The Reveille (11-29-21)

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SO LONG Read on

Ed Orgeron goes out with a bang Saturday in Tiger Stadium NEWS

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President Tate sat down with The Reveille to discuss his first semester at LSU, Title IX, COVID-19 and more.

ENTERTAINMENT

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The Holiday Spectacular and annual tree lighting ceremony will take place this Tuesday, ringing in the holiday season.

SPORTS

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Who will be LSU’s next coach? No one knows. But Saturday’s game showed that next guy will inherit a quality roster.

page 2 OPINION

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“Regardless of your politics...so few voters making—or blocking—major changes to the state constitution is concerning.”

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

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‘UNBELIEVABLE’

Orgeron era ends in improbable triumph over Texas A&M

BY JARED BRODTMANN @_therealjarbear At halftime in the chilly, damp Baton Rouge night, LSU took the field with a 17-7 lead over rival Texas A&M in hand.

At their flank was Ed Orgeron, soaring down the field with arms out wide as if he were an airplane lining up his landing on the sideline strip. Even after all the turmoil of the past two seasons, the LSU head coach spent his last home game having fun.

The rainy night could have set up for a funeral pyre, waiting for Aggie touchdowns to light it ablaze as the Tigers pave the way for a new head coach to take over the program next season. Fans could have easily booed their sixth-year head coach off the field if things went south. After all, the team was 5-6 in a year marred with injuries and disappointing performances.

But Orgeron’s team played hard. Big hits and chunk plays got the crowd on their feet, and chants of “L-S-U” resounded throughout Death Valley’s cavernous walls once more. Instead of a funeral, it was a cheerful celebration. The river of purple and gold that flows through the valley on Saturdays in the fall absorbed the team’s energy and fostered a fitting sendoff to an era of mostly good memories of that irreplaceable 2019 season.

The river overflowed in the fourth quarter. After falling down 24-20, Max Johnson took the field with two minutes to play. LSU had to score to win.

A drive of an LSU fan’s wildest dreams ensued. Johnson complet-

ed five passes on the drive from the LSU 15, including a dime to his favorite target of the night, Jaray Jenkins. The 28-yard touchdown pass capped off a spectacular night for Jenkins, who caught eight passes for 169 yards and two of Johnson’s three touchdowns.

“Max [Johnson] threw the ball up, and I had to make a play,” Jenkins said. “He trusted in me.

I believed in it. We had to come down with the catch.”

What followed was unmatched energy from fans, players and coaches alike. Drinks flew in the air, players jumped into each other’s arms and that purple and gold river fizzed with cheers. Senior captain linebacker Damone Clark’s ferocious sacks to finish Zach Calzada and the Aggies for good created further deafening noise to send Orgeron off in fairy tale fashion.

“It couldn’t have been drawn up any better,” Clark said. “It was a roller coaster season, but we stuck together, and we fought together. I couldn’t be more proud.”

Gathered in front of the student section, Orgeron and his players threw their arms over each other’s shoulders and sang the alma mater one last time. Cathartic is not a strong enough adjective to describe the scene.

As soon as Orgeron entered the press conference room in the locker room, he slammed on the podium with a huge grin.

“How ‘bout them Tigers!” he exclaimed. Amidst all of the stories and controversies, Orgeron was still as joyous as ever that his team fought and triumphed.

“I can’t say enough about our football team,” Orgeron said. “I

can’t say enough about the 19 seniors. We always just kept on talking: ‘Keep on fighting. Keep on fighting, and something good is going to happen.’ What a way to end that game.”

He would go on to compliment so many of his players, from Jenkins’ huge evening to Clark’s tremendous season to his coaching staff, where he’ll leave the reins to Brad Davis, the team’s offensive line coach, to be the interim head coach for the team’s upcoming bowl game. All of it was living proof of how emotionally connected he had become with everyone who was a part of LSU. “He’s done so many things for me in the development of me as a person, me as a man and just overall this team,” right tackle Austin Deculus, another senior, said. “We’re just extremely grateful for him.”

Orgeron didn’t want the postgame to be about him, but it had to be. He had no choice but to answer questions about his future.

And given the events of the evening, with how raw and emotional the results played out, it was only fitting for him to give a very candid answer.

“I’m ready,” he said. “I just felt that this came out at the right time. We did what we were supposed to do at LSU: We won a championship. I was in total agreement with Scott [Woodward]. He came to me after Kentucky, but I knew it. May the next guy step in and do great, and I wish him all the best.”

The time of transition begins. Orgeron now steps out of the spotlight as the most famous man in Louisiana, and a fresh face

will take his place. The loyal LSU fandom anxiously awaits the announcement of their next heir to the throne. In the meantime, as the rumors swirl, everyone will cherish the memory of this Saturday night in Death Valley for a while. Especially the players.

“It was unbelievable, especially there at the end,” senior center Liam Shanahan said. “Just with how the season’s gone, and we continued to fight. In many games, it didn’t go our way. So to have that fight finally rewarded with a win like that at home to make us bowl eligible, last game, senior night for us 19 seniors.

This is really what all the time and work we’ve put into this is for. It feels really good to have something good come of it.”

The adoration Orgeron has for his team and his school is mutual. Just before the game-winning drive, a few fans sprawled open a large white sign in the corner that had spray painted in sizeable black letters: “THANK YOU COACH O, FOR 2019, BEST TEAM EVER SEEN.” A Mike the Tiger fitted with a No. 9 Joe Burrow jersey stood alongside the term of endearment. It seemed meant to be that Jenkins should catch the touchdown right in front of where the sign was revealed.

There was no sadness or animosity from Orgeron. No hints of spite or remorse. Just genuine affection for getting the deserved moment for his team’s work and accomplishments over this era of LSU football. Cathartic is not a strong enough adjective to describe the scene.

Maybe destined is more appropriate.

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ABOUT THE REVEILLE

ABBY KIBLER / The Reveille

LSU football freshman linebacker Sloan Wright (48) and senior cornerback Lloyd Cole (32) put their arms around head coach Ed Orgeron for his final game Nov. 27 during LSU’s 27-24 win against Texas A&M at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.

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NEWS LOOKING BACK

President Tate reflects on first semester at LSU; talks Title IX, COVID-19

BY JOSH ARCHOTE & PIPER HUTCHINSON @JArchote & @PiperHutchBR The Reveille sat down with President William Tate IV Nov. 23 to discuss the most pressing issues facing LSU as the new president’s first semester in Baton Rouge nears its end.

Title IX “Every tiger has a claw,” Tate said, explaining what he wants to see in LSU’s next head football coach. C, for character; L, for leadership; A, for academics; and W, for winning.

Character protrudes as the biggest concern. Last year, the LSU Athletic Department became embroiled in a Title IX scandal after a report from law firm Husch Blackwell showed that LSU covered up credible allegations of misconduct against former football player Derrius Guice and former head football coach Les Miles.

Coach Ed Orgeron was implicated in the scandal, although he denied any wrongdoing. His midseason firing was attributed only to his shortcomings as a coach.

In October, it was revealed that the French department at LSU was aware that a French graduate student was charged with rape, yet still allowed him to work with undergraduates. The French Studies chair was removed from her post several weeks later.

This reoccurring problem at Louisiana’s flagship university has built a lack of trust between students and administration,

EDDY PEREZ / The Reveille

President William F. Tate IV tours the Pennington Biomedical Research Center during his first semester at LSU. which Tate ackowledged.

He said he has a simple plan to fix trust issues: to follow through on promises.

“If you don’t do what you say you’re going to do, why would you trust this?,” Tate said. “Why would anybody trust you? What I have to focus on is, what do we say we’re going to do? And did you do it? And if you deviate from that, that’s a problem.”

Tate feels optimistic about the future. He expressed a feeling of pride in the progress the Title IX office has made since his arrival.

“I think we’ve been able to see many of the weaknesses in the past processes and all of those have been addressed,” he said.

“We’re going in the right direction.”

Tate said that the staffing problems have been addressed as

well as the deficiencies in the reporting process.

“I’m not tolerating anybody who’s engaged in anything that’s inconsistent with Title IX regulatory function,” he said.

COVID-19 Tate explained how his background in epidemiology helped guide his decision making on LSU’s COVID-19 mitigation policies, which are some of the strictest of any SEC school.

Tate has written on the topic of pandemic response and is a psychiatric epidemiologist.

“Everybody I interact with has been giving me epidemiology advice, you know, with their degrees from Twitter,” he said, laughing. “I was going to be guided by science. And I was just going to put blinders on; I was going to shut Twitter off, shut off

political stuff and just do what would work.”

Tate tempered his excitement about low COVID-19 cases in recent weeks and the lifting of the mask mandate with some words of caution about the holidays.

“It will cycle back,” Tate said.

“Because you’re going to leave, you’re going to get exposed and the numbers will go up a little bit again.”

The world is currently on high alert due to the emergence of a new variant of COVID-19, Omicron, which was discovered in South Africa on Nov. 24.

Even if there is another surge over the winter months, Tate said the worst that could happen would be a repeat of this fall’s mitigation efforts, like the return of a mask mandate and continued use of HEPA filters in classrooms next semester.

Scholarship First On his first day on the job in July, Tate spoke about his “scholarship first” approach to bolstering the university’s academic reputation. He recently outlined five areas he believes the university should focus on to “protect the future of the people of Louisiana” and make LSU a premier research university.

The first three are focused on environmental issues in Louisiana, like securing the state’s disappearing coast, investing in carbon capture technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improving agriculture through

see SEMESTER, page 4

page 3 ADMINISTRATION

Tate on Renaming Committee

BY JOSH ARCHOTE @JArchote LSU President William Tate IV said Nov. 23 that he wouldn’t have formed the university’s Building Renaming Committee, the 16-person group created in June 2020

by LSU under former President Thomas Galligan, to evaluate and remove building names tied to racist figures.

Tate said most students don’t know who the buildings are named after, and that the focus of improving diversity and inclusion on campus should be placed elsewhere. He didn’t comment on what the university would do once the committee’s report, which was at one point expected to be finished

by September, arrives at his desk.

“I actually would have never started that committee,” Tate said.

“But since it’s here, I have to be respectful of the democratic process. So in order to be respectful, I’m gonna have to let them deliberate and give me some set of recommendations.”

Tate said he observed during a bike ride with students that most students don’t know the history behind the names of various campus buildings.

“When you come and tell me you have people who are frustrated, I say to you, ‘Have you actually gone out and asked people do they really even know what these names are?’” Tate said. “Because most don’t, including Middleton,

see BUILDINGS, page 4

ADMINISTRATION

LSU diversity head retires after 12 years at university

BY BELLA DARDANO @BellaDardano Dereck Rovaris, vice provost for the Office of Diversity, retired after nearly 12 years at LSU, according to university spokesperson Ernie Ballard.

Rovaris has worked with LSU since 2010, when he joined LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans as associate vice chancellor for Academic and Multicultural Affairs. Four years later, he joined the Baton Rouge campus’ Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

During his tenure, LSU received the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity award every year between 2015 and 2020 except 2018.

The HEED award denotes universities’ “outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion,” according to the sponsor of the award, Insight into Diversity Magazine.

Diversity of the LSU student body increased significantly in the

last 10 years, with Black student enrollment growing 87% and Hispanic student enrollment 130%.

The Reveille contacted Rovaris for comment on his retirement, but did not hear back.

Rovaris steered the Office of Diversity’s 2020-2022 Roadmap to Diversity and Inclusion released in June 2020. The plan outlined various ways to attract students, faculty and staff from diverse backgrounds to LSU. Rovaris was also on the university’s Building Renaming Committee, tasked with evaluating names of buildings and places on campus following the renaming of the LSU Library. The LSU Board of Supervisors in June 2020 voted unanimously to remove Troy Middelton’s — a segregationist and former university president — name from the library amid nationwide Black Lives Matter protests after George Floyd’s death.

Political science senior, Black

Out LSU lead organizer and member of the renaming committee, Devin Woodson, said Rovaris contributed a valuable perspective and discussion to the group’s efforts.

“I love the work that he did,” Woodson said. “It is unfortunate to see that loss of perspective, because that engaging discussion and all those meetings we had, that’s important.”

In 2019, Rovaris was named president of the American Association of Blacks in Higher Education, an organization that represents African Americans in higher education and brings “issues pertinent to Black faculty and staff to the attention of the larger academic community,” according to their website.

“Dr. Rovaris had a profound effect on me as an undergraduate,” said Shea Ferguson, a graduate assistant in the Office of Diversity.

“He was a constant source of sup-

port and hope. I looked forward to learning from him and receiving his wisdom.”

With Rovaris’ retirement comes structural changes to the Office of Diversity announced in an email from President William F. Tate IV on Nov. 18.

The office will now be under the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX, with Jane Cassidy serving as interim leader of the expanded department. LSU will soon start their search for a permanent replacement for Rovaris, according to Ballard.

“My goal as LSU President is to build an environment that supports and values excellence, and to ensure that every student, faculty and staff at our university has the opportunity to be successful in their academic and professional endeavors,” Tate said. “To achieve the alignment necessary to make this vision a reality, we are reorganizing our diversity and inclusion

efforts under the umbrella of our newly designated Office of Civil Rights & Title IX.” LSU created the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX in April because of recommendations from the Husch Blackwell report that detailed the university’s mishandling of sexual assault cases. The office is tasked with handling Title IX cases and any behavior deemed discriminatory, and will be over the Office of Diversity.

“President Tate envisions an Office of Title IX and Civil Rights that is more broadly and holistically focused on social justice and human rights, including ensuring that students, faculty and staff are treated equally with respect,” Ballard said. “Full alignment of these issues is critical to LSU’s long-term success and is best accomplished by moving the Office of Diversity under this broader organization, reporting directly to the president.”

Monday, November 29, 2021

page 4 SEMESTER, from page 3 precision agriculture and biotechnology.

“The future of our coasts is completely aligned with the future of the state, which is completely aligned, in my opinion, with the future of the United States,” Tate said. “If we don’t

BUILDINGS, from page 3 which I was very surprised, given all the things that have been related to that.”

When asked what he would have done instead of forming a renaming committee, Tate said he would have consulted experts on what effects building names with problematic histories have on the community.

“I probably would have had a conversation with people who really study this, and ask, ‘What are the real implications for having these names?’” Tate said. “I think you’re going to find that a preponderance of people actually don’t even know who most of these folks are.”

Tate said the focus on promoting diversity and inclusion at LSU should be placed elsewhere.

“We have lots of business activities at LSU. Our economic impact is in the billions,” Tate said.

“Do we think about who actually has access to supplies and sup-

deal with the energy problem in carbon capture related to it, climate change is going to destroy us.”

Tate also wants the university to be a nationally designated cancer institute. Louisiana has the fifth-highest cancer death rate in the U.S., according to 2019 data from the Centers for Disease Con-

trol and Prevention.

“We should be solving the cancer problem,” Tate said.

Lastly, Tate said LSU should focus on cybersecurity research to ensure the country’s protection against potential cyber attacks.

LSU’s college ranking in the most recent U.S News and World Report fell 19 spots, putting the

university near the bottom of the SEC, ahead of Mississippi State University only.

“That tells me a lot about the climate,” Tate said. “I don’t think we should be dead last.”

Tate juxtaposed LSU’s ranking with the University of Alabama’s ranking and outcomes, which are often near the top of the SEC.

“What is it about that environment that is different than our environment?,” Tate said. “[Is it] Football? Doubt it. We’ve won national championships too. Something else is happening in terms of how people are enculturated and brought into the community and made to feel bigger than just their individual selves.”

plier opportunities? Do we have a framework for making sure everyone has an opportunity to be successful?”

Tate also mentioned the importance of having a stronger plan to diversify LSU faculty and graduate programs, and the recent decision to move the Office of Diversity under the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX. Political science senior, Black Out LSU lead organizer and member of the Building Renaming Committee Devin Woodson said efforts to rename buildings and other diversity-focused initiatives are not exclusive.

“It is important that you address the substantial policy initiatives and you go through with those, and that’s what we were doing in Blackout,” Woodson said.

“But it’s also important that you exemplify those through symbols.

You cannot have a building named after somebody who intentionally oppressed Black people, and then you present that building as part

of your LSU system.”

Amid Black Lives Matter protests across the U.S. in Summer 2020, Black Out LSU introduced several diversity initiatives to the university. Part of that list of policies was to rename the Middleton library, which the Board of Supervisors unanimously agreed to.

LSU then agreed to form a 13-person group made up of administration, faculty and students to evaluate building names on campus and deliver a report with suggestions to the university. The committee hasn’t met since March 11 and hasn’t set a formal date to reconvene, according to Woodson.

Woodson said the group stopped meeting weekly around the time Verge Ausberry, LSU Athletics executive deputy athletic director and member of the renaming committee, was suspended for mishandling a Title IX case.

Woodson said the committee will deliver a report to LSU eventually, but couldn’t give an estimate of when. He said the group is still

conducting research on LSU building names, which usually requires extensive research and sourcing.

“We’re not willing to give up on this,” Woodson said. “I wouldn’t let that happen. The committee members are not gonna let that happen. We will see the building names evaluated on this campus.”

Student body President Javin Bowman echoed Tate’s attitudes toward renaming, saying diversity efforts should be placed elsewhere.

“While I understand the importance of renaming buildings, tearing down shrines of racism, I believe there are other aspects that can help students of color increase their opportunities,” Bowman said. “Opportunity is what separates students of color and white students.”

For Woodson, the substantial policies to address disparities between students of color and white students, and building renaming efforts should take place simultaneously.

“People don’t understand the contribution that Black students have given to this university over the years, including student athletes,” Woodson said. “You cannot exist, or succeed at a university here, or anywhere, without Black people.”

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Troy H. Middleton Library on June 17, 2020 on LSU’s campus.

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Holiday Spectacular | LSU Drop by Tower Drive anytime from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. for holiday treats and activities on Tuesday, Nov. 30. Then, officially ring in the holiday season with the annual LSU tree lighting ceremony at 7:45 p.m. at Free Speech Circle.

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S’mores at the Course | LSU UREC It’s beginning to feel like winter at LSU. On Wednesday, Dec. 1, join the LSU UREC on the outdoor challenge course for free s’mores from 7 p.m.-9 p.m.

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Eric Schmitt | La Divina Italian Café LSU English instructor Eric Schmitt will be showing off his singer-songwriter skills when he plays at Thursday, Dec. 2, at the La Divina Italian Café, 3535 Perkins Rd. From 6 p.m.-8 p.m., you can enjoy the live music along with some gelato or a panini.

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Monday, November 29, 2021

page 6 BATON ROUGE COMMUNITY

White Light Night promotes small business in Baton Rouge

BY EDDY HAGE @hage_eddy The Mid City Merchant’s Associaton hosted White Light Night Friday, where hundreds of local artists, musicians and businesses from all corners of Louisiana lined the street, ornamented with sparkling white lights and crowded with intrigued shoppers.

The Mid City Maker’s Market at Circa 1857 antiques was one of the larger venues of the festival, where pop-up shops saturated the area, and potter Ghada Henagan sold her ceramics.

She first shaped clay with her sister in Lebanon and began vending at festivals after she moved to Louisiana. Mid City Maker’s Market is her favorite festival to work, and she praised the organizers for running the event so well. “(Mid City Maker’s Market) is always nice, but the combination of White Light Night and Mid City Maker’s Market makes it even better,” Henagan said. “I like it because it’s crowded, and everyone is having fun.”

Over at the Electric Depot, more vendors gathered as live bands serenaded the crowds. Courtney Easterly runs a store called Deathtastic Creations, where she makes elegant art with a macabre twist.

COURTESY OF MID CITY MERCHANTS

“We create art out of death,” Easterly said of the booth lined with crystal skulls and butterflies framed amongst sunflowers. “A lot of people are really scared of insects and dead stuff. We try to make it pretty.”

Her affinity for butterflies combined with people’s natural fear of insects persuaded her to make beautiful art that could help people overcome that dread.

Isabelle De Joya Vea is an LSU psychology and biology graduate who runs the shop IDJV Art and Jewelry. She started a side hustle as a painter her senior year at LSU. Once more people found her colorful art through social media, she pursued it full time.

“My process is really colordriven,” De Joya Vea said. “I really like abstract art because it’s very freeing. It doesn’t really have any

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kind of restrictions. It’s whatever you want to make it.”

Her psychology background got her thinking about seasonal affective disorder, resulting in her vibrant, psychedelic art.

“Your mood really changes whenever you see something beautiful.” De Joya Vea said. “With the art, I kind of tend to go with bright colors because it’s like speaking to you. It’s not dragging you down.

It’s uplifting you.”

De Joya Vea praised Mid City Maker’s Market for being a great outlet for local creatives to learn, communicate and share.

“I love the cool support system Baton Rouge has for their locals,” said De Joya Vea. “We’re all very happy when people come to our booths and tell us how they connect with it or how they love our products or how they told somebody else about our products.”

Psychology freshman Sanarita Harb works for Red Stick Spice, whose parking lot hosted its own vendors for White Light Night.

“Having events like these is really good for business,” Harb said.

“Mid City Maker’s Market has small monthly events, but White Light Night is a big event that everyone looks forward to.”

Harb thinks Baton Rouge has a really good local small business life, praising events like Friday’s for keeping Baton Rouge nightlife alive.

“From a worker’s perspective, it was hectic and busy, but, ultimately, festivals like these are always really fun because it’s different from normal interactions where someone just comes in to get their stuff and leave,” sad Harb. “People come in and they genuinely want to talk to you.”

Monday, November 29, 2021

page 7

LITERATURE

Overcoming hurdles: LSU track alum tells his story in book

BY AVA BORSKEY @iamavab Arthur Price III had just turned down a spot on the LSU football team. He walked back to his car on the blazing hot afternoon, and while he was sitting there, he remembered the phrase “walk tall.” That became his motto.

Price went on to have a successful career in the 60-meter and 110-meter hurdles in track and field at LSU. Deciding to focus on one sport was a big decision for the athlete.

“I knew from that moment, life was going to change significantly for me,” Price said.

But he had no idea the hardships the next few years would bring. Price’s mother passed away from dementia in 2018. He

dedicated the following track season to her but fell short of his goals. The next year, the athlete suffered a hamstring injury in the first race of the season.

One of his closest friendships ended unexpectedly. Then, the pandemic hit.

“Going through all that,” Price said, “I was, like, ‘Okay, I need a way to get all this out of me.’”

With competitions canceled and gyms closed for training, Price began to write his life story, “For the Man Who Walks Tall.”

“Initially, I was afraid to really dive into my inner psyche,” Price said. “It took a little bit to be comfortable with, but I think a lot of closer people to me were like, ‘You know, if you’re writing a book, maybe some-

thing personal can possibly help someone out.’”

The book helped Price sort himself, too. Price said writing the book has made him more open as a person and helped him to move forward.

Price started his book at the beginning, going back to one of his first memories as a child: the day he became fascinated with kings. Growing up, he wanted to be a king. As he got older, he realized those illusions of grandeur could still apply to his life, only it meant something deeper.

“What actually is a king?”

Price said. “Bravery, honor, high sense of morals, devoting himself to helping other people, being kind, things like that. And on top of that, still being ambitious about what you want to accomplish in life.”

For five months, Price worked on his book. He went through old journals and elaborated on those writings to create ideas and chapters. With the turn of each page, he explored life-defining moments filled with grief, racism and identity.

“Accepting myself and accepting things that happened to me — pain, joy, all that stuff — really made me comfortable and appreciative of the things I’ve gone through,” Price said.

He said the book became like a love letter to himself— one that he hopes others can relate to and find inspiration in.

Julia Palin, an LSU mass communication senior who was on the track and field team with Price, said the book accomplished just that.

“I really think he did a great

job of opening up and being vulnerable, explaining what he truly felt, what he truly went through,” Palin said. “I think a lot of people, especially young boys, can learn from it and see that you can truly grow so much as a person and as an athlete if you just give it time and work hard.”

The 2019 alumnus is now balancing a professional track and field career with online graduate school. He’s no stranger to overcoming hurdles, both literally and figuratively.

“I feel like you have to be brave with anything,” Price said. “No matter what you go through — and actually, this is the meaning of walk tall. You don’t have to get there fast, but as long as you get there, and have pride.”

MUSIC

Feel the beat with Louisiana’s seven-man Brasshearts Band

BY AVA BORSKEY @iamavab Weddings, festivals, airport baggage claims and Mardi Gras balls in Philadelphia. Brasshearts Brass Band, a seven-member brass band from Louisiana’s Northshore, has played them all.

Miguel Seruntine, a computer science sophomore at LSU, runs Brasshearts behind the scenes and plays trombone and sousaphone on stage.

Seruntine was cooking chicken at his job at Chipotle when he got a phone call. The man on the other end was looking to book a brass band for a Mardi Gras themed event in Philadelphia.

The Brasshearts got the gig.

The band was flown out to Philadelphia and put up in the Four Seasons Hotel. The group of teens and 20-somethings found themselves bringing a New Orleans party to Philadelphia in full festival floatrider costumes.

“That’s like something that would happen in a movie,” Seruntine said.

Much of the Brasshearts’ story sounds like something that could be Hollywood’s next blockbuster hit.

Brasshearts Brass Band formed in 2017 when a group of high schoolers put together a band for a talent show at St. Paul’s School in Covington. The band has seen a few personnel changes since its inception, but it’s kept moving forward, even earning acceptance into the 2020 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival before COVID-19 delays.

James Plaisance, an LSU music education and jazz studies sophomore, has been playing the baritone saxophone with the Brasshearts since near the beginning.

“Individually as musicians, we’ve all just made really big leaps and advancements,” Plaisance said. “As a sound, we have been playing together for so long that it’s just second nature for us. We know what we’re going to hear,

COURTESY OF ADRIAN MILLAN

what we’re expecting to hear and it’s just that.”

But as an audience member at a Brasshearts show, you never know just what to expect. It might be New Orleans staples like “My Feet Can’t Fail Me Now” by Dirty Dozen Brass Band or “Do Whatcha Wanna” by Rebirth Brass Band, or it could be a brass band arrangement of pop tunes from Bruno Mars or Ariana Grande.

You might hear Bell Biv DeVoe’s ‘90s hit “Poison” with a 50 Cent “In da Club” breakdown, a tradition that grew out of what Seruntine called the craziest gig the band ever booked.

A man sent the Brasshearts an

inquiry, looking for a brass band to surprise his sister who was flying into New Orleans for her birthday.

Less than a day later, the Brasshearts found themselves rehearsing the man’s requested songs in a Rouse’s parking lot before driving down to the Louis Armstrong International Airport to bring a high-energy party to the airport baggage claim.

“I think most people were digging it because, you know, you get bored sitting in the baggage claim waiting for whatever to come out,” Seruntine said. “Most people were vibing.”

Times like that are drummer

Michael Silvestri’s favorite.

“The best times when I’m playing, I’m mainly looking at the audience and trying to see what the audience is doing, how they’re reacting,” Silvestri said. “When I see the audience really engaging and enjoying it, that is huge.”

Silvestri is a freshman at Loyola University in New Orleans and hopes to one day open a custom carpentry business, a passion he’s been able to combine with music in a unique way. Silvestri has crafted several drums from scratch, including the snare drum he brings to Brasshearts’ gigs.

The Brasshearts let their unique personalities come through

in their attire and sound. Every member has a certain color tie to wear to gigs. Silvestri’s is lilac purple, and he’s made his drumkit to match.

Many of the Brasshearts members come from a jazz background, with marching band experience in high school. The Brasshearts take that musical experience and incorporate it with New Orleans brass to create what Plaisance called a musical experience you won’t hear anywhere else.

Silvestri agreed that the brass music the band plays is playful and fun.

“It takes marching music, and it turns it on its head,” Silvestri said.

“It’s a lot more like party music.

You can definitely hear how the party scene has come in and influenced it.”

Seruntine said there’s a certain energy that New Orleans music can bring. When people come out to see a band, they expect to you to give them some of that.

“They’re expecting you to just bring some positivity to their day while they’re watching,” Seruntine said. “I definitely take seriously the band providing that to people and trying to do that whenever we’re playing.”

With an album in the works, Brasshearts has two original singles “Pullin’ the Weight” and “Clock Out.” “I’m definitely just super proud of how far we’ve come,” Seruntine said. “From how we started, just underclassmen in high school just messing around, and then, you know, getting to the point where we are now.”

Looking forward, the band hopes to finally get to perform in Jazz Fest when its rescheduled dates roll around in April 2022.

You can catch Seruntine, Plaisance and Silvestri, along with the rest of the band Collin Ledesma (trumpet), Will Green (tenor sax), Jake Lodato (trombone) and Ezra Schroeder (sousaphone, guitar) at the Red Stick Social this Saturday, Dec. 4.

SPORTS NOW WHAT?

page 8 FOOTBALL

How LSU upset Texas A&M REVEILLE STAFF REPORT

Jenkins undoubtedly had the best game of his LSU career, catching eight passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns. Max Johnson had an impressive night as well, going 22-38 with 306 yards and three touchdowns.

The offense looked better than it had in a while in this game, showing signs of what the future may bring under the right leadership.

The pieces on offense are there, and whoever the new coach is will have an abundance of talent to work with. The trend in college football lately has been to look toward offensive minded coaches, and that will be a key aspect to watch in the LSU coaching search. Riley would have fit this description perfectly, but with him now out, the door is open for LSU to make an outside-the-box hire that would

Ed Orgeron’s tenure concluded, coaching search rumors continued to swirl, and LSU upset Texas A&M 27-24 on a wet, chilly Saturday night in Baton Rouge.

Cade York opened the scoring with a 50-yard field goal in the first quarter. Then, LSU receiver Jaray Jenkins beat man coverage on a wheel route, and Max Johnson dropped a beautifully thrown ball right into his arms for a 45yard touchdown. LSU jumped out to an early 10-0 lead on the 15thranked Aggies.

LSU’s defense also started the game strong. They forced the Texas A&M offense to punt on four of their five first-half drives.

To cap off their lone first-half scoring drive, Aggie quarterback Zach Calzada backpedaled away from an unblocked rush from Damone Clark and lofted a pass into a gap in LSU’s defense for the touchdown.

LSU’s front seven was stout in the first half. They held A&M to only 18 sack-adjusted rushing yards and came away with two sacks and four tackles for loss, only allowing 118 total yards.

LSU’s offense had a much more productive first half. It totaled 243 yards, and Trey Palmer took a screen pass 61 yards for the score that put the Tigers up 17-7 just before halftime.

The Tigers punted on their first two drives of the second half, but a thundering 29-yard run by Tyrion Davis-Price and a success-

see SEARCH, page 9

see UPSET, page 9

ABBY KIBLER/ The Reveille

LSU football freshman wide receiver Jack Bech (80) points to the crowd Nov. 27 after LSU’s 27-24 win against Texas A&M at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.

BY PETER RAUTERKUS @peter_rauterkus It was a storybook ending to the Ed Orgeron era. A gamewinning touchdown pass, senior leader Damone Clark icing the game with two sacks, Tiger Stadium descending into utter madness at the final whistle. But on a night where one era came to a magical end, another one is getting ready to start.

Not long after the final whistle blew in Tiger Stadium, Oklahoma State pulled off a massive win over arch rival Oklahoma, led by purported top LSU target Lincoln Riley. This led many to believe that the deal with Riley was all but sealed, but Riley was adamant after the game that those rumors were not true.

“I’m not going to be the next coach at LSU. Next question,” Riley said shortly after his team’s close loss to Oklahoma State.

This comment surprised a lot of people, even more so when Riley had reportedly agreed to be the next head coach at not LSU, but at USC hours after those remarks. This news came as a shock to many—rumors swirled before Saturday that a deal between Riley and LSU was all but done.

With this shocking development, the coaching search will take yet another turn in what has been a wild process from the start. With Riley out of the picture, it is very much up in the air where LSU will go from here. Fan-favorite candidate Bill Napier was also taken out of the picture Sunday after officially agreeing to be the head coach at Florida. There has been reported interest from LSU toward Kentucky Head Coach Mark Stoops and Alabama Offensive Coordinator Bill O’Brien, but neither of these options seem to be at the

top of anyone’s lists. Whoever the new coach ends up being, this LSU team proved against Texas A&M that there will be plenty to work with.

A team that had been hit with every type of adversity possible showed that it had the ability to fight and keep pushing, and it finally paid off in the win. When Texas A&M took a 24-20 lead late in the fourth quarter, it felt like yet another game where LSU had a clear chance, but was unable to finish. Instead, LSU went on a nine-play, 85-yard drive, capped off by a 28-yard touchdown pass from Max Johnson to Jaray Jenkins that sent Tiger Stadium into a frenzy.

“Max [Johnson] threw the ball up and I had to make a play,” Jenkins said when reliving the game-winning touchdown.

“He trusted in me, I believed in it and I had to come up with the catch.”

BASKETBALL

LSU makes history in rout of Belmont: ‘Not some bye game’

BY HENRY HUBER @HenryHuber_ Before the Belmont Bruins faced off against the undefeated Tigers on Monday night, they averaged 88 points a game and hadn’t scored below 80 a single time this season. They were expected to give LSU trouble, only being listed as six-point underdogs.

“That’s a Top-30, borderline Top-25 offense,” Head Coach Will Wade said. “They are the real deal. They’re going to win 25 plus games. They are the real deal.”

Wade and his squad defeated the three-win, two-loss Bruins 83-53, becoming the first LSU

team to hold five straight opponents to less than 60 points through five games since the 1946-47 season.

“This was a huge test tonight,” Wade said. “I thought our discipline and urgency were really good. We were locked into what we needed to do and swarmed that ball. I thought it was a good defensive performance. This was not some bye game that we dominated.”

Wade credited Tari Eason, who put up great numbers again with 17 points and seven rebounds, and Xavier Pinson, who got the offense going in the first half.

Other than them, the team stood out as a whole, playing great defense, attacking the boards and

shooting efficiently.

Once again, despite facing a solid challenge, the Tigers made it look easy on their way to a resounding victory. With every win like this, some of the doubt and skepticism from the fanbase dissipates.

However, this game was different from their battle against Liberty the week prior. Fans were sweating that game out until about three quarters into the second half. LSU had certain things they struggled with against the Flames, like turnovers and shooting at certain points, but there wasn’t much struggling on Monday.

There was no sweating it out in this one. None at all.

They accomplished this with two key components: efficient shooting and suffocating defense.

After starting the game 0-5 from the field and going down by seven, LSU would go on a 25-4 run that would propel their shooting percentage to 50%.

They would maintain that percentage until the end of the half.

The other significant part about that run was how much time passed during it. Belmont scored a grand total of four points in 11 minutes of play, which was damaging not just during that run, but for the remainder of the game.

The problem on Belmont’s end was that LSU adjusted to the quickness of their offense and

they got torn to shreds because of it. Their confidence dissipated with every minute that went by with little to no success.

While LSU’s field goal percentage skyrocketed, Belmont’s plummeted into the low 30s by the end of the half and never truly recovered. All the while, LSU’s percentage continued to improve throughout the second half, going from 50% to 54% by the end of the game.

They took that amazing run in the first half and simply built on it in the second, and the result was a blowout victory over a team that could end up in the NCAA tournament come March.

This new LSU team is turning heads in the best way possible.

Monday, November 29, 2021 SEARCH, from page 8 bring offensive excitement.

The LSU defense once again played a great game, holding Texas A&M under 300 yards of total offense and just 54 rushing yards. Senior leader Damone Clark led the way on defense, tallying 10 tackles with 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks including the two that sealed the game for LSU. After the game, Clark talked about what Orgeron meant to him and what it was like being a part of his final game.

“It’s kind of emotional to watch him leave,” Clark said.

“He was a great coach. He was all about the players. To see him leave, even though I’m also leav-

page 9 ing, it’s still kind of emotional.”

It was even more evident on the defensive side of the ball just how talented this LSU team is at its best. Another one of the big questions going into the coaching search has been which assistants will be retained, and after the last few games, Defensive Coordinator Daronte Jones will likely be considered. LSU’s defense has been lights out since the bye week, and that can be attributed to the scheme change

by Jones. Jones switched to a base 4-3 from a 4-2-5, and it paid dividends, showing how talented of a coach he is when given the freedom to run his defense.

“It’s something I wish we would’ve did earlier,” Orgeron

said.

After the game, Orgeron officially announced that this game was the end for him. Offensive Line Coach Brad Davis will take beach coaching duties in the bowl game, leading many to believe LSU has found who the new coach will be.

Despite it being his final game with LSU, Orgeron did not want to make the occasion about him. He stressed all week about this game being for the players and continued to make that point after the game.

“I told them how proud I am of them. They fought, and something good is always going to happen when you fight like that.”

UPSET, from page 8

DERICK HINGLE / Associated Press

LSU wide receiver Trey Palmer (33) runs past Texas A&M defensive back Jardin Gilbert (20) for a touchdown during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021..

ful 13-yard run-pass-option to Jaray Jenkins put the Tigers in field goal territory, where York capitalized with a 47-yard kick. In the third, LSU and A&M traded field goals, and LSU kept its 10-point lead heading into the fourth.

But the Aggies responded with a seven-play, 75-yard drive.

They finally found some success on the ground, rushing five times at nearly 10 yards per carry. Calzada connected with Jalen Preston for a 15-yard score, and the LSU lead was cut to three.

After both teams exchanged

s l w o t nigh

ABBY KIBLER / The Reveille

LSU football freshman linebacker Sloan Wright (48) and senior cornerback Lloyd Cole (32) put their arms around head coach Ed Orgeron for his final game Nov. 27 during LSU’s 27-24 win against Texas A&M. punts, Calzada evaded what seemed like a sure sack and hit a receiver on the run. He ran 32 yards for a touchdown, and Texas A&M got their first lead of the game.

The Tigers took the clock down to the four-minute mark when they were forced to punt the ball. The Aggies prepared to run the clock down from their eight-yard line, but to no avail.

With one final timeout remaining, LSU began their two-minute drill. Johnson ran for five yards on first down and was sacked on second. Then on fourth down, Johnson found Jack Bech for the

first time of the night, connecting for 11 yards and a first down.

Johnson continued his march, finding Jenkins for a nine-yard gain. With 47 seconds on the clock, Johnson hit a wide open Malik Nabers for a first down continuing their final push.

Seconds later, Johnson led Jenkins on a deep ball for a 28yard touchdown, giving the Tigers the lead with 20 seconds remaining.

With the momentum and crowd behind them, LSU, for the final time in Death Valley under Ed Orgeron, came away with a win.

early birds

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page 10

Monday, November 29, 2021

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OPINION

page 11

Low voter turnout in Nov. concerning but unsurprising SULLY’S SCOOP CLAIRE SULLIVAN

@sulliclaire

In the state’s most recent election, less than 14% of eligible voters altered the state constitution by passing an amendment that makes it easier for the legislature to lower income and corporate taxes.

The Nov. 13 election saw dismal turnout, and it’s not hard to see why. These constitutional amendments were put to a vote in an off year and difficult to understand.

Let’s look at just the first of the proposed amendments, which was ultimately rejected by voters: “Do you support an amendment to authorize the legislature to provide for the streamlined electronic filing, electronic remittance and the collection of sales and use taxes levied within the state by the State and Local Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Commission and to provide for the funding, duties and responsibilities of the commission?”

The first time I read this amendment, I had next to no idea what it was proposing.

According to the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, a nonprofit trying to help voters understand what exactly they are voting for, Amendment one proposed to “allow a single author-

THE REVEILLE ARCHIVES

Computer engineering junior Nicholas James displays sign encouraging people to register to vote on Oct. 3, 2020 during a voter registration drive on Gardere Lane in Baton Rouge. ity to oversee the collection, electronic filing and policy guidance for state and local sales taxes.”

PAR, among other organizations, put out a guide prior to the election that helped explain the meaning and impact of proposed

constitutional amendments. That is the type of effort and clarity the public deserve directly from their legislators.

Amendment two, the only amendment that passed in the election, has been criticized by

some policy organizations.

The Louisiana Budget Project, a nonprofit that analyzes public policy in Louisiana, called the amendment “a complicated taxswap package that was described to voters in misleading language.”

“When 93% of Louisiana tax filers get a tax cut, that means less revenue for things like schools, hospitals and safety-net programs,” said the organization’s daily newsletter.

It seems these constitutional amendments are frequently used for sneaky changes in tax policy. This was the case in the November 2020 election, in which Amendment five proposed allowing corporations to negotiate their property taxes by making upfront payments instead of paying taxes. In effect, this would lower or entirely eliminate property tax for those corporations.

It’s telling that Amendment five was only put up to vote after energy company Cameron LNG spent millions of dollars lobbying for it.

Amendment five thankfully failed, but it adds evidence to an uncomfortable trend of how these amendments are used and abused by legislators and their donors.

Regardless of your politics, most people can agree that so few voters making—or blocking—major changes to the state constitution is concerning.

But instead of pointing a finger at voters, we should look critically at the elected officials who failed to give residents a reason to come out and vote.

Claire Sullivan is a 19-year-old coastal environmental science sophomore from Southbury, CT.

Crumbling campus not entirely due to lack of funding SAM’S TWO CENTS SAMUEL CAMACHO @SamuelE17713784 In my many walks across campus, I’ve had the pleasure—and, occasionally, the displeasure— of entering most of the university’s buildings. Sometimes I do it just for fun, to explore and better know my university, but also out of necessity—when it rains, even Miller Hall is appealing.

I’ve since realized one undeniable tragedy: many of the buildings on campus have, in one way or another, deteriorated.

Before renovations began recently, the abandoned Huey P. Long Fieldhouse was seen as the epitome of LSU’s crumbling in-

frastructure. Lockett Hall, infamous for its “collapsing ceilings” and the studio arts buildings— or the “School of Decay” according to its own students—are similar symbols of deterioration on campus. Luckily for future art students, recent renovations to the studio arts facilities shown promising signs of improvement.

Nonetheless, there’s worry that even after renovations these buildings will fail to live up to expectations. Earlier this semester, Cedar Hall, which opened in 2019, suffered a substantial sprinkler system issue that flooded several suites with black water.

Students are far from the only ones to complain about these infrastructure failings. In fact, some of the biggest critics have been faculty and staff.

Judith Schiebout, who tragically died last year due to complications from COVID-19, joined the university in 1976, going on to serve as associate professor, curator of the LSU Museum of Natural Science and director of the LSU Museum of Geoscience, which sits in the Howe-Russell complex on campus.

In a 2016 interview with the Advocate, she said she was “embarrassed by the condition of several buildings that hold some of the state’s most precious artifacts, historical documents and scientific discoveries.”

Schiebout had seen two pipes burst over her office and a pile of “plaster and ceiling tiles crumbled on the floor.” When she reached out to university officials about the problem, they “told [her] not to worry because

it wasn’t a leak; it was just the ceiling falling down.” Schiebout cracked a laugh as she said the last bit.

If you’ve been at LSU for more than one semester, you probably find these instances of utter neglect funny too. Black water rushing into your room? That’s a decent excuse to not turn in your homework.

I found these issues amusing, too. But when I learned that the university has an annual revenue of over $700 million—about half which comes directly from our tuition money—and that only 10% of the university’s total expenditures go toward operating, maintaining and renovating such infrastructure, I stopped laughing.

It is true that sharp budget cuts have put financial strain on

Editorial Policies and Procedures EDITORIAL BOARD Lara Nicholson

Editor in Chief

Enjanae’ Taylor

Managing Editor

Josh Archote

News Editor

Cecile Girard

Opinion 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.

both the university and its students. Since 2008, state aid for Louisiana universities has been slashed in half, a pattern seen across the country during the recession.

But also since 2008, LSU has increased tuition by over 150% to compensate for the lack of state funding. Students are now more responsible than ever for funding the university, and students suffer most when lecture halls crumble and dormitories become unlivable.

Our deteriorating infrastructure is not entirely due to budget cuts, but due to a lack of commitment in upkeeping our university’s historic campus.

Samuel Camacho is a 21-yearold economics junior from Maracaibo, Venezuela.

Quote of the Week “Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.”

Margaret Mead anthropologist 1901 — 1978

Monday, November 29, 2021

page 12

Students should be vigilant in upcoming SG elections CHARLIE’S ANGLES CHARLIE STEPHENS

@charliestephns Winter is here, and with it comes the arduous beginnings of the spring Student Government campaigns. SG devotees are bound to spend the winter break preparing for a long-haul campaign season so that come spring, they can bombard campus with tired talking points of change and true leadership for the student body.

The spring election will select the Student Body President, Vice President, all College Council seats and several Senate seats.

This election has the potential to completely reshape all levels of student-led governance—for better or for worse.

These campaigns will brim with SG establishment figures feebly attempting to sell their individualism to the student body.

In practice, far too few of them have any real appetite for advocating for the most pressing concerns of students at the university—especially if it means not

COURTESY OF JACOB CHEATWOOD

Three Student Government campaigns face off in the 2021 SG debate on March 22. being on favorable terms with university leadership.

These SG positions are nothing more than another line on a

resume for many of the people vying for them. It is a step forward in their own personal objectives, not those of the univer-

sity or its community.

This goes against the very ideal of a public servant. It shouldn’t be the norm, but un-

fortunately that’s all an SG position is—a showy resume item with little actual work to support it.

Be wary of candidates who offer messaging of change rather than details of it. Challenging the administration requires careful planning and research of the underlying issues facing our university.

Students from every corner of the campus should be ready to pay close attention to these campaigns, because whichever one wins will have the ear of the university administration and the ability—although perhaps not the will—to enact real tangible change here at the university.

Soon enough, Free Speech Plaza will be full of campaign volunteers giving away everything from buttons to food to earn your vote. Look deeper than 30-second speeches and campaign T-shirts. Expect transparency, because come this spring, you and your vote deserve it.

Charlie Stephens is a 21-year-old political communication junior from Baton Rouge.

Buying a video game doesn’t buy you a surefire victory HADEN’S HOUSE OF HYSTERIA HADEN DEVILBISS

@SullenDucken

If you interact with video games beyond your basic like “Candy Crush” or “FIFA,” you’ve probably heard of the “Dark Souls” series.

Consisting of six games— three in the main series, one spiritual prequel and two semispin-offs with many of the core elements still intact—the series is infamous for its difficulty.

Horrendous monsters beat players into a fine, pixelated paste with the words “You Died” insultingly plastered on the screen.

Of course, this means that as the long-awaited “Elden Ring”— a spin-off touted as the return of the messiah since rumors of its existence first sprang up—is finally making its way onto the scene, things have been getting polarizing.

On one hand, those who have played the games are absolute zealots of the series. They see the challenge as a welcoming escape from an increasingly casual video game market. On the other hand are those who have never played the game, or abandoned it very soon after picking it up. While it’s not a hard-and-fast dichotomy, these are the general battle lines surrounding “Elden Ring,” and its detractors have unleashed a real salvo of criticism.

Critics have taken up an ageold argument against the Dark Souls series: the franchise isn’t accessible. This seems like a solid criticism, but this veneer of

CARTOON BY EMILY TRAN

concern is just a cheap exploitation of social justice to shroud lazy gamers’ whiny critiques about game design.

The argument follows that the game is a product requiring payment for access. However, if you do not possess the inherent skill to beat the game, you can’t actually use the product, meaning that the implementation of something like an “easy mode” is necessary.

A number of issues plague this argument. First, the idea

that succeeding in the game requires raw skill. Supposedly, the ability to complete the game is based on the player’s inherent skills, meaning some simply have zero chance of ever advancing.

Yet, this clearly isn’t the case.

When I first tried out “Bloodborne” in 2015, I did not wade into it with skill. Quite the opposite, even—my character’s remains painted the Victorian cobblestones red.

Within that same month, I

managed (with a lot of practice) to fight and beat some of the hardest bosses in the series. If my sheltered, incompetent self could get through the game, surely a grown adult could do the same.

But that’s not the only way this argument fails. Even if the game depended on ability, there is no reason why buying a product entitles you to the whole breadth of what that product is capable of. If you lost your legs and then tried to buy a pair of

pants, the Old Navy employee has every right to give you weird looks when you start yelling about “accessibility.” The human experience is diverse, and every product cannot cater to every individual circumstance.

Ok, so you don’t want to put in the time or effort necessary to conquer the challenge before you, but you still want to be rewarded? You can simply mod your way to a victory.

“Mods,” or modifications, have been used to alter video games since the very beginning.

There are plenty of mods available to dumb down the difficulty of the “Souls” games for absolutely free—free in every way except compromising the original vision of the work, that is.

Ultimately, the biggest problem of this entire debate is that cynical critics have taken up the mantle of “accessibility” for the good optics, not any real concern over expanding access to the disabled. It’s a sickening display of self-righteousness, and it’s all the more disheartening that critics have targeted such an amazing series of games for their own Machiavellian purposes.

But, at the end of the day, it’s their loss. They will never understand how good it feels to put the controller down in victory as the credits roll after defeating the final boss, and to know how much struggle it took to get there.

All I have to say to them is “git gud.”

Haden DeVilbiss is a 19-year-old history and psychology sophomore from Lake Charles.