRANSPARENCY, from page 3 es and its constituents. In doing so, they hope to raise student engagement with SG. “We oftentimes see there’s a lot less buy-in from students on initiatives, mainly because they don’t know what even happened,
TARUN KAKARALA / The Reveille
Students gather Nov. 10 at the ISA Festival on the LSU Parade Ground in Baton Rouge, La. possible. Among other student organizations, Geaux K-pop tabled, and at one point, they danced to a K-pop song that led visitors to dance along and post on their Snapchat stories. The Fierce Felines dance troupe also made an appearance and brought applause. LSU’s African Graduate Student Association showed different cultural items at the festival,
teaching visitors about Africa. The Nepalese Student Association and the African Student Organization had tables teaching people about their clubs, and the Latinx Graduate Student Association gave out prizes like candy and friendship bracelets. The Middle Eastern Student Association had a sign asking people how they write “happy” in their language and gave henna tattoos.
The Chinese Students and Scholars Association taught passers-by how to write in Chinese using ink and brush. Attendees could ask them to spell their name or write their favorite word or choose from a few prewritten messages like “luck,” “happiness” and “beauty.” The International Cultural Center also tabled, spreading the word about upcoming events, like its Thankful: Global
Village Celebration on Tuesday, Nov. 14 at Tower Drive near the Student Union from 11 a.m.- 1 p.m. and ICC’s Thanksgiving Celebration on Tuesday, Nov. 21 from 6-9 p.m. The festival was a moment for many organizations to come together and celebrate their cultures, and for the International Student Association to continue its goal of bringing the LSU community together.
or how they happened... It’s important for people to see where their money is going,” Speaker Pro Tempore of the Student Senate and political communication junior Emma Long said. Long said she hopes SG’s transparency shows students they can advocate for funding initiatives for
their ideas. In creating the dashboard, SG looks to lead the way among student governing bodies when it comes to transparency. “I think it sets a standard for how financial transparency can happen and should happen within student bodies. I think we’ve
shown that this is something that’s feasible for other student bodies to take place,” Long said. “It just needs someone to do it.” Raby echoed a similar sentiment. We will set the precedent in the SEC that student governments need to be transparent,
they need to be accountable, and then they need to manage their funds well … you can’t just think about what you’re doing now. You need to think about how the next person will also do,” Raby said. This budgetary dashboard allows for much better continuity than ever before.”
ENTERTAINMENT
page 5
THIS WEEK IN BR
WEDNESDAY AT 7 p.m.
13
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Tales From the Field: Stories from the LSU Vet Med Community LSU Vet Med Library Common Area The LSU School of Veterinary Medicine will be hosting an evening of stories from the veterinary medicine community at 5:30 p.m. Speakers will share their experiences in saving furry friends and applying the knowledge they gained during their studies in real-world scenarios. Admission is free.
Drive-By Truckers Concert Chelsea’s Live
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November
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Georgia-based rock band Drive-By Truckers will be performing at 1010 Nicholson Drive. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased on the Chelsea’s Live website.
River City Jazz Masters Series Manship Theatre
Want to see your event in The Reveille? Email information to editor@lsu.edu.
14
November
TH
TUESDAY AT 7 p.m.
MONDAY AT 5 p.m.
BY ARIS WILLIAMS @jonetaw
The national renowned River City Jazz Masters Series is back for another installation. When You Wish Upon a Star, a Disney Jazz tribute band, will be celebrating 100 years of Disney through the lens of jazz at 100 Lafayette St. at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased on the Manship Theatre’s website.
Preparations underway for the 2024 Louisiana Book Festival BY EMILY BRACHER @emily_bracher_ The 19th annual Louisiana Book Festival was hosted Oct. 28, and the State Library of Louisiana is already preparing for next year’s festivities. The festival is hosted annually to allow members of the community to explore their literary heritage while meeting hundreds of local authors. State Librarian Meg Placke said Louisiana has a great literary heritage and culture. This festival is meant to shine a spotlight on that. The work in planning every year starts before the current one is over. “We are trying to promote literacy and just get everyone reading and loving books,” Placke said. According to a pamphlet handed out at the event, Lt. Governor and Honorary Chairman of the Louisiana Book Festival Billy Nungesser said that this event has been considered one of the 10 best literary festivals in the country.
“Building that love of literature in our kids is the best thing we can do for the future,” Plake said. “That is really what we are doing with this festival.” Ranging from art to comic books and cooking demonstrations, the festival provided many learning opportunities in a day. With over 200 writers, publishers, poets and more, everyone had the opportunity to find something they liked. 64 Parishes, a project of the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities and magazine dedicated to telling Louisiana stories, is one of the festival’s many sponsors. The LEH is a nonprofit focused on exploring the state’s past. LEH Marketing and Sales Director Lauren Noel said its mission is to support access to the humanities statewide. LSU had a prominent presence with booths ranging from the English department to the LSU Press. “The Louisiana Book Festival is a wonderful occasion for the press to come out and be forward facing to interact with bookloving people and to see our au-
thors,” LSU Press Director Alisa Plant said. One of those authors is Marlene Trestman, who tells the first comprehensive history of the Jewish Orphans’ Home of New Orleans in her “Most Fortunate Unfortunates.” “It’s a real honor to be here and I couldn’t be happier,” Trestman said. Trestman said this story is personal to her as she grew up in New Orleans as a Jewish Children’s Regional Service client. At the English department’s booth, first-year doctoral student Caitlyn Jones said that they are currently working on sending students to the University of California-Santa Cruz for the Dickens Project. The Dickens Project offers an array of opportunities such as graduate student mentoring, community outreach and a research network for scholars. One of the most notable authors at the event was 11-year-old Zariah Cherry. Zariah was diagnosed with dyslexia at age six, but that didn’t stop her from writing.
Her book “Lulu, the Lollipop” is the debut of her “Lulu” series. “I just loved getting pieces of paper and writing little stories out,” Zariah said. Plake said that hundreds of
volunteers will join the library staff to orchestrate the plans for the festival’s 20th anniversary in 2024. “It’s just a wonderful day for books in Louisiana,” Plant said.
EMILY BRACHER / The Reveille
Authors’ books on the wall in the State Library during the Louisiana Book Festival.
Monday, November 13, 2023
page 6
TIGER WIN OVER FLORIDA
Monday, November 13, 2023
page 7
LSU football beats the Florida Gators 52-35 Saturday, Nov. 11 in Death Valley.
LSU football freshman safety Ryan Yaites (21) tackles a Florida player.
LSU football head coach Brian Kelly leads the team out onto the field.
LSU football freshman safety Javien Toviano (25) celebrates a turnover. LSU football junior wide receiver Malik Nabers (8) runs down the field.
LSU football sophomore tight end Mason Taylor (86) avoids a tackle. LSU football senior quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) passes the ball.
LSU football senior quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) runs toward the end zone.
Mike the Tiger performs with the Tiger Girls dance team. LSU football junior defensive end Paris Shand (94) takes down a Florida player. Students cheer in the student section.
The LSU football team celebrates a touchdown.
Photos by Matthew Perschall and Morgan Cook
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THE Daily Commuter Puzzle by Jacqueline E. Mathews ACROSS 1 Picked up the tab 5 Waterlogged 10 “__ well that ends well” 14 Sherbet flavor 15 Grand or upright 16 Early boatbuilder 17 American __; MA’s state trees 18 Light up 20 As quick __ wink 21 Patella’s place 22 Johnny Cash’s “A Boy __ Sue” 23 Sobber 25 Actor/director Gibson 26 Oil & vinegar bottles 28 Coarse-toothed tool 31 Assists 32 Forehead beads 34 Nickname for Margaret 36 Cry of dismay 37 Actor James __ 38 Game played with mallets 39 Peach stone 40 Valleys 41 Hard to please 42 Moderate red shade 44 Washington or Stewart 45 __ flash; instantly 46 Less adorned 47 Superior to 50 __ on balls; walk 51 Peculiar 54 No matter what 57 __ on; incite 58 Rob Reiner’s dad 59 Uncanny 60 Asian language 61 Palette shades 62 Helsinki folks 63 Business review website DOWN 1 __ bargain; defendant’s deal 2 Feels crummy 3 Spotless 4 __ Plaines, IL
Created by Jacqueline E. Mathews
5 Backbones 6 Edmonton ice hockey player 7 Storm or Gordon 8 Wildebeest 9 __ Kippur 10 Historical records 11 Good garden soil 12 Overdue 13 Get rid of 19 Bumbling 21 Baby foxes 24 Elected officials: abbr. 25 Hamm & Kirshner 26 Fellow 27 Ancient artifact 28 National League team 29 Part of a contraction 30 __ corgi; small dog 32 Shoe part 33 Misery 35 Artist Francisco __ 37 “There __ Crooked Man…”; Fonda film
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38 Untainted 40 Eatery 41 Charge to ride 43 Competitors 44 Huge groups of people 46 Bathroom feature 47 Curved beam overhead
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48 Actor Bridges 49 Shrek, for one 50 Most bike-friendly Swiss city 52 Twofold 53 Faucet problem 55 ABC followers 56 Garland 57 Animal enclosure
SPORTS HEISMAN
page 9 FOOTBALL
Jayden Daniels makes Heisman case with historic performance
BY JASON WILLIS @JasonWillis4 There are some plays you watch and all you can do is put your hands out in disbelief or just laugh. For the LSU offense this season, those plays happen multiple times per game. That was certainly the case in the 52-35 win over Florida, in which the Tigers put up 701 total yards and three touchdowns from 30 yards out or more. At the center of it all, as usual, was star quarterback Jayden Daniels. Whether he was scrambling into crowds of defenders and making subtle changes of directions that left everyone flatfooted or tossing deep bombs that floated perfectly into his receivers’ hands, he was proving himself to be one of the best players in the country. Daniels finished the game with 372 passing yards, 234 yards on the ground and five total touchdowns. No other player in FBS history has had both 350 passing yards and 200 rushing yards in a game. “He’s pretty good,” head coach Brian Kelly joked. The LSU offense got off to a so-so start in the win, with a few early missed passes, failed red zone possessions and question-
MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille
LSU football senior quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) runs toward the end zone Nov. 11 during LSU’s 52-35 win against Florida in Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La. able fourth down play calling. The Tigers scored just 17 points in the first half, but they roared out of halftime for 359 second half yards and 35 points. Daniels’ leadership allowed them to bounce back from the early struggles. It also came in handy when Florida had seemed to seize momentum when it took its first
lead of the game midway through the third quarter at 28-24. Daniels calmly led an answer, capping it with an incredible 51yard run that even he had little explanation for. “You know, some things, I can’t explain what I do,” Daniels said. “I just be in the moment, honestly.” In the week leading up to his
Three takeaways from LSU’s win
record-breaking game, Daniels was in concussion protocol after a hard hit from Dallas Turner against Alabama. Despite that, he worked his way up to practicing with the team and eventually playing in the game. “It was rough,” Daniels said. “I still tried to figure out ways to keep my same routine and watch film, you know. Just stay consistent.” Some had speculated before the game that even if Daniels couldn’t go and LSU was forced to start Garrett Nussmeier, the Tigers would be fine. After the game Daniels had, it’s clear that the Tigers’ offense wouldn’t have been the same without him. Even in an offense loaded with potential NFL players in the receiving corps and the offensive line, Daniels’ excellence stood out, elevating the others around him. When he was under pressure, he found a hole and ran for a huge gain. When his receivers had little separation, he threw them open, putting the ball where only they could get it. Daniels has seen a meteoric rise over the course of the season. While his first year with LSU was
LSU’s offense never fails to impress. The Tigers beat Florida 52-35 Saturday night, led by a 606-yard performance from Jayden Daniels and 701 total yards from the offense. The win improves LSU’s record to 7-3, keeping the hope of a 10-win season alive. Here are three takeaways from the win: Jayden Daniels should win the Heisman Trophy Daniels might’ve had his Heisman moment against Florida. Maybe it was the 85-yard touchdown run. Maybe it was the 51-yard touchdown run to give LSU the lead in the third quarter. Maybe it was the 37-yard touchdown pass to Brian Thomas Jr. to put the game on ice. There were a lot of moments to choose from. That’s natural when you account for 606 yards and five touchdowns. Just like he has been since he
see HEISMAN, page 10
see TAKEAWAYS, page 10
BY PETER RAUTERKUS @peter_rauterkus
FOOTBALL
LSU defeats Florida 52-35, led by elite offensive performance BY MACKAY SUIRE @macthetiger LSU traveled back from Tuscaloosa last weekend with only one goal in mind: How can it be elite? “These are the weeks where you’re talking about, why are you here?” LSU head coach Brian Kelly said in his weekly press conference following the Alabama loss. “I know why I’m here. We’re here on the chase to be elite. So this week is going to require you to work on these things.” Whatever the Tigers did throughout the week in preparation for their game against Florida worked. Despite a few hiccups here and there, overall, LSU was elite. It took down the Gators 5235. Fans waited eagerly to see how quarterback Jayden Daniels would perform against Florida. After a tough hit against an Alabama defender last week in Tuscaloosa, Daniels was placed in concussion protocol. Him playing against Florida was a toss-up, as Kelly explained that his recovery was ultimately a day-by-day scenario. Thankfully for this LSU offense, however, Daniels was back to face off against the Gators in Tiger Stadium, and it was as if he
never left. Daniels pieced together what was arguably one of the best performances of his career. He collected a total of 372 passing yards. The graduate student accounted for 234 of LSU’s 329 rushing yards. “Not only is he able to scramble out the pocket and keep the defenders honest, but whenever he does take off his lightning speed and his elusiveness is second to none,” running back Josh Williams said about Daniels. “It’s at the top of the elite chart and NCAA, so I mean, I feel bad for defenses, because it’s really a mismatch situation.” The quarterback’s performance against Florida makes him the only player in FBS history with at least 350 passing yards and 200 rushing yards in a single game. “God,” Daniels said when asked about how he sealed an offensive record just days after being placed in concussion protocol. “That’s pretty much it. I can’t explain it honestly. This is how He created me, to be able to just be tough, get through stuff quickly.” Daniels also accounted for two rushing touchdowns, the first of which came on an 85-yard run. “Give him the Heisman now,” running back Noah Cain said
about Daniels. “He’s been a difference maker all season and I don’t think there’s another player more deserving.” Multiple receivers contributed to LSU’s success. Running backs Kaleb Jackson and Williams each had a rushing touchdown of their own. Cain and wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. added scores to the Tiger’s stat sheet as well, making successful connections with Daniels. “Here’s two guys that haven’t played much at all, and all they’ve done is been great teammates,” Kelly said after the game in regard to Williams and Cain’s performance. “And [they] have practiced hard, and have waited for their opportunity, and when their opportunity came, they delivered for us today.” LSU led for the majority of the game. Florida did manage to shift the momentum in the third quarter, after quarterback Graham Mertz found the endzone on a short one-yard rush. The leading stint was short lived, though, when just a minute later, Daniels seemed to glide effortlessly into the endzone on a 51yard run. It was his second rushing touchdown of the night.
MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille
LSU football senior quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) avoids a defender Nov. 11 during LSU’s 52-35 win against Florida in Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La. “He’s a great player,” Florida head coach Billy Napier said about Daniels. “He came out here and competed. There’s a couple of things we should have executed a lot better. We could have played a bit better, but he’s a great player that came out and played well tonight.” Mertz and the Gators did put together a solid outing, however. They were able to find the cracks in LSU’s defense, as most opponents have, and use them to their advantage. Florida accounted for 177 rushing yards and 311 passing yards. Its offensive production was truly headlined by running back Trevor Etienne, who accounted for 99
rushing yards and three of the Gator’s touchdowns. Etienne and Montrell Johnson Jr., another of Florida’s offensive leaders, are both Louisiana natives. “It was good for them to be home and play in their home state,” Mertz said about Etienne and Johnson. “They’re two great backs. They showcased their ability tonight, and they are going to continue to do that.” In the end, however, Florida’s solid offensive performance was simply no match for the recordbreaking performance of Daniels and his receivers. This Tiger offense was elite, just as their head coach had hoped for.
page 10
Monday, November 13, 2023
HEISMAN, from page 9 solid, he was seen as a quarterback who relied too much on his legs, often at the expense of better options downfield. His arm strength was another knock, and he wasn’t considered likely to have a professional future in football. He silenced those concerns and is rising up draft boards. The win
TAKEAWAYS, from page 9 stepped on LSU’s campus, he was everything for the offense on Saturday. He accounted for 86% of LSU’s offense against Florida. He averaged 19.5 yards per carry. He threw for 372 yards on 19 completions. With that performance, Daniels broke the Southeastern Conference single-game record for total offense. He also became the first player in FBS history to throw for over 350 yards and rush for over 200. No one in college football is performing at Daniels’ level. His team isn’t undefeated. He won’t play for a national championship. But if the Heisman Trophy truly is an individual award, it’s becoming harder and harder to argue against Daniels winning it. LSU’s offensive line doesn’t get enough credit With all the deserved praise
against Florida was yet another example of the unique skillset that makes him one of the most electric players in college football. Daniels’ performance this season is igniting debates about what exactly makes a player worthy of a Heisman. His team has struggled, but it’s clear that one side of the ball is championship-caliber; Daniels can’t control the other side.
Only three players have won the Heisman Trophy despite their team having three losses: Tim Tebow in 2007, Robert Griffin III in 2011 and Lamar Jackson in 2016. Daniels is making a legitimate case to be the next. “If he didn’t win it tonight, he’s got to be the leading candidate. He’s the best player in college football,” Kelly said on the Heisman.
“He did something tonight that no one’s ever done, so if that doesn’t make you the leading candidate, then maybe the Heisman isn’t really for the best player.” Whatever the fate of his Heisman campaign, it seems increasingly likely Daniels will be a finalist. Either way, he continues to stake his claim in the LSU history books.
Leading the Tigers to a win against Florida was perhaps the high point of Daniels’ incredible season. Each game, he faces immense pressure to keep LSU afloat and match the point output the Tigers’ struggling defense allows. Each game, he answers that challenge with incredible performance after incredible performance.
that LSU’s offense has received this season, one group often gets overlooked. Especially on a night where LSU threw for 372 yards and rushed for 329, it’s easy to look past where the success starts. None of it is possible without elite offensive line play. The offensive line has been elite for LSU this season. Tackles Will Campbell and Emery Jones have both made a case to be AllAmericans, and Charles Turner, Garrett Dellinger and Miles Frazier have all been consistent in the interior. That consistency leads to an offense that averages over 200 rushing yards per game. It allows an elite quarterback like Daniels to methodically pick apart defenses and break off big scrambles when he has to. The only difference is that the offensive line’s consistency won’t show up in the box score. But similarly to the 2019 offensive line that won the Joe Moore
award, this offensive line allows the offense to be elite. There isn’t a better receiver duo in college football than Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. Of Daniels’ 372 passing yards, 282 of those yards came from Nabers and Thomas. With the growing comparisons to the 2019 LSU team, Nabers and Thomas are showing shades of Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. Thomas was the big play receiver on Saturday, catching a 37-yard deep ball in the endzone and making another catch on a deep ball down the sidelines for 52 yards. He continues to be LSU’s best deep threat receiver and a weapon in the red zone. His 150 yards were a career high and a good bounce back after having just 36 yards against Alabama. Nabers continued his case for the Biletnikoff award, catching six passes for 132 yards. If it’s
possible to have a quiet 132 yard night, Nabers did it, but he continued to show his reliability as Daniels’s top target. He was most effective in the intermediate passing game against Florida, making catches
in traffic while also burning the Gator defense with yards after the catch. A case can be made for both receivers to be drafted in the first round, but while they’re at LSU, they’re nearly unstoppable.
MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille
LSU football junior wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (11) celebrates after scoring Nov. 11, during LSU’s 52-35 win against Florida in Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.
LSU SCHOOL OF MUSIC PRESENTS
Ring in the holiday season with the LSU School of Music at the annual Candlelight Concert! Join the LSU A Cappella Choir, LSU Chorale, LSU Gospel Choir, and LSU Tiger Glee Club for a festive and celebratory performance featuring holiday music, spirituals, and more.
November 30, 2023 // 7:30 p.m. St. Joseph’s Cathedral lsu.edu/cmda/events
OPINION
page 11
SG needs independence in the face of the Landry administration NATE’S TAKES NATHANIEL DELA PEÑA @NateDerDoner The accomplishments of LSU’s Student Government are admirable in the face of the meager $2.20 fee charged to every student to fund them. Just this semester, SG has worked to ensure that every student now has access to Adobe Creative Cloud, filled with crucial programs like Photoshop and InDesign. They’ve also worked hard to ensure that students are registered to vote in our state and local elections. SG has provided our campus with many amenities and improvements, and they should be commended for that. But it’s also disappointing that in our university’s most trying times, there’s been no unified voice from SG to defend the core values necessary for a healthy liberal democracy. The Student Senate did its job to commend professor Rob-
ert Mann for his service to LSU and call for the defense of free speech and academic tenure. Student Body President Anna Catherine Strong chose to not support this resolution, perhaps in fear of earning Gov.-elect Jeff Landry’s ire. Cooperation with the incoming governor should always be welcomed. But that cooperation shouldn’t come at the cost of the interests of our university. With Strong’s veto of a Student Senate resolution denouncing Landry’s skipping at a crucial gubernatorial forum in favor of a partisan event with Donald Trump Jr. and the absence of her signature on student Sen. Corbitt Driskell’s resolution, I feel she’s abandoned the need to represent the interests of the student body and provide an independent voice. She didn’t support the resolutions, because she felt both had “political” language. Indeed, she’s correct. However, the resolutions were created to defend the rights of students and faculty to speak without intimidation and ensure that politicians
understand they must be held accountable. As an outside observer, I’ll never know what happens behind the scenes in SG. Perhaps Strong and those who advised her felt it was advantageous to stay silent in the face of the overwhelming force of the incoming Landry administration. However, the campus community and future students at LSU will feel the repercussions. In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis has destroyed tenure and academic freedom of speech. Last year, DeSantis signed a bill limiting tenure, forcing faculty to go through a review by their university’s board of trustees every five years. DeSantis claimed tenure has created “intellectual orthodoxy” that shuts out those with “dissenting” views and made faculty less effective. Academic freedom in Florida is non-existent, demonstrated by DeSantis’ hostile takeover of the New College of Florida, where he replaced the board of supervisors and president with his lackeys.
And last month, DeSantis banned pro-Palestinian student organizations in Floridian universities. The State University System of Florida ordered that the student chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine had to be dismantled because of what it called their “harmful support for terrorist groups [such as Hamas].” Regardless of what your opinion on the conflict between Israel and Palestine is, it’s unacceptable that DeSantis intervened to silence the voices of students. These dangerous acts could happen here, and I wouldn’t be surprised if many students and faculty at LSU feel the same. Freedom of speech and tenure are crucial to the maintenance of academic excellence. We must maintain a marketplace of ideas in our university. Republicans are incorrect in assessing universities as “indoctrination” camps. They’re a place where every student can mold themselves into well-rounded thinkers by absorbing ideas
from every political tradition. I want to hope that our educational freedoms won’t be threatened. But with his absence at the gubernatorial forum and his call for “disciplining” professor Mann, I’ll take Landry at his word. Now is not the time to hope for a better future with Landry. It’s the time to fight for it. If he has any idea of destroying the heart of intellectual thought and progress in this state by threatening tenure and freedom of speech, he should have to do it with robust resistance from the student body and faculty. Although President Strong didn’t sign the resolution supporting Mann and academic freedom, it still went into effect. Her signature, however, would’ve been a powerful message that there’s a unified SG that will defend student and faculty academic freedoms. Nathaniel Dela Peña is a 20-year-old political science and history senior from Alexandria.
Some Western leftists should be more critical of resistance PELLITTIERI’S PERSPECTIVE MATTHEW PELLITTIERI @m_pellittieri The month or so since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israeli civilians has been difficult. It’s been difficult for the Israeli families mourning their dead and missing their kidnapped. It’s been difficult for the Palestinians in Gaza who have suffered a cruel and unnecessary escalation in their oppression by the Israeli government. It’s been difficult for Jews and Muslims worldwide who have suffered senseless bigotry. In the face of all this global trauma, it’s important that outsiders like this columnist and almost everyone else in the West take a step back and examine how we react to this situation. Far too many people who claim to be on the side of the oppressed Palestinians are apparently little better than those they so actively oppose. Those suffering don’t have the opportunity to breathe and
rationalize. They shouldn’t be expected to be perfect right now. We do. And we should be. This opinion is an exercise in both walking and chewing gum at the same time. It’s possible to recognize the existence of a system of oppression, desire its end and understand how it leads to resistance while also criticizing specific acts of resistance and understanding that oppression itself also derives from a systemic origin. This is what so many “leftists” fail to understand in their simplistic understanding of the situation and of the world. Note that terms like “leftist” will be in quotes throughout this opinion. This is intentional. While fascists seek to enforce oppression within the existing social order, these “leftists” will prove to be committed to creating their systems of oppression from scratch—or at the very least by just flipping the current hierarchies. There are two primary, problematic positions on the “far-left” when it comes to this situation: ethnonationalism and the glorification of violence.
The ethnonationalists’ problem is not with the subjugation of Palestinians by Israel but rather with the presence of the Israeli population in the region at all. Those chanting “Palestine will be free, from the river to the sea” are not all ethnonationalists who seek to expel every Jew (or at least the white ones) from the region, but there are undoubtedly some who believe that Palestine is only for Arab Muslims. They are wrong. A sociopolitical hierarchy isn’t magically justified because of a demographic’s claim to or possession of indigeneity or because of its experiences with subjugation. Multiple groups can have perfectly valid attachments to the same territory—all while living in harmony. If you oppose Zionism, Nazism or right-wing restrictions on immigration into Western countries, then you must also oppose Palestinian ethnonationalism. As for the violence fetish, some online and at protests have praised Hamas as a resistance force to the oppressive Israel. Hamas, of course, isn’t a liberatory organization. It’s a far-
right jihadist organization that, if in power, would suppress Jews, Chrisitans, gay and transgender people, atheists and any other group it despises under its bastardization of Islam. The idolization of violence by actual revolutionary organizations is just as regrettable. Violence is often understandable. It may even be considered necessary. But it’s never moral. It’s never something to find pleasure in. It’s not something to justify and validate with fancy political theory and abridged histories. A “liberation struggle” isn’t a national accomplishment or a ritual experience. It’s horrific. It’s not something to be excited by, but something to mourn over the necessity for. Still, it’s important not to blame people for having lessthan-ideal reactions to systems of oppression. It should be no surprise that Palestinians, subjected to decades of dehumanization and subjugation, resorted to radical solutions and explanations. Hamas, jihadism, ethnonationalism and antisemitism, like all
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incarnations of hate, didn’t arise out of nowhere. But in the same way, Zionism, colonization, genocide and Islamaphobia were also born from historical conditions. You can’t excuse Oct. 7 as the result of systems of oppression and turn around and act like Israel’s demons are some personal moral failing or, worse, the work of the devil. Privilege and power are beholden to the whims of context in the same way that oppression is. Simply put, all acts of resistance have explanations, but not all acts of resistance need to be justified and emulated. To paraphrase John Lennon, if you go chanting praises of Hamas, you ain’t going to make it with anyone anyhow. And to quote him directly, “When you talk about destruction, don’t you know that you can count me out?” Read the full text at LSUReveille. com Matthew Pellittieri is a 19-yearold history and political science sophomore from Ponchatoula.
Quote of the Week “He who allows oppression shares the crime.” Desiderius Erasmus Dutch theologian 1466 — 1536
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