The Reveille 11-7-22

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LSU

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ALABAMA

A GAME TO REMEMBER LSU earns historic win over Alabama.

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REAGAN COTTEN / The Reveille

LSU football junior quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) claps his hands on Nov. 5, during LSU’s 32-31 victory in Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.

BY PETER RAUTERKUS @peter_rauterkus Tiger Stadium has a long list of memorable moments, but few will top the events of Nov. 5, 2022.

In just his first year in Baton Rouge, Brian Kelly has already cemented his name in LSU history.

In just nine games, Kelly has LSU on the brink of the SEC Championship and just led the Tigers to their first home win over Alabama in 12 years.

The game itself was an instant classic. A back-and-forth game all the way to the end, LSU continued to show its ability to fight.

LSU never trailed in the first half, but when Alabama earned its first lead in the third quarter, LSU answered every Alabama score on the following drive.

The game featured eight lead changes, but Alabama never took an offensive snap with the lead.

LSU answered every blow delivered by Alabama, leading to the wild finish.

Even when LSU went down in overtime, it took just one play for the Tigers to find the endzone.

Then, in stark contrast to LSU’s first setback of the year against Florida State, Kelly opted to go for

the win, rather than kicking the game-tying extra point.

That decision was the difference. Jayden Daniels rolled to his right and found true freshman Mason Taylor in the corner of the endzone to win the game.

“When they first called the play my heart lowkey dropped, I’m not gonna lie,” Taylor said.

“We practiced for this, and pressure is a privilege at LSU.” Taylor played his best game of his young career, finishing with three catches for 36 yards and the biggest play of the game. Taylor earned the game ball for his efforts and is yet another example of an LSU freshman stepping up this season.

Outside of Taylor, the story of the game for LSU offensively was Daniels. He finished the game with 182 yards passing and two touchdowns to go along with 95 yards rushing and the touchdown to set up the game-winning twopoint conversion. Kelly was once again complimentary of Daniels after the game and stressed the importance of quarterback play.

“We’re not here unless our quarterback plays really well,” Kelly said. “Whether it’s peewee football or high school or college

football or the NFL, your quarterback has to play well.”

Daniels did that against Alabama and has continued to do that all season long. His numbers weren’t the most eye-catching in this game, but he made every single play for LSU when it mattered.

“I’m just out there playing football,” Daniels said. “It’s about going out there and being decisive, trusting myself, and I know I’ll go back and watch film, it’s some things I missed, but I’m just happy we got this win.”

The atmosphere was a major factor in this game, and Daniels spoke to that as well.

“It’s No.1,” Daniels said when asked where this game ranks for him in his career. “Nothing means more than this, making history at LSU. A top-10 ranked game, a lot on the line, so it means a lot.”

Fans immediately rushed the field as soon as Taylor entered the endzone for the game-winning two-point conversion. Pandemonium ensued inside Tiger Stadium in what was an atmosphere the building had not seen in some time.

This was a statement win for LSU. Not only does this put LSU in a position to lock up the SEC

West, this gives all the energy back to a fanbase that lacked energy the last two years. What transpired in Tiger Stadium had not been seen at least since 2019, and a win of this caliber creates the opportunity for more of those nights in Death Valley.

For LSU fans, this game was a breath of fresh air. As Alabama continued to put together drives late, the game began to feel similar to LSU losses against Alabama in 2012 and 2014. Both of those games saw LSU outplay Alabama for long stretches, but both times came up short.

The Tigers will travel to Arkansas next week with a chance to win the SEC West with a win and an Ole Miss loss. Few expected LSU to even compete for the SEC this year, and now, in Kelly’s first year, the Tigers are at the doorstep of returning to championship ways.

“This is really about building a program and doing it week in and week out. And we’re here to graduate champions, and we want to win a championship,” Kelly said. “We’ve got Arkansas next.

We’re going to enjoy this win over the next 24 hours, and then we’re gonna get ready for Arkansas.”

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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.

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NEWS ABANDONED MAYAN CITY

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LSU researchers discover abandoned city showing how Mayans perfected salt production

BY CHANDLER MCINTOSH @GeauxChandler18 An LSU researcher and her graduate students found excavations of an abandoned city in Belize, which offer a new view of how the Mayans perfected salt production, according to Heather Mckillop, a professor in the Department of Geography and Anthropology.

In recent research findings at Ta’ab Nuk Na in Belize, McKillop said she and her graduate students discovered salt works, where salt workers and residents of the village boiled brine in pots over fires to make salt.

McKillop has been traveling to Belize for archaeological research since 1979, and it isn’t coincidental that she found ancient saltworks in her work.

“I have carried out field research on the coast of Belize since I was a student,” McKillop said. “I have published four books, and many articles, and am active in being awarded grants for research.”

In 2004, with an LSU Faculty Research Grant and a small team of LSU graduate students, McKillop discovered ancient wooden buildings below the seafloor in mangrove peat, solid organic ma-

COURTESY OF HEATHER MCKILOP

John Young, boat driver and member of the field team at Ta’ab Nuk Na, washing sediment from excavations in a box screen with mesh on the bottom to find artifacts with Cher Foster nearby. terial that lacks oxygen to decay wood.

“I was able to apply for National Science Foundation funding to map, then begin excavating underwater sites,” McKillop said.

She received funding for her research and travels to Belize an-

nually to find more discoveries.

Since 2004, McKillop and her graduate students have reported 4,042 mapped wooden posts marking the walls of buildings at 70 submerged sites. She published the findings regarding the ancient saltworks in her 2019 book, “Maya Salt Works.”

“This finding indicates a focus on the production of massive quantities of salt by Maya families who lived in the community and dedicated their time to making salt to transport to nearby inland Maya cities and towns where salt was lacking,” McKillop said.

McKillop’s discoveries dem-

onstrate that ancient Mayans probably traded salt as salt cakes at inland marketplaces. She said this shows that the economy of the Mayans focused on the common Maya, who produced a surplus of salt.

While new discoveries show information never known to man, McKillop said that excavating ancient salt works is ongoing, long-term research. She will be applying for new grants to continue the research, preserve the waterlogged finds by 3D digital imaging and make 3D-printed replicas.

Since the saltworks were close to Mayan homes and were an important source of wealth, McKillop said that the ancient saltworks can be compared to family businesses in Louisiana.

“The [salt production] was all a family business,” McKillop said. “There are so many familyowned businesses in Louisiana that contribute to the economy.

The idea that family-owned businesses such as the salt works could contribute so much to the Mayan economy is really interesting to me.”

Cheryl Foster, a doctoral candidate in the LSU Department of

see RESEARCH, page 4

STUDENT LIFE

Attorney General Jeff Landry speaks to LSU Turning Point

BY EMILY BRACHER & PAYTON MANUEL @emily_bracher_ & @payton_manuel04

Attorney General Jeff Landry visited LSU on Oct. 25 to speak about First Amendment rights, religious rights and limited government to the members of the LSU chapter of Turning Point USA. The conference took place in the Atchafalaya Room in the Student Union and was open to all LSU students and the public.

Turning Point is an organization with a mission to “educate students about the importance of fiscal responsibility, free markets and limited government,” said interdisciplinary studies junior Savannah Harrison, the president of the club.

Landry was elected in 2010 to the United States House of Representatives and was elected as Louisiana’s Attorney General in 2015.

At the meeting, he discussed a range of topics, including First Amendment rights, his opinion on limited government and being proud to be an American citizen.

Landry said the decisions

for what is best for the country shouldn’t be made in the courts or executive branch but rather in the legislative branch.

“I picked up a book called ‘Federalism on Trial’ and I read it and realized that the fight to save America was now inside of our court system and that public policy was being shaped in our courts more than it was being shaped in our capital,” he said.

Landry said he saw this as “dysfunctional” and believes that when the policy starts to get shaped in the capitals again, “you and me will be a much freer citizen.”

He also discussed pride in being an American citizen. He said that he believed the word “citizen” itself has been watered down.

“If you are not a citizen, you are a subject,” he said and further explained how America will welcome those trying to become citizens as long as they follow the right process to become a citizen.

Landry also discussed First Amendment rights. He said that just because it comes first doesn’t mean that it’s the least important and that it should be the most

important to all of us.

He started the discussion with freedom of speech and explained how even though you might have the right to do something, it doesn’t mean you should. For this, he used the example of burning the flag, saying that even though you physically can burn the American flag, he believes you shouldn’t because it’s morally wrong.

He then focused on the topic of religion in schools, mentioning that he believes the school day should be started with a prayer.

The example he used was a metaphor of “Big G and Little G.” The “Big G” stands for God, and the “Little G” stands for government. He used this metaphor to support his reasoning that prayer should stay in school.

“Don’t leave your religion at the door of a school,” he said.

A final point Landry made was about the censorship of media and how it shouldn’t be as restrictive as it is now.

During his speech, Landry asked, “can the federal government in today’s world, in digital media, censor what you have a right to see?”

REAGAN COTTEN/ The Reveille

Attorney General of Louisiana Jeff Landry addresses the room on Oct. 25, in the Student Union in Baton Rouge, La. He said that the power of digital advancement isn’t a conservative or liberal issue, but an overstep from the government.

“One thing we focus on in TPUSA is big government and government overreach, which Landry legally fights for us every day,” Harrison said.

During the meeting, Landry explained how there are many times when he “hates” being a lawyer. Harrison said she sees this as a virtue because even though Landry might not always love his job, he continues to fight

see LANDRY, page 4

Monday, November 7, 2022

page 4 RESEARCH, from page 3 Geography and Anthropology, holds the Maya Research Assistantship and works in both the Digital Imaging and Visualization in Archaeology Lab and the Archaeology Lab. Foster helps McKillop curate archaeological material and assists in various research projects.

She also helps with teaching undergraduate and graduate students in both labs.

Prior to coming to LSU and joining the Underwater Maya Project, Foster participated in archaeological excavations at another ancient Maya site in Belize for three years.

“I joined the Underwater

LANDRY, from page 3 for Louisiana’s pursuit of liberty.

“I hope members learned that fighting for freedom needs to continue with our generation,” Harrison said.

She also said she hopes that members can understand the impact of Landry’s legal battles and how she believes he has provided students with information necessary to understanding and protecting their constitutionally protected freedoms on college campuses in Louisiana through his students’ rights review.

In the future, TPUSA hopes

Maya Project in 2019 when we excavated at the large, underwater site of Ta’ab Nuk Na,” Foster said.

“Due to the COVID pandemic, we were not able to return until this year, when we excavated another large underwater site with a larger team.”

Foster said the discovery that ancient Mayas were living at the salt works is important because it humanizes the process and shows the importance and intense specialization of making salt.

“Salt is a biological necessity,” Foster said. “However, most people likely don’t think about where their salt comes from. They buy it in the grocery store when they run out and don’t think any more

of it. In the past, ancient peoples such as the ancient Maya had to procure their own salt or else specifically trade for it or buy it from merchants that specialized in salt production.”

While modern-day individuals might not think about where their salt comes from, Foster said that ancient salt production discoveries will help open people’s minds to the everyday struggles of earlier populations and our ancestors for basic necessities.

“This will lead to a better appreciation of the struggles still faced by people today who have to work to find salt, such as those affected by the Ukrainian-Russian war,” Foster said. “This has made salt a precious commodity

in Ukraine, or people in impoverished communities who cannot buy salt conveniently.”

Foster said that there are plans to return again in spring 2023 for more excavations.

Geography and anthropology doctoral candidate Hollie Lincoln worked in Belize with McKillop this past spring. She said she’s been involved in archaeology in Belize for quite some time.

“In 2011 I started working in Belize, eventually getting my [Master of Science] in cultural resource management archaeology,” Lincoln said. “I didn’t want to give up Maya archaeology, so a Ph.D. specifically focused on ancient Maya Archaeology in Belize was the right next step for

me.”

She said that while COVID-19 shut down travel for field work, 2022 ended up being her first field season in southern Belize with McKillop.

Lincoln said the recent discoveries of salt works bring awareness to the complexity of ancient civilizations that were previously unknown.

“I think people are always surprised to hear about how robust or organized ancient economies or ancient people were,” Lincoln said. “Just getting information like this out to the public on a broad scale means more people are made aware of something that they probably never thought to seek out.”

to grow membership and host more events like this, along with fostering better relationships with other organizations on campus, Harrison said.

“We want to have a larger impact on campus for the students who I call ‘quiet conservatives,’” Harrison said. “I hope our presence on campus encourages them to come out and speak up for what they believe in.”

Political communications senior Elizabeth Crochet has been working as the event coordinator at Turning Point for about three years.

“Hearing a statewide elected

official speak to our Turning Point chapter was a big accomplishment for us,” Crochet said.

“He talked about fighting for what is right even when it may not be popular and that is something that really resonated with me.”

Crochet said that some of the topics covered during the event, including limited government, religious rights and the First Amendment, tend to impact students directly. She said this is why she was excited for members of the organization to become familiar with what Landry has been working on.

Public relations student Lauren Hanemann joined Turning Point in August 2021. She said the organization provides her the space to exercise her voice in freedom of speech which gives her a sense of pride to be a part of the organization.

“With my major and minor, I am taught a lot of one-sided subjects with no room to express my freedom of opinion,” Hanemann said. “I am proud that I have this organization of amazing individuals who love America and want to do anything they can to ensure that the future of our country is bright.”

Hanemann also mentioned how Landry’s message emphasized the significance of understanding what is happening in society as young adults of this day and age.

Hanemann said that Landry’s message stresses the importance of understanding what is going on in “our cities, state and country.” She also said that there are changes people can make to ensure the future of this country is something people want to see.

“All in all, Jeff Landry’s speech was intelligent, impactful, and valuable,” Hanemann said.

ENTERTAINMENT

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BY MADELON DAVIS @madelondavis

NOVEMBER

7

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Dried Floral Ornament Bar Sweet Baton Rouge On Monday, Nov. 7, Baton Rouge Succulent Co. is hosting a Girls Night Out event at Sweet Baton Rouge, 1509 Government St., Suite D. This event is from 5 to 7 p.m. At the event, there are different craft stations and snacks.

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Mat Kearney: The Acoustic Trio Tour Manship Theatre Alternative pop/rock singer and songwriter Mat Kearney is performing at the Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St., on Tuesday, Nov. 8 at 7:30 p.m. You can purchase tickets on the Manship Theatre website. Prices range from $65-$75.

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NOVEMBER

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Just Heal, Bro LSU Student Union Theater This event is being put on by The African American Cultural Center along with a few other organizations. Five speakers will address topics like mental health, emotional development, healing and more. The event starts at 7 p.m. and lasts until 10 p.m. You can RSVP at www.justheal.co.

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Monday, November 7, 2022

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LSU football freshman tight end Mason Taylor (86) catches the ball at the end of the fourth quarter.

Monday, November 7, 2022

SATURDAY NIGHT IN DEATH VALLEY Tigers score two-point conversion to beat Alabama 32-31 in overtime on Nov. 5, at Tiger Stadium.

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LSU football offensive line junior Anthony Bradford (75) jogs onto the field with his teammates while fireworks shower the sky.

LSU football junior quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) throws the ball over a defender.

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The Golden Band from Tigerland marches down the field before the start of the game.

Former LSU basketball player Shaquille O’Neal stands on the sidelines.

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LSU football junior defensive end BJ Ojulari (18) takes down an Alabama player.

LSU football fans scream in celebration after the Tigers score a touchdown.

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THE Daily Commuter Puzzle ACROSS 1 Trips across the pool 5 Caesar & others 9 Think ahead 13 Bumbling 15 Long journey 16 “The __ Ranger” 17 Panama hat material 18 Home 20 Helpful hint 21 Beethoven’s “__ to Joy” 23 Heath, for one 24 Funny bone’s location 26 Remain behind 27 Acquire 29 Large Swiss city 32 Pig’s noise 33 Run-ins 35 Part of TGIF 37 Peruse 38 Bypasses 39 Girl in “Little Women” 40 Chow down 41 Pricey hotel booking 42 Scrub in the tub 43 Stop 45 __ the flames; made things worse 46 Get-up-and-go 47 Cuban dance 48 C-to-C on a piano 51 Singer Orbison 52 Michelle, to Malia 55 In a cautious way 58 Sports building 60 “__ or not to be…”

61 Ivory or Zest 62 Snouts 63 Eur. nation 64 Sunrise direction 65 Piece of office furniture DOWN 1 Roster 2 Prefix for body or freeze

by Jacqueline E. Mathews

Created by Jacqueline E. Mathews

3 Extend indefinitely 4 Mineral spring 5 Scatter about 6 Wrath 7 __ Moines 8 Frying pans 9 Solemn promise 10 Yearn 11 Suffix for annoy or avoid 12 __-do-well; bum 14 Inferior; cheap 19 College officials 22 Ho or Shula 25 Come to shore 27 Shrek, for one 28 Sandwich maker’s need 29 Stare openmouthed 30 Asian language 31 __ ready; poised to act 33 Very short play 34 Prune center 36 Lean-to

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Saturday’s Puzzle Solved

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38 Tense expectation 39 “The Big __ Theory” 41 Strainer 42 Sprawling tree 44 Did garden work 45 Egg __ yong 47 Burial chamber

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48 Makes a choice 49 Cornfield pest 50 Toothpaste holder 53 Singles 54 COVID-19 precaution 56 __ T; exactly 57 __ Cruces, NM 59 Towel holder

SPORTS

page 9 OPINION

‘PRESSURE IS

Column: LSU linebacker underrated TRE ALLEN @treday0314

decision at that moment. I just felt as I thought about it,” Kelly said. “You know, if we could boil this game down to one play, and win this game. Before the game started, if you asked me, ‘Hey, I’m gonna give you one play. And if you’re successful on that one play, you beat Alabama.’ I would have taken that 100 times out of 100. And so, at that moment, it kind of hit me that way. And I knew we had a really good play that we hadn’t used and that they hadn’t seen.”

LSU is known for having talent all around the field, and one those positions is at the linebacker spot.

Devin White, Kwon Alexander, Patrick Queen and so many more great LSU players have played at the linebacker position. And this year’s core is another great one in the making.

There are many linebackers who have played this year but one of the leaders of this core that has shown off his tremendous improvement has been Micah Baskerville. The 6-foot-1, 228-pound Shreveport, Louisiana, native has been showing why he’s a main catalyst on this Tiger defense. He has shown versatility in the defense as not only a coverage linebacker, but a three-down contributor.

He leads the team in tackles with 56 and shows off his speed and ability to fill in the gaps and stuff the run. There were multiple times where Baskerville was asked to spy a mobile quarterback and he stayed disciplined and contained. There were questions as to whether Baskerville would have the starting spot early on.

Another underrated player for the linebacker core is Greg Penn III. The sophomore hasn’t been getting the same attention as his teammates but he has shown why his presence is so important.

Penn has something that separates him from the others, his tackling ability. Penn is a great tackler and rarely gets his tackles broken. Penn is a strong player who specializes in following the

see LSU VS BAMA, page 10

see LINEBACKER, page 10

PRIVILEGE’

Mason Taylor leads LSU’s take of the Tide in overtime KARLI SMITH/ The Reveille

Offensive line Charles Turner III embraces tight end Mason Taylor after an exhilarating touchdown on Nov. 5, during LSU’s 32-31 victory over Alabama in Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.

BY MACKAY SUIRE @macthetiger It’s been years now since fans across the nation have witnessed peak LSU Football, since the roars of Death Valley could be heard from the outskirts of Baton Rouge, since the stadium stayed just as packed in the fourth quarter as it was for kickoff. In fact, it’s been 12 years since the Tigers took down the Crimson Tide right here in Cajun Country. That all changed this past weekend.

This was tight end Mason Taylor’s first real Saturday night

in Death Valley, or at least, the Saturday night that fans really longed for. One where the volume of those fans ricocheted inside of the stadium walls, a sound so loud that you could start to feel like you can’t hear yourself think.

“Crazy. Crazy, yeah.” Taylor explained when asked about the atmosphere following his game winning moment.

The true freshman was trusted with a play that, upon completion, would be the difference between a win or a loss against Alabama in overtime.

“Definitely when I caught that last one, I mean that place was rocking. I couldn’t hear anything and my legs kinda got numb, but it was definitely a great experience and a great atmosphere,” Taylor said.

Head Coach Brain Kelly’s decision to go for the two-point conversion rather than kicking for the game-tying point sent the whole stadium on edge. Ultimately though, that choice paid off, and his team stood proudly behind how their coach had led them through this battle.

“It was, you know, it was a

FOOTBALL

Shelton Sampson Jr. talks of his decision to commit to LSU

BY TYLER HARDEN @ttjharden8 While LSU has been able to skillfully recruit out-of-state for the Class of 2023, it has also been able to keep many in-state prospects in Louisiana, especially the recruits from Baton Rouge.

Shelton Sampson Jr. was one of those in-state recruits Coach Brian Kelly and his staff made a priority, especially because he’s right in LSU’s backyard. In early August, their efforts paid off, and the Tigers were able to land one

of the top receivers in the country.

Sampson is a 6-foot-4, 181-pound wide receiver from Catholic High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He’s ranked as the No. 6 wide receiver in the country, the No. 3 recruit in Louisiana and the No. 38 overall recruit in the country, according to 247sports.

For Sampson, all the boxes seemed to check off when evaluating LSU throughout his recruitment. The four-star wide receiver chose LSU over Alabama, Texas

A&M, Florida State, Michigan and Oregon.

“Why not? I have a great relationship with the coaching staff, the players, so everything fell in place,” Sampson said.

Sampson is a huge reason why LSU holds the No. 4 ranked recruiting class in the country, according to 247sports, as he’s the highest-ranked recruit in LSU’s Class of 2023. Since his commitment in August, he has been able to convince other elite recruits to join him, including players from the greater Baton Rouge area

like Kylin Jackson, who plays at Zachary High School, and Rickie Collins, who plays at Woodlawn High School.

Regardless of location, he’s been able to develop close bonds with the recruiting class, which will help when they all arrive on campus together.

“My relationship is good with them,” Sampson said. “We text almost every day in the group chat.”

Similarly, Sampson found the coaching staff easy to talk to, like many other recruits in the class.

“My relationship is good with them,” Sampson said. “Coach [Cortez] Hankton, Coach [Joe] Sloan, Coach Jordan [Arcement], they’re all good dudes, so I just can’t wait to get up there.”

Before Sampson suits up in the purple and gold in Death Valley, he has a senior season to finish at Catholic High. On Thursday night, his Catholic High team won the division championship over Zachary High School 24-21 in a thriller. His team is currently 9-1 on the season and is getting prepared to make a playoff run.

page 10

Monday, November 7, 2022

LINEBACKER, from page 9 ball.

The third-leading tackler from Baltimore, Maryland, has tallied 40 total tackles and is tied for second on the team in solo tackles.

He has been under the radar this season, but with his performance and the way he has been playing this season, he won’t be for long.

And finally, there’s the freshman sensation, Harold Perkins.

Perkins has been outstanding in his freshman campaign and is third on the team with tackles.

The flipped former Texas A&M commit has shown why he’s not only one of the best linebackers in his class but in the country as well.

The word “versatile” is used a lot in football, but Perkins is one of the players that fits the exact definition. From pass rushing and zone coverage to, tackling and spying he can do it all on the field.

Brain Kelly is still figuring out certain packages and ways to fit Perkins into the defensive game plan but it’s been proven that LSU’s defense is better when Perkins is on the field. Against Alabama, Perkins was instrumental in slowing down Alabama quarterback Bryce Young with his pressure and athleticism in the middle of the field.

The impact of Perkins is essential for the Tigers success and with him on the field there’s no doubt that he plays a giant role.

KARLI SMITH / The Reveille

LSU football wide receiver Malik Nabers (8) points two fingers down the field after a play on Nov. 5, during LSU’s 32-31 victory over Alabama in

LSU VS BAMA, from page 9 Taylor’s game winning catch was phenomenal all on its own, but his consistency throughout the entire night proved that plays such as that one won’t be the last time he plays a hand in game changing moments. The Florida native put forth his best performance as a Tiger yet, finishing with three catches for 36 yards.

When Taylor was finally able to fight the onslaught of passionate fans that rushed the field and got back to the locker room, Kel-

ly was waiting for him with the game ball.

“You know, we practiced for this,” Taylor said. “And pressure is a privilege at LSU. So, I just went out there and executed just like practicing. I’m just glad our coach trusted me with the plan.”

Taylor’s background in football goes far beyond what fans are witnessing from him now, as football has been engraved into his life from the time he was born. His father, Jason Taylor, spent the majority of his professional career with the Miami Dol-

AP Poll Teams Ranked No. 1-10

#1 #2 #3 #4 #5

#6 #7 #8 #9 #10

KARLI SMITH / The Reveille

Alabama head coach Nick Saban communicates with his players and staff on Nov. 5, during LSU’s 32-31 victory over Alabama in Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La. phins and his name is now listed in the Pro-Football Hall of Fame.

The freshman’s uncle, Zach Thomas, spent time as a Miami Dolphin as well and has been a Pro-Football Hall of Fame finalist three different times.

Though his reputation and performances speak volumes, his teammates are quick to comment on not just his ability, but even more so on his character.

“Mason’s amazing,” running back Josh Williams said. “He’s one of the most humble freshmen I’ve ever met.”

LSU has come a long way from the team that saw defeat against Florida State in the first game of the season. The negative comments that filled the minds of critics or fans became far cries week after week. One thing that has been proven for sure is just how strong of a bond this team shares.

“The feelings I had in my mind whenever Mason scored,” Williams recalled, “I just ran full speed at him and I just jumped in. I gave him the biggest hug.”

The Tigers have now secured

their spot at No. 1 in the SEC West and an SEC Championship run is nearing the horizon. Taylor has continued to perform in ways that solidify his place as a starter; as someone that can be instrumental to LSU’s success.

A play such as that two-point conversion that sent fans charging down onto the turf may be the first time that Taylor’s actions have had a direct impact on the game’s outcome. The potential and ability that the true-freshman exudes shows that it most likely won’t be the last.

OPINION

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Elon Musk buying Twitter is a win for free speech HEADLINE NAVIGATOR BRANDON POULTER @Brandopinione Elon Musk bought Twitter.

His reasoning for doing so was simple: He thought that censorship had become rampant on the platform.

Musk views Twitter as the de facto town square and, thus, a pivotal tool of democracy. After all, the town square is where you go to air your grievances about the government, which is as American as it gets. Freedom of speech allows us to speak out against tyranny and corruption.

Our current legal framework hasn’t caught up to the internet, and how can we blame it? Laws don’t move at the speed of the internet. But our Constitution was written with certain fundamental freedoms in mind, the most important being the ability to say what you think.

Since Twitter is our modern day public square, Musk argues, it should fall under the purview of public forum law and also under common carrier law, which says that communication and transportation businesses like phone lines and airlines can’t discriminate against you without an extraordinarily compelling reason because they provide a necessary common good.

Following common carrier precedents and public forum precedents would be much better than what Twitter is currently regulated under, which is Section 230, a part of the Communications Decency Act. One clause of Section 230 says that “[n]o provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider,” which makes sense. If you own a website, you shouldn’t be held responsible for the crazy words someone else says.

But Section 230 goes too far. Another clause allows companies to censor and restrict comments or speech on the platform if it’s deemed in good faith that the provider views it as “obscene,” “violent” or “otherwise objectionable,” among other things.

What if the provider thinks that saying the United States had no evidence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq is obscene?

Or what if they’re a Christian and believe that sex before marriage is objectionable?

Pandora’s box has been opened.

In short, that clause of Section 230 steps right over the First Amendment and allows companies to define what they believe is appropriate speech.

In a recent tweet, Musk said that “[t]

here is currently great danger that social media will splinter into far-right-wing and far-left-wing echo chambers that generate more hate and divide our society.”

By allowing social media companies to choose what they think is appropriate speech selectively, they will come to reflect the opinions of those who run them.

Most of Silicon Valley is left leaning, and at places like Parler and Truth Social, the employees are right leaning. Their platforms reflect these realities.

Our founding fathers feared that the fall of our republic would come from its citizens splintering into factions and putting party over country. This fall would be accelerated by a lack of free speech in public forums.

By allowing free speech in accordance with the values of the Constitution and by treating Twitter like the public forum it is, Musk will stop that splintering our founders feared.

Brandon Poulter is a 27-year-old political science student from Baton Rouge.

Head Twitter won’t change much for users under Elon Musk SERIOUSLY KIDDING FRANK KIDD @FK446852315

Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter has ignited conversations on the future of the platform. Musk’s stated dedication to free speech has excited his fans at the idea of a future free from corporate censorship, but they fail to understand that Musk can’t deliver on his promise.

Truthfully, he never really wanted to.

Some people think that their billionaire father figure bought Twitter to save American discourse. However, this is far from reality.

The most sensible reading of Musk’s purchase is that he originally entered talks to buy Twitter as a publicity stunt before backing out and having to be legally pressured into buying the company. His supposed crusade for free speech is just a consolation prize. Now that Musk is in charge of Twitter. His supporters will find

PATRICK PLEUL / Associated Press

Elon Musk, Tesla CEO, attends the opening of the Tesla factory Berlin Brandenburg in Gruenheide, Germany, March 22.

that there’s a difference between speaking about change and enacting it.

Twitter is a publicly-traded company, meaning that it must continually grow to please its shareholders. About 90% of Twitter’s revenue comes from advertising, according to CNN. And in today’s political and social climate, advertisers are quick to cut ties with entities deemed unsavory by the public. So anyone hugging a picture of Musk or clutching their pearls thinking about a new Wild West-style Twitter should calm down.

Musk knows that he must continue Twitter’s censorship in some capacity; he’s said as much when expressing that he didn’t want Twitter to become a “free-forall hellscape.”

Advertisers aren’t the only entity concerned with the platform. Twitter must also be wary of the U.S. government. Facebook executives had to testify in front of Congress in a hearing that saw bipartisan support for regulation of the social media site.

He has plans in place to increase Twitter revenue despite the forces against him.

He laid off about half of Twitter’s employees, dissolved the board of directors and will soon implement a fee of $8 for verified users to maintain their blue check marks.

Musk will do anything he can to make money from Twitter. He may decide to charge users based on the number of characters used in a tweet or for every tweet they read. A fee for opening the app fee could be coming down the pike.

Musk might even try his patented “ask the government for money” strategy that he’s employed for his other business ventures, but the increasingly adversarial nature between social media companies and government regulators may render his goto move worthless.

Completely changing the financial model of a company is no easy task. With every change comes several potential unforeseen setbacks. If Musk’s plans don’t achieve their desired effect, users can expect a reversion in the level of censorship.

Musk didn’t buy Twitter to protect free speech; he did it because his publicity stunt went wrong, and he now has to find new ways to increase profit. Any small changes made to what’s allowed on Twitter will only remain as long as it doesn’t affect the bottom line. The minute that it does, free speech will find itself next on the chopping block.

Frank Kidd is a 21-year-old mass communication junior from Springfield, Virginia.

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Josh Archote Hannah Michel Hanks Bella Dardano

News Editor

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Deputy News Editor

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Opinion Editor

Managing Editor

The Reveille (USPS 145-800) is written, edited and produced solely by students of Louisiana State University.

The Reveille is an independent entity of the Office of Student Media within the Manship School of Mass Communication. Signed opinions are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the editor, The Reveille or the university. Letters submitted for publication should be sent via e-mail to editor@lsu.edu or delivered to B-39 Hodges Hall. They must be 400 words or less. Letters must provide a contact phone number for verification purposes, which will not be printed. The Reveille reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for space consideration while preserving the original intent. The Reveille also reserves the right to reject any letter without notification of the author. Writers must include their full names and phone numbers. The Reveille’s editor in chief, hired every semester by the LSU Student Media Board, has final authority on all editorial decisions.

Quote of the Week “And by the way, everything in

life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise.”

Sylvia Plath American poet 1932 — 1963

Monday, November 7, 2022

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Fitness culture needs to address its problem with eating disorders JEMIAH’S JUSTIFICATIONS JEMIAH CLEMONS

@Miclemah

Walking into a gym as a beginner can be intimidating. Seeing huge, muscled men everywhere might be one person’s dream and another’s nightmare. But what a beginner might not realize is the unhealthy methods sometimes used to obtain that physique.

Eating disorders have been silently plaguing the fitness community and bleeding into beauty standards. It’s wrong and irresponsible to promote health and wellness without addressing the severity of altered eating habits.

The stigma associated with eating disorders is typically only linked to women, and the oversaturation of beauty standards in social media and popular culture has led to an increase in eating disorders among teenage girls.

Because these disorders often have visible effects on women’s health, the diagnosis occurs more frequently.

When it comes to men and eating disorders, the topic is usually ignored or forgotten. The National Eating Disorders Asso-

ciation found that 10 million men will have an eating disorder in their lifetime.

One reason men are underdiagnosed with eating disorders is “because clinical assessment tools emphasize a desire to lose weight as opposed to building muscle,” according to the Center for Discovery Eating Disorder Treatment.

To understand the intensity of this issue, one must look under the massive-body-building rock.

Both amateur and professional bodybuilders train and prep for months leading up to a competition. This entails hard workouts, altered eating, dehydration and other lifestyle changes.

It even goes to the extreme of counting how many bites of a food portion the performer can eat. Though this behavior is normalized under the gaze of body gilding, this is disordered eating and exercise addiction.

Men typically experience bigorexia, known more commonly as body dysmorphia. This is a direct result of a toxic gym environment and unrealistic beauty standards. It can also lead to exercise addiction, appearance anxiety and body dysmorphic disorder.

REAGAN COTTEN / The Reveille

The elliptical machines sit in a row on Nov. 1, in the LSU Student Recreation Center on S. Campus Drive in Baton Rouge, La. These mental illnesses have become common within the fitness community, and they’re starting to reach the consumer market.

Brands like Gymshark, Bloom, Ghost and more profit off of endorsements from fitness

influencers on social media. This practice is misleading and tries to tell consumers that if they use the advertised product or plan, then they will look like the influencer promoting it. There needs to be more transparency; simply providing workout plans may not

help the average person.

Genes play a huge role in health and wellness, and the overall effectiveness of exercise can be determined by different genetic variants. These biological components make it difficult to design specific workout plans without a personal background in exercise science. Fitness influencers, therefore, would be better off staying out of offering training advice or teaching they may not be qualified to give.

The use of people’s insecurities for profit is immoral, but fitness influencers aren’t the only group to blame. The fault belongs to greedy supplement and apparel companies, social media and toxic gym culture.

Acknowledging the problems within the fitness community isn’t enough. Eating disorders have become so normalized that it will take active work for people to unlearn these behaviors.

Those affected may need to seek eating disorder treatment.

And what’s certain is that the toxic culture that led to these problems needs uprooting.

Jemiah Clemons is an 18-yearold kinesiology freshman from Miami, Florida.

TikTok star raises awareness for trans community with Biden’s help BESKE’S BUZZ KATE BESKE @KateBeske President Joe Biden and TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney recently sat down for a filmed interview with NowThis News to talk about issues affecting the transgender community. In it, Biden showed support for a community under attack online and in statehouses across the country.

Mulvaney is a transgender actress and activist known for the TikTok series “Days of Girlhood,” where she talks about her gender transition in daily videos. She has amassed 9 million followers on TikTok. The interview starts with Mulvaney saying that while she tries not to let words hurt her, what does hurt is “seeing people in power and authority figures creating laws and bills that are actively trying to harm us trans humans, especially trans children.”

She said lawmakers in many states want to exclude transgender people from participating in sports or getting proper healthcare, and some people want to decide where they can use the bathroom. 2022 saw record numbers of anti-trans legislation in statehouses across the country, according to the Human Rights Campaign.

“No one should have fear living in a state that they call home while being true to themselves.

No one should have their lives put in danger because of who they are inside,” she said. “That’s

why I’m sharing my story with the world.”

Mulvaney asked Biden if he thinks states should have a right to ban gender-affirming healthcare, to which he replied, “I don’t think any state or anybody should have the right to do that, as a moral question and as a legal question.”

Biden said that some states try to block transgender people from getting access to certain medicines and procedures, but that “no state should be able to do that in my view. So I feel very very strongly that you should have every single solitary right, including the use of your gender identity’s bathrooms in public.”

Mulvaney said that Republicans often villainize trans and non-binary people and that this narrative threatens their mental health and physical safety. She pointed out that trans women of color experience an alarmingly high murder rate.

Anti-trans violence has doubled over the last four years, with victims disproportionately being Black women, according to a report from Everytown for Gun Safety.

She asked Biden what the solution could be.

“I’m not being facetious when I say this, being seen with people like you,” Biden replied. “People fear what they don’t know.”

He said that people don’t know enough about trans people, not due to a lack of intellectual ability, but because they haven’t been exposed to them before.

Interviews such as this one allow trans people like Mulvaney

to have a voice and express support for the community from the highest position in government.

For Mulvaney, the harassment targeted at trans people online is part of her daily life.

She recently received hate after appearing in an Ulta Beauty YouTube series “The Beauty Of…” with genderfluid host David Lopez, where she discussed her experience transitioning and said that she would one day like to become a mother — a comment which conservatives immediately piled onto. “‘I want to be a mother one day, and I absolutely can.’ No, you can not,” Allie Beth Stuckey, a conservative commentator who testified before Congress in support of the Trump administration’s anti-abortion policies, tweeted in response.“ You can buy all the eggs, rent all the wombs, and wear all the makeup you want, but you cannot be a mother. And that’s ok. Accept who you are and don’t try to be something you can’t.”

The idea that those who can’t biologically carry children can’t be mothers is outdated. If a cisgender woman hired a surrogate, nobody would tell her that she isn’t a mother. Why is it any different for trans women?

Lauren Chen, a political commentator, also replied to Ulta, saying, “The fact that an adult male is obsessed with girlhood (not even womanhood, but GIRLHOOD) is just straight up creepy.

Whatever happened to shutting up and selling makeup.”

Ulta tweeted in response to the hate, explaining its YouTube

NOWTHIS NEWS / Associated Press

TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney sits down for an interview with President Joe Biden on NowThis News, airing Oct. 26. series aims to “widen the lens surrounding traditional beauty standards.” It said that some topics discussed can challenge certain perspectives, but that the company believes beauty is for everyone.

“You had two grown men tell actual women what it’s like to be a girl as if they could have any earthly idea,” Stuckey later replied. “That has nothing to do with beauty; it’s lunacy, and it’s insulting.”

Neither Mulvaney nor Lopez are trying to tell women what it’s like to be a woman; they’re simply informing people, especially trans youth, about the process of transitioning both physically and mentally.

The intolerant responses on the Ulta video show why there

needs to be more advocacy for trans people.

The multiple responses misgendering Mulvaney and Lopez show how little certain people care about others. It’s simple to call people their preferred pronouns, but Stuckey and Chen went out of their way to misgender Mulvaney just to prove a point.

While the Biden interview is a large step forward in showing support for trans people, there’s still much to be done to protect trans lives and rights. Transphobic people prove why it’s essential more is done to protect this community.

Kate Beske is a 19-year-old journalism sophomore from Destrehan.