The Reveille 3-21-22

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RISE & FALL

Will Wade’s career at LSU echoed with noise of controversy, but it’s now crescendoed following NCAA tournament loss and firing.

NEWS

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The LSU Faculty Senate introduced a resolution requesting an increase in faculty pay to match cost of living.

ENTERTAINMENT

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This Week in BR: K-Pop club, Student Government debate and the return of Live After Five! downtown.

SPORTS

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Questions around the next coach loom for LSU men’s basketball going into the offseason.

Read on

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“This is a chance to make up for years of neglecting one of this state’s most vital resources.”

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

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WHAT DID HE LEAVE BEHIND?

B-16 Hodges Hall Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, La. 70803

Head Coach Will Wade’s legacy comes to an abrupt end despite success

BY PETER RAUTERKUS @peter_rauterkus The Tigers celebrated breaking a five-game losing streak against Alabama March 5 and capped off an impressive regular season with a big win. What many fans and people around the LSU men’s basketball program didn’t know, however, was that it would be the last time they would see their general, Head Coach Will Wade, on the sidelines of the PMAC. Just three days later, LSU received its official Notice of Allegations from the NCAA’s Independent Accountability Resolution Process which cited Wade for five violations. Action did not come immediately from LSU, as Wade held a press conference merely hours before Pat Forde and Sports Illustrated dropped the report of LSU receiving the allegations.

Wade went on to coach LSU in the SEC Tournament against Missouri and Arkansas later in the week in Tampa, Florida. But just 22 hours after Wade’s Tigers were eliminated by the Razorbacks, LSU President William Tate IV and Athletic Director Scott Woodward announced in a letter that LSU terminated Coach Wade with cause. Head Coach Bill Armstrong was also terminated, a day before an LSU team led by transfer portal success was to receive its seeding heading into the NCAA Tournament.

“We can no longer subject our University, Department of Athletics, and—most importantly—our student-athletes, to this taxing and already-lengthy process with-

and filled with what-ifs.

Despite all the off-court drama that came during Wade’s time, it was also clear that he brought the program to a place it hadn’t experienced in the large part of a decade.

When Wade released the reins of his VCU team and headed south to Baton Rouge in 2017, the program, under Johnny Jones, was coming off its worst season in 20 years, having gone 10-21 and winning just two conference games.

In Wade’s first season at his new home, he almost completely rebuilt the roster, leading the Tigers to an 18-15 season and a return to the postseason in the National Invitational Tournament, getting the momentum of the program rolling again.

Then tragedy struck.

On September 28, 2018, then LSU forward Wayde Sims was tragically shot and killed after an altercation at a party. The news was devastating for both the program and the Baton Rouge community.

“Everybody on the team loved him,” Wade said of Sims at an ensuing press conference. “He was the team jokester, the team prankster. He always had a smile and was bopping around. He got us going in practice.”

The response that came from LSU on the court was poetic: A star-studded recruiting class including Naz Reid, Javonte Smart and Darius Days helped lead LSU to its first outright SEC Championship in 10 years, raising the stock of LSU men’s basketball to

THE REVEILLE ARCHVES

Friends, family and students gather for Wayde Sims’ vigil outside of the PMAC on Oct. 2, 2018. out taking action,” wrote Tate and Woodward on Sunday. “Our responsibility to protect and promote the integrity and well-being of our entire institution and our student-athletes will always be paramount.”

The Wade era at LSU will forever be one marred by scandal

a foreign height it had not seen in some time.

But as soon as the success found Wade in Baton Rouge, so would a four-year saga that now has LSU men’s basketball in one of the most precarious positions it has ever been in.

On March 8, 2019, Wade was

suspended by then-LSU Athletic Director Joe Alleva and former President F. King Alexander after the release of an FBI wiretap which revealed that, while recruiting in 2017 was heard, Wade conspired with aspiring sports agent Christian Dawkins about a potential “strong ass offer” for then LSU recruit Javonte Smart.

season, it seemed like the noise had started to quiet down—or at least compared to what Wade and the Tigers were accustomed to. A slight dip in overall success would follow for the Tigers that season, but another 20-win season and NCAA Tournament bid once again showed Wade and his group’s ability to win and fight

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Editor-in-Chief LARA NICHOLSON Managing Editor ENJANAE’ TAYLOR Digital Editor JAYDEN NGUYEN News Editor JOSH ARCHOTE Deputy News Editor BELLA DARDANO Sports Editor JOE KEHRLI Deputy Sports Editor PETER RAUTERKUS Entertainment Editor GIDEON FORTUNE Opinion Editor CLAIRE SULLIVAN Multimedia Editor SAVANNA ORGERON

DOUG MCSCHOOLER / The Associated Press

LSU guard Cameron Thomas (24) reacts to the team’s win over St. Bonaventure as he leaves the court after a first round game in the NCAA men’s college basketball tournament, March 20, 2021, at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Ind. This was at the height of a federal investigation into bribery and corruption in college basketball that resulted in the convictions of Dawkins, Adidas executive James Gatto and consultant Merl Code, along with the arrests of 10 Division I assistant coaches.

Wade was reinstated as head coach after the season on April 14, 2019. Despite there being plenty of outside noise surrounding the program, it was clear the foundation had been set.

The 2018-2019 season was LSU’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in four years and first Sweet 16 appearance in 13 years.

The momentum continued into the next season, with LSU achieving a 21-10 record and second place in the SEC, with the outside noise still as loud as ever. This time though, an unprecedented disruption happened: The COVID-19 pandemic struck right as the SEC Tournament was getting started, canceling the remainder of the postseason.

The outside noise never completely died down going into the 2020-2021 season as Wade brought in another impressive recruiting class headlined by fivestar guard Cameron Thomas. This season was another relatively successful one for LSU, finishing 16-8 in the regular season and making the second round of the NCAA Tournament. His fourth season, after a suspension and a pandemic, marked Wade’s first March Madness appearance at LSU. Heading into the 2021-2022

through adversity.

An adversity-filled regular season was followed by an even more adversity-filled postseason.

On the eve of Selection Sunday, Wade’s termination was announced, leaving the team without its official head coach and leader going into the most crucial part of the season.

Wade’s absence was seemingly felt in the NCAA Tournament, as the Tigers fell to Iowa State in the first round. It’s hard to say how much Wade’s absence affected the performance, but one can only imagine what the players were feeling in the midst of a situation like this.

LSU’s athletic department now heads into a long period of uncertainty. The Notice of Allegations included three total violations within the football program including a Level I, Level II and Level III. This cites LSU with eight Level I violations in total, causing the NCAA to cite LSU with Lack of Institutional Control.

With possible heavy sanctions looming, hiring a new coach is no easy task—one that Scott Woodward will be faced with after freshly coming off another major coaching search in football.

The Will Wade era in Baton Rouge was one that will likely be forever remembered by LSU fans.

What Wade did for basketball at LSU and in Baton Rouge is hard to measure, but over the next few months and years, time will also tell what kind of damage will be left.

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NEWS FACULTY WAGES

Faculty Senate resolution asks LSU admin for professor pay raise

BY PIPER HUTCHINSON @PiperHutchBR The LSU Faculty Senate introduced a resolution on Feb. 23 calling for an increase in faculty wages to adjust for rises in the cost of living.

The resolution requests that the university include a nearly 6% raise for a cost of living adjustment in the budget proposed by the university and the Board of Regents to the state legislature. It also recommends an annual cost of living adjustment to the legislature in perpetuity.

The resolution has not yet been finalized and sent to administration.

That 6% represents the cost of living adjustment given to Social Security recipients in 2022, a measure commonly used to determine cost of living raises across industries.

The resolution, “A Resolution for Fair and Equitable Cost of Living Salary Adjustments for LSU Faculty,” was put forward by the Faculty Senate Benefits Advisory Committee and the Faculty Senate Budget & Planning Advisory Committee.

LSU has offered its faculty five “merit raises” since 2010. Despite their name, these raises are more akin to cost of living raises, as they are given to faculty and staff regardless of performance.

The stagnation in wages is not unique to LSU or to higher education. According to the Pew Research Center, the buying power of the average American wage remained approximately the same between 1978 and 2018.

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STUDENT LIFE

Cyber -security partnership for LSU

BY PIPER HUTCHINSON @PiperHutchBR

FRANCIS DINH / The Reveille

LSU Faculty Senate member-at-large Roger Laine gives a speech Dec 7, in defense of FSEC leadership during the last Faculty Senate meeting of the semester in Room 301 in the LSU Student Union.

The average pay of an LSU professor in 2010 was about $81,000 annually, according to the Board of Regents. After receiving the merit raises, that pay grew to just under $96,000.

If that professor’s salary increased at the rate of cost of living adjustments given to Social Security recipients, that professor would be making $101,000.

Roy Heidelberg, a public ad-

ministration professor at LSU, said that the lack of raises means that workers are taking a pay cut.

“If those prices continue to rise, and your income never rises in accordance, then in effect, it’s like taking a pay cut,” Heidelberg said.

That means that the average LSU professor has taken a pay cut of over $5,000 between 2010 and 2022.

The most recent Board of Regents data has the average LSU professor making $88,000 in 2020, with no raises offered in 2020 or 2021.

The inconsistent raises constitute what Bob Man, a mass communication professor, calls a “loyalty tax,” meaning that those who aren’t on the job market get

see SENATE, page 4

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards joined LSU President William Tate IV to announce a coalition of private industry, federal and state agencies and higher education institutions to make LSU and Louisiana a leader in cybersecurity.

These cybersecurity initiatives, part of Tate’s “Pentagon Plan,” would partner LSU with military, law enforcement and private companies to build the university into a leading cybersecurity and defense school.

The proposal would revamp LSU’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps with a new headquarters, aggressive recruiting efforts and investing in ROTC education, training and infrastructure.

The plan also calls for hiring 10 cybersecurity faculty members, developing a leadership certificate program for both military and civilian students, establishing a cyber boot camp for incoming freshmen and integrating programs throughout the LSU system.

Tate said these initiatives reconnect LSU to its founding as a military institution.

“We’re recommitting ourselves to that military history and we’re taking it in a modernized twist,” Tate said.

Edwards joined Tate to high-

see PARTNERSHIP, page 4

CONSTRUCTION

Construction begins for new, safer sidewalks in the Quad

BY CHANDLER MCINTOSH @GeuaxChandler18 Sidewalks adjacent to the LSU Library, in the middle of the Quad and other locations are being restored this month to address tripping hazards.

Assistant director of site and master planning Dennis Mitchel has worked with LSU facilities to identify hazardous areas on campus that need maintenance.

Cracked sidewalks in the Quad were among the priorities.

“The major work is complete,” Mitchell said, “However, landscape services will continue to patch and repair smaller areas.”

Mitchell and others within LSU Facility Services are working toward bigger maintenance restorations throughout the end of this semester and into the summer.

“Maintenance is an ongoing issue campus-wide,” Mitchell said.

“However, larger projects such as the new science building and the future library will address the entire circulation around the site.

We are currently working on some sidewalk improvements this summer near Highland road, Campus Mound area, and near the Music and Dramatic Arts building.”

The cost of fixing sidewalks can be crucial when other parts of campus are in need of restoration.

“We cannot afford to fix everything at the same time due to limited resources,” Mitchell said, “A temporary solution may be appropriate as a stop-gap measure.”

Complaints from students in past years about the quality of sidewalks on campus have been LSU Facilities’ top priority. Stu-

dents who skate, bike or ride a scooter around campus are especially aware of the issue.

“In general most people are busy getting to class and complaints are few,” Mitchell said.

Sidewalk pavement will fail due to many reasons, usually due to equipment loading for utility repairs or tree roots pushing up on the slab.”

Choosing the appropriate material that will withstand Louisiana weather is important for preserving LSU’s sidewalks, according to Mitchell.

“Concrete is the material of choice, but we can use other temporary materials if necessary to keep the walkway open,” he said.

“We have had some success with a concrete vinyl patch.”

see CONSTRUCTION, page 4

MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille

Many patches of new concrete dot the space on March 7 in the LSU Quad in Baton Rouge, La.

Monday, March 21, 2022

page 4 SENATE, from page 3 “taxed” for staying at LSU. Jackson Voss, an economic opportunity analyst at the Louisiana Budget Project, agreed with the assessment, confirming that the inconsistent pay raises are bad for keeping and retaining talent.

“I think any university that’s not putting enough money towards faculty pay is obviously go-

PARTNERSHIP, from page 3 light the need for cybersecurity and defense education, pointing to the half a million empty cybersecurity jobs that are waiting for qualified individuals.

“Having a strong cybersecurity workforce is one of the things that is absolutely key for our country going forward,” Edwards said.

There is no reason why Louisiana can’t lead the nation in terms of cybersecurity innovation, said

CONSTRUCTION, from page 3 Pamela Branz, a mass communication sophomore, is excited to see renovations to the Quad. She also would like to see other problem areas on campus addressed.

“I am ecstatic that LSU is repairing the sidewalks, now they need to redo the roads,” Branz

ing to be at a disadvantage when it comes to attracting people, especially people who are highly accomplished and competitive job seekers,” Voss said.

Voss said that the state is still recovering from cuts to higher education made during former Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration.

“We’ve kind of seen a few investments in higher ed,” Voss said.

“I don’t know if it quite equates

to fully catching up to where we were before the Jindal years, but it’s getting closer.”

Mann, who has worked at LSU since 2006, said that prior to Jindal taking office, LSU faculty received a 2-3% raise every year, something that is now sporadic. Mann said that the general understanding among faculty was that when the budget improved, LSU would be expected to play catch up with big

raises— that never happened.

While LSU faculty pay has not kept up with the rate of inflation, the situation is more dire in other parts of the state.

The average salary of a fulltime faculty member at a public four-year institution in Louisiana is $72,000, according to the Southern Regional Education Board.

That’s more than $13,000 lower than the SREB average.

Louisiana ranks second from the bottom out of 16 states in the region.

The Louisiana Board of Regents is advocating for $31 million to return faculty pay to the SREB average.

With the average LSU faculty pay actually slightly above the SREB average, it’s unlikely to offer much of a reprieve to LSU professors.

Edwards.

“Having folks like LSU partner with the private sector, with government, it’s going to be incredibly important,” he said. “There is zero reason why Louisiana can’t be the leader in the United States of America when it comes to cybersecurity.”

Edwards pledged his support to Tate’s plan, offering to work with the federal government, the legislature and the private sector.

Edwards will make an announcement next week with a commit-

ment from his administration to aid the cybersecurity initiatives.

Tate also announced partnerships with the U.S. Secret Service and the Louisiana National Guard.

The head of the Secret Service in Louisiana, Leslie Pichon, praised the initiative.

“This partnership with LSU will allow the Secret Service to interact with the next generation of cybersecurity professionals, bridging the gap between academia, emerging technology, Department of Defense resources, as

well as federal, state and local law enforcement,” Pichon said.

Tate cut a ribbon to close out the event to signify the start of his campaign to accomplish the initiatives.

“When we cut the tape here, it’s not about ending. We’re getting going,” Tate said.

The event was held as part of his efforts to woo the legislature, from which he has requested an additional $105 million in funding for LSU. About $30 million of that ask

would go to defense education at LSU, including $7 million for a multi-campus defense cybersecurity program.

Rep. Barry Ivey, a Republican from Central and chair of the Joint Legislative Committee on Technology and Cybersecurity, attended in support of Tate’s proposal.

“I believe the timing is perfect,” Ivey said. “We’ve got some revenue, and one time money that we can spend and this is as worthy a cause as any.”

said.

Branz believes that each facility within the LSU campus should have an equal chance at restoration.

Branz’s main concern is repairing the East Campus Apartment sidewalks. The sidewalks are uneven and cause a hazard.

“When I walk to class, the

cracks within the sidewalks cause me to trip,” Branz said. “It’s an annoyance.”

Jamesson Woodall, a coastal and environmental sciences freshman, has observed cracks on the sides of the buildings within the Quad and believes that should be the next priority for LSU Facilities Services.

“Those cracks need a permanent solution,” Woodall said.

Some buildings and areas of LSU’s campus are maintained in stricter conditions and receive more attention than other buildings, Woodall said.

“A lot of our athletic facilities are very new, updated and constantly getting maintenance,”

Woodall said. “Whereas more academic areas potentially are not.”

Woodall hopes that all of the sidewalks within campus can be fixed and maintained someday.

“I think Louisiana’s weather is always going to be problematic, but there are many ways to construct sufficient sidewalks within this climate,” Woodall said.

, y e Hon I’m home!

find your forever hive

Wednesday, April 13th 10am-2pm LSU Student Union Royal Cotillion Ballroom

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ENTERTAINMENT

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THIS WEEK IN BR

Want to see your event in The Reveille?

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MARCH

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Yoga and Meditation International Cultural Center

K-Pop Club Meeting Student Union Feliciana Room

Spend your evening relaxing with Yoga & Meditation at the International Cultural Center at 3365 Dalrymple Drive. The recurring class starts at 5:30 p.m every Monday.

TUESDAY AT 6

MONDAY AT 5:30

BY REVEILLE ENTERTAINMENT STAFF @Reveilleent

The LSU K-Pop Club will hold its first ever general meeting at 6 p.m. RSVP to enjoy food, drinks and, most importantly, meet other K-Pop fans here at LSU.

MARCH

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MARCH

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Student Government Candidate Debate Holiday Forum

Karaoke Night Chelsea’s Live Baton Rouge Karaoke has found its newest home at Chelsea’s Live, every Wednesday from 8 p.m. until midnight. Free cover is available to all attendees who arrive in the first hour.

JULIAN COOPER / The Reveille

Students running for President and Vice President in this year’s student Government elections will participate in a debate at 6 p.m. in the Holiday Forum, located in the Journalism building.

Art Exhibitions “State of the Art: Record” Showing at the LSU Museum of Art until June 19.

THURSDAY AT 6

WEDNESDAY AT 8

COURTESY OF GETTYIMAGES

“I wish i could buy a single cigarette so i had a reason to think about you” Showing at the Glassell Gallery from March 22-29.

“ARIAZ / BRUMFIELD / DUBOSE / FINCH” Showing at the Baton Rouge Gallery until March 31.

“Entropy Plan for the Western Fam” Showing at Yes We Cannibal until April 1.

Monday, March 21, 2022

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Monday, March 21, 2022

page 7 LSU women’s basketball graduate student guard Jailin Cherry (1) smiles wide after winning the first round of playoffs.

LSU women’s basketball graduate student guard Jailin Cherry (1) and graduate student guard Khayla Pointer (3) help up fifth year senior guard Alexis Morris (45) after she was knocked down.

LSU women’s basketball head coach Kim Mulkey coaches from the sidelines during the first round of playoffs.

LSU women’s basketball fifth year senior guard Alexis Morris (45) smiles as she takes in the moment.

Photos by Chynna McClinton

LSU women’s basketball graduate student guard Jailin Cherry (1) sticks her tongue out after scoring a three-pointer.

LSU women’s basketball graduate student center Faustine Aifuwa (24) hypes up the crowd during the second half.

LSU women’s basketball fifth year senior forward and guard Awa Trasi (32) passes the ball over a Jackson State player.

Women’s hoops rallies past Jackson State 83-77 in the first round of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament.

LSU women’s basketball graduate student guard Jailin Cherry (1) smiles as she points to the crowd thanking the fans.

LSU women’s basketball graduate student center Faustine Aifuwa (24) points at graduate student guard Jailin Cherry (1) while celebrating the win.

SPORTS THE FINAL ACT

Column: LSU’s roller coaster season ends in a whimper

HENRY HUBER @HenryHuber_

After all the highs of the beginning of the season, all the lows of conference play and all the uncertainty of what this team could do leading up to the tournament, the conclusion of this rocky season has left Tiger fans with two feelings that no fan ever enjoys feeling—Numb disappointment and crippling uncertainty.

The conclusion of this season also marks the end of an era for LSU men’s basketball: The Will Wade era, an era that never reached its full potential.

Since LSU’s Final Four run in 2006, Tiger fans have gone through disappointment after disappointment, and the fandom was nowhere near where it had been in the 1990s. That all changed when Wade won his first SEC regular-season title in just his second season, lighting a fire under the fanbase and turning LSU on an apparent, exponential path upward.

That feeling of euphoria for LSU fans everywhere was shortlived however, as Wade was almost immediately found in the act of paying players. It seemed that was the conclusion of it, as Wade was indefinitely suspended and could potentially lose his head coaching job.

He was reinstated, but rath-

er than adjusting his recruiting habits, he continued to use the same aggressive recruiting strategies that had provided his team with success and controversy. After the investigation became the centerpiece of discussion again, this time right before the NCAA tournament, Wade was promptly fired.

I completely understand that.

He cheated, got caught and was not given a slap on the wrist this time.

No amount of “everyone is doing it” claims are going to reinstate him into the program, and while that is mightily disappointing for a fandom that was gaining steam with each game, it is justified at the end of the day.

But, what was the rush?

I’m sure it was due to pressure from the NCAA, but why couldn’t this have waited until after LSU was eliminated from the tournament?

I doubt it would have made any difference. LSU had an incredibly tough road to the Final Four and hadn’t looked great heading into the tournament.

Did their recent investigations really pull that much dirt out of Wade to where this was necessary?

The biggest problem I have with this prompt firing was how incredibly disruptive and moralecrushing it was to an LSU team that could have had some success in the tournament if they were to play to their potential, and how

page 8 MEN’S BASKETBALL

Who’s next for LSU men’s hoops?

BY COLE HERNANDEZ @Ct_hernandez

or really struggle if the aggression got in the way. The team may have lacked the NBA-talent and offensive ability of other teams, but its gritty nature is what earned it a six-seed in the tournament. The team also featured its first four-year player under Wade, a player that likely had more trust and respect for the coach than anyone: Darius Days.

Did Days’ final game have to be marred by his coach being stripped from the Tigers?

I don’t think so, but the NCAA is the NCAA, and they must establish a scapegoat at any cost. They are not going to consider how that affects individual players at

News broke Saturday that fifth-year LSU Men’s Basketball Head Coach Will Wade will no longer work with the Tigers. This was just days after LSU was given a Notice of Allegations by the NCAA as the result of an investigation that spanned three years.

The program now finds itself in a difficult position. It needs a coach, but nobody knows what situation that coach will walk into because of possible NCAA sanctions. LSU could suffer from years of harsh sanctions or somehow come out on the other end of the investigation unscathed.

Either way, the NCAA’s decision will have a major impact on the program the new head coach will inherit.

Athletic Director Scott Woodward has a history of going after big names. He has hired a new football, baseball and women’s basketball coach since he started at LSU. He also hired a sitting Power Five coach in all of his searches. Looming sanctions over the basketball program might make it difficult for him to pull this off again, but he will most likely still attempt to.

With the state of the program

see MEN’S B-BALL, page 9

see COACHING, page 9

CHYNNA MCCLINTON / The Reveille

LSU men’s basketball head coach Will Wade screams in frustration during LSU’s 72-76 loss on Feb. 1 against Ole Miss in the PMAC. unfair it was to the players who worked extremely hard to get where they were by the end of the season.

I’m not saying that Wade would have made a difference against Iowa State, which played a tremendous game and made the plays needed to win, but you must admit that having the trusted and respected head coach could impact a team’s performance, especially in terms of energy and motivation. Not to mention the team tended to feed on Wade’s fiery energy throughout each game.

In a way, this team was the one that most embodied Wade himself—an aggressive, strategic team that could really do some damage with the right motivation

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Mulkey makes a plea for student turnout against Ohio State

BY DYLAN SANDERS @DillySanders The LSU women’s basketball team won its first round March Madness match up against Jackson State Saturday, surrounded by one of the best crowds and atmospheres it has seen all season. The call is now out to LSU’s students to come out and support this team in its last game in the PMAC of most of the players’ careers.

The Tigers will be facing the Ohio State Buckeyes Monday with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line. The game will tip off at 7 p.m. and will be free to attend for students. The team has urged students to show up all season, but especially to this game against Ohio State.

After the Jackson State game, Mulkey and guards Khayla Pointer and Jailin Cherry gave some input on how the fans impacted the game.

“The fans were unbelievable.

They stood, they cheered, everybody in this arena got a good basketball game to watch,” said Mulkey.

During a timeout, Cherry went to the crowd and got attendees to stand up. The players were asking for the fans’ help all night.

“The fans are like our literal sixth man. They’re like our extra teammate” said Cherry. “Every time we got down, even when we were down by 10, they were still with us.”

“It’s Louisiana, we have the best fans in the world” said star guard Khayla Pointer. “We believe that. They’ve played a key part in our success all year. They were huge for us today and they helped us in. We feed off of their energy. Louisiana fans are crazy, so I’m happy we are here and home and have that home court advantage.”

Among fans attending the game included the Balcony Bengals, a group of students who

helped revitalize the Student Section of men’s and women’s basketball at LSU. “When you go to the games, you realize there’s a very small group of extremely loyal students that go to everything, ourselves included, and over the course of this year we’ve become friends with several of them and have gotten to see that group start to grow,” said Balcony Bengals member and LSU junior Dean Compton.

“One of the special things about the passion of the student section growing is that our home court advantage in the PMAC grows as well. It’s a special thing to see the crowd get into games more, which is something we try to encourage more throughout the entirety of games.”

There has been incredible growth this season in student section participation, as students are all still getting used to go-

see POINTER, page 9

CHYNNA MCCLINTON / The Reveille

LSU women’s basketball graduate student guard Khayla Pointer (3) celebrates with members of the Balcony Bengals March 19, after LSU’s 83-77 win against Jackson State in the first round of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

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Monday, March 21, 2022 MEN’S B-BALL, from page 8 the end of the day.

Wade’s checkered tenure with the program was filled with many bumps and bruises along the way, but it was so much fun while it lasted. Personally, I have never enjoyed watching LSU basketball more than this and I wonder if I ever will.

At the end of the day, this was a matter of when and not if, but you can’t help but wonder what

POINTER, from page 8 ing to large events again, Compton mentioned how fun that has been to see.

“The crowds at basketball games, especially women’s basketball, are electric when the crowd is as invested as it has been this season,” said Compton. “Hopefully LSU continues on its upward trend in passion in sports and makes the games even more exciting and brings more success to all our incredible sports teams.”

Not all fans have been able to show support from the stands, including Landon Newsom, who makes sure to tune in on his TV. “I haven’t been able to make it to the PMAC yet this year. but I really want to soon. The crowd’s

could have been if Wade was given a few more seasons. How many Elite Eights and Final Fours did the Tigers miss out on?

You can argue all day that Wade was just doing what he could to compete with a league of coaches that are potentially doing the same thing, but it won’t magically bring Wade back. Cheating in the world of sports might happen regularly but getting caught is never, ever an option.

Just ask the Astros. energy comes across on the TV and really makes you want to be there,” said Newsom.

“It’s crazy seeing what Kim Mulkey has done there in her first season, I would never have expected LSU women’s basketball to draw a crowd like this one in the first season under her.”

“She is almost as fun to watch as the product on the court. You can hear the mics picking up her yelling. Seeing her jump up and down on the side. It would be fun to see her do all of that in person and how she acts without the camera showing.”

For most of the LSU team, this is the last time that they will step foot in the PMAC as players. As fun and loud as the crowds have been all season, there are still plenty of seats open for fans to take as the women’s team battles for its own spot in the Sweet 16.

COACHING, from page 8 in mind, these are some top candidates to look out for for the new men’s basketball head coach at LSU. These candidates are ranked based on my opinion, on their fit with LSU, and likelihood to get hired.

Matt McMahon Murray State’s Matt McMahon is a name that has garnered plenty of talk recently and deservedly so. McMahon is on the younger side and has already generated interest from other schools. He is in the middle of his best season yet as head coach of the Racers and has them sitting at an impressive 30-2 record entering the NCAA tournament. They also went undefeated in conference play.

In his seven seasons at Murray State, he led them to the NCAA tournament twice. He is not the big name Woodward is accustomed to and does not come from a Power Five school, but McMahon has shown he can win without big name talent on the court.

This is something his predecessor was unable to do, but McMahon will obviously have to prove he can recruit in the SEC. He is my top pick for the job because LSU’s men’s basketball program needs to focus on winning games and have a coach that will commit to doing so at LSU for years to come.

Grant McCasland North Texas’ Grant McCasland

is the next best fit. North Texas’ men’s basketball program had a history of mediocre seasons and not being in consideration for the NCAA tournament before McCasland arrived. They have been a top-100 team the last three seasons. McCasland led North Texas to a 25-7 record this season and they are one of the best defenses in the country. This might especially appeal to Woodward if he wants LSU to continue to be dominant on the defensive side of the ball.

Like McMahon, McCasland is on the younger side at only 45 years old. This fits with the idea that LSU needs a head coach that will commit to the program for years. McCasland’s one advantage over McMahon is that he is familiar with the recruiting landscape in and around the state of Louisiana having coached in the neighboring state of Texas. However, McCasland’s name will come up

in many other head coach searches, and Woodward will have to sell him on LSU. Brad Underwood Illinois’ Brad Underwood could be another contender. He is on the older side and will likely come with an expensive contract, but his talent for recruiting is scarce in the head coach market right now. During his time at Illinois, he has consistently brought in NBA-level talent, the most recent example being Ayo Dosunmo.

Everywhere Underwood has coached, he has found success.

Out of the top three candidates, Underwood is the least likely option though since he signed an extension with Illinois through 2026 last year. However, Woodward has proven that he will fork up a boatload of money to acquire Power Five coaches—He would be the Brian Kelly of LSU men’s basketball.

MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille

People leave the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Feb. 20 after an LSU basketball game.

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OPINION

page 11

Legislature should fund Tate’s ‘scholarship-first agenda’ CHARLIE’S ANGLES CHARLIE STEPHENS @charliestephns LSU President William Tate IV laid out his scholarship-first agenda in front of the Louisiana Senate Finance Committee earlier this month. His plan directs the university in five crucial focus areas: agriculture, biotechnology, coast, defense and energy.

The entire package, if passed, would constitute a monumental investment from the state into the flagship, something that has been elusive in recent years. The ambition of the plan meets the needs of a university still bleeding from Bobby Jindal-era funding cuts, which brought 16 budget reductions in the span of nine years.

The scholarship-first agenda would fund everything from a new artificial intelligence supercomputer to expanding the extension services offered by the university’s Agricultural Center. These investments will help the university better fulfill its mission of serving the state and its residents.

The Reveille

LSU President William F. Tate testifies to the Senate Finance Committee on March 8, 2022.

Louisiana should be a state where students want to stay and build a life—not a place to escape the moment graduation is over or visit only for Mardi Gras or Jazz Fest. Investing in the flagship will help create a state residents can

imagine a future in.

For this “pentagon plan” to be a success, the funding for it must make it through an arduous legislative process that has not been kind to the flagship in recent years. Just last session, the legisla-

ture wouldn’t appropriate a measly $1.5 million in planning funds to design a new library for the university.

But this year, the university may have better luck. The legislature has over $3.5 billion in sur-

plus and American Rescue Plan funds awaiting appropriation. If the university’s proposal for a small chunk of that pie is denied by the legislature, know that it is not from lack of money, but rather a stubborn refusal to invest in the flagship.

One of the smartest investments the legislature could make with these available funds is putting money into the university. For every dollar the state invests in the university, $13.25 comes back, according to a study by the Economics and Policy Research Group at the E. J. Ourso College of Business.

Legislators from both parties have attended flashy announcements from the university in recent weeks celebrating aspects of Tate’s plan. Now, it’s time for those lawmakers to follow through and fund the president’s proposal.

This is a chance to make up for years of neglecting one of this state’s most vital resources. An investment in LSU is an investment in the future of Louisiana.

Lawmakers, choose wisely.

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

We should retire ‘urban’ as a euphemism for Black people SERIOUSLY KIDDING FRANK KIDD @FK446852315 Zoë Kravitz, who recently starred as Catwoman in “The Batman,” made headlines recently when she was misinterpreted as saying that she was denied the same role in “The Dark Knight Rises” for being “too urban.” She later clarified through an Instagram post that she was auditioning for a smaller part and didn’t get it because “they were not going urban on the part.”

Kravitz went on to say, “I did not mention this to point any fingers or make anyone seem racist, namely Chris Nolan, the film’s producers, or anyone on the casting team, because I truly do not believe anyone meant any harm.”

Whether referring to Black people as “urban” is racist or not is a discussion for another day, but one thing is for sure: It’s stupid.

Calling Black people urban is incredibly reductive. The use of the term to refer to Black people began in reference to the high percentage

of Black people that lived in cities. While it remains true that more Black people live in cities than rural areas, as of 2018, Black people only made up 13.1% of America’s urban population.

If there were a high enough percentage of Black people to warrant the use of the term, denying Kravitz a role in “The Dark Knight Rises” wouldn’t make any sense. The movie takes place in a city.

Referring to all things Black as “urban” boxes the Black experience into what occurs within city limits.

White people make up a larger percentage of rural areas, but the term is seldom used to describe all of them.

White people are understood to have cultural differences based on where they are from because they make up a majority of the American population. Black people, on the other hand, are often portrayed in our media as a monolith to simplify Black culture for a white audience.

There are a large number of Black people that live in cities, but there are also Black people from suburban and rural areas. To call them urban is to erase a part of their

cartoon by EMILY TRAN / The Reveille

identity.

The use of the term urban to refer to Black people also comes with

the implication of lower class. A Black person from the Bronx would be more likely to be called “urban”

Editorial Policies and Procedures EDITORIAL BOARD Lara Nicholson

Editor in Chief

Enjanae’ Taylor

Managing Editor

Josh Archote

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Claire Sullivan

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.

than a Black person from Manhattan, even though they are from the same city.

While it is true that Black Americans are generally worse off due to socioeconomic factors, there are many Black success stories. Tales about overcoming the odds aren’t shared with the general American audience in order to preserve stereotypes.

Calling Black people and their creations “urban” is an attempt to limit their expression. It’s less accurate than ever to call all Black people “urban,” yet the word still takes on that meaning. It is a vestigial organ among the rest of our euphemisms.

Referring to Black people as “urban” doesn’t make sense under scrutiny, and it’s time to retire that definition. It doesn’t have its fastball anymore, and the game has passed it by. Perhaps one day it’ll have its jersey retired in the Outdated Terms for Black People Hall of Fame, right next to “colored.”

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

Quote of the Week “We are a way for the cosmos to know itself.”

Carl Sagan

American astronomer 1934 — 1996

Monday, March 21, 2022

page 12

Students should take advantage of study abroad programs NEVER A DULL MOMENT

NOAH MCKINNEY

@itsthatnoah Before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Association of International Educators estimated that almost 350,000 American students were studying in a foreign nation.

This included many LSU students who took advantage of the university’s Academic Programs Abroad to experience new cultures and diversify their education. The near 400 unique programs the university shares with foreign institutions is a real achievement that marks the university as a hub for connections and influence across the globe. Funding opportunities like the Gilman Scholarship make these connections accessible to individuals from a variety of backgrounds and create once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to see the world.

I arrived at the university the semester before the pandemic hit and hoped to eventually find

a suitable study abroad program in Japan. The thought of experiencing the nation’s culture firsthand, studying Japanese literature and taking kendo classes had captured my fascination for some time.

But in March 2020, COVID-19 shut down international travel and, with it, international exchange programs. The pandemic immediately dampened the hopes of any LSU student planning to study abroad.

My own dreams to see Japan seemed suddenly out of reach.

I am now approaching the end of my junior year and have already missed the most popular periods for studying abroad.

In a few short semesters, my class of 2023 will graduate, and the opportunity to experience an international education may be gone forever.

Thankfully, hope is not yet lost. The university’s Academic Programs Abroad announced the re-opening of its travel routes at the beginning of the spring 2022 semester. Many foreign nations are beginning to allow American students back to their universities. Even Japan widened its channels for foreign

cartoon by EMILY TRAN / The Reveille

travelers from 3,500 a day to 5,000 beginning March 1.

This is not to say that study abroad opportunities are back to normal. Testing and vaccination

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requirements still complicate international travel, and only a portion of our 400 programs have returned in full. Still, signs of reopening from the univer-

sity administration and foreign governments provide hope that distant lands could soon be on the horizon for students.

Students who are interested in studying abroad should begin investigating their options as soon as possible. Study abroad advisers are available for meetings at any time, and the university’s website allows students to search for programs tailored to their academic and personal interests.

Maybe you’re like me, a junior with only a short time left here at LSU, or maybe you’re a freshman or sophomore with plenty of time ahead of you. Either way, you don’t want to look back on your time at the university and regret missing a chance to see the world.

COVID-19 interrupted both our personal and academic lives, but easing restrictions give students the chance to begin a post-pandemic era of international education and experiences.

Are you going to miss out?

Noah McKinney is an English and history junior from Houston, TX.