The Reveille 4-21-22

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SPRINGING INTO ACTION Five things to look out for on Saturday during LSU Football’s spring game

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SAVANNA ORGERON / The Reveille

LSU football defensive lineman Maason Smith (0) stands on the sidelines March 29 during LSU’s spring practice in Baton Rouge, La.

NEWS

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While Louisiana residents and students recover from New Orleans’ strongest tornado, LSU researchers continue storm research.

ENTERTAINMENT

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The Baton Rouge Blues festival is back and will have downtown Baton Rouge rocking this weekend.

SPORTS

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How the Wally Pontiff Jr. Classic made an impact on the New Orleans and LSU communities as the game saw its final chapter.

OPINION

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“If Tate claims to value tenure, he must take a stand against legislation that seeks to destroy it.”

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GAME READY

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

A new coach, new players set to compete on Saturday

BY TYLER HARDEN @ttjharden8 The LSU football team will make its first public appearance of the year in Tiger Stadium Saturday for the Spring Game.

This will be the first opportunity to see Coach Brian Kelly, his staff and the team’s new players in their first game-like setting.

From a new head coach hiring, to many players transferring into and out of the program, many wonder how the landscape of the team will look this coming season. This won’t be answered at the Spring Game, but it will be interesting to see how these situations are approached in the team’s first game setting together.

Here are some things to look out for when watching the Spring Game Saturday:

DYLAN BOREL / The Reveille

LSU football quarterback Jayden Daniels (15) runs a drill April 7 during LSU’s spring practice in Baton Rouge, La. 1. Could Will Campbell make an impact right away?

The combination of Will Campbell’s potential and Coach Kelly’s ability to develop offensive linemen to the next level can be put on full display for the first time in LSU’s Spring Game, Saturday. Campbell, a true freshman from Monroe, who enrolled early at LSU this spring, has shown he could possibly be a starter right away for the Tigers in the fall.

Campbell has been playing left tackle throughout the spring, and he has shown that he is a natural at the position.

During the Spring Game, Tiger fans could see a young talent emerge for the first time in Campbell.

2. What will be the approach to the quarterback room?

LSU has one of, if not the, deepest quarterback rooms in the country. Prior to Kelly first arriving in Baton Rouge, Myles Brennan put his name in the transfer portal before deciding to return to LSU. Many figured

Brennan, a sixth-year senior, would be the starter. That was until Jayden Daniels, a transfer from Arizona State, announced he would be enrolling at LSU. Daniels was the starter at Arizona State, and passed for over 2,300 yards last season. Garrett Nussmeier is also returning to the team after getting some time as a freshman last season, and the Tigers are adding five-star freshman, Walker Howard, to the list as well.

“I think each one has some different traits and characteristics,” Kelly said. “They all can play here. They all are not going to be able to play at the same time. So, we’re gonna have some, you know, some difficult choices to make.”

That decision won’t be made at the Spring Game, or anytime soon, but each of the four candidates have the opportunity to compete at a high level Saturday, which will certainly help their case for the job going forward.

3. Will John Emery Jr. play?

After missing last season due to academic ineligibility, John Emery Jr. walked off the field at Thursday’s spring practice limping. It appeared to be an ankle injury but it was nothing serious. Emery posted on his Instagram shortly after practice saying, “I’m gonna be good y’all, just twisted my ankle.”

Kelly confirmed his injury was nothing serious.

“It doesn’t seem to be a major injury at all,” Kelly said. “This is maybe something that we can get him back next week.”

With the running back position seeming it can belong to a few different players, Emery certainly has a strong case for the job. It looks like the Tigers will use multiple backs throughout the season as of right now, but Emery will sure look to have a predominant role getting carries.

4. Could Greg Brooks Jr. be the spark the LSU secondary needed?

The addition of Greg Brooks Jr. to LSU’s secondary has been one of the biggest victories of the offseason. Brooks, a transfer from Arkansas, has brought intensity right from the start of spring practices, and comes up with turnovers frequently throughout every practice.

“I’m a versatile defensive back and more of a playmaker on the ball and from the spring practice I’m showing that by creating all these turnovers,” Brooks said. “At Arkansas, I felt like I couldn’t do that. We were only playing zone and I felt like a linebacker and it just wasn’t me, but now I’m able to free roam around and just make plays.”

Brooks will look to continue to make plays in LSU’s Spring Game this Saturday, and he will

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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 CHYNNA MCCLINTON / The Reveille

LSU football defensive lineman Maason Smith (0) runs to the huddle March 29 during LSU’s spring practice in Baton Rouge, La. look to make a statement in his first time in the purple and gold.

5. Will the defensive line be the key to success?

The LSU defensive line is back and ready to compete, and it all starts at the Spring Game.

The Tigers’ front line has a great amount of depth headed into this season, led by Ali Gaye, BJ Ojulari and Maason Smith. Behind them, Jacobian Guillory, Jaquelin Roy and Saivion Jones are all returning.

Gaye played just four games last season due to injury, but having him healthy this season adds a key component to the pass rush. Ojulari will be a threat at the jack position on the defensive line.

“He was a defensive end in a two-point stance and in our scheme he’s a defensive end out of a two-point stance,” Coach Matt House said. “At times we ask him to drop out, but we rush him a lot more than anything else.”

Ojulari led the team in sacks last season with seven, and accounted for 54 tackles on the season.

Smith displayed his potential on the front lines last season as a true freshman, and is expected to be a big part of the defense this season. Smith was the top recruit in Louisiana for the Class of 2021, so many expected him to make an impact once he got to Baton Rouge. While Smith didn’t play the full season due to injury, he frequently showed glimpses of his high ceiling.

Now that Smith has a full year to work with, he can easily be a staple piece to the Tiger defense.

Roy also impressed last season. He saw a lot more playing time, and is set for a breakout season for his junior year campaign.

The LSU football Spring Game will take place on Saturday, April 23, at 1 p.m. at Tiger Stadium.

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If you would like something corrected or clarified, please contact the editor at (225) 578-4811 or email editor@lsu.edu.

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LSU head coach Brian Kelly walks off the field at the conclusion of LSU Pro Day in Baton Rouge, La., April 6.

The Reveille is written, edited and produced solely by students of Louisiana State University. The Reveille is an independent entity of the Office of Student Media within the Manship School of Mass Communication.

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NEWS TORNADO RECOVERY

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Students and residents recover from New Orleans’ strongest tornado last month

BY XANDER GENNARELLI & CHANDLER MCINTOSH @XanderGenn & @GeauxChandler18 After severe weather threats and tornado damage struck parts of southeast Louisiana in March, Louisiana residents and LSU students are still recovering.

Some students who were affected by the storms looked to the university for help.

Molly McCann, the operations manager for LSU’s Division of Student Affairs, said around 10 students have applied for financial aid thus far from the Student Emergency Support Fund because they were affected by recent severe weather.

Many of those students’ families lived in parts of New Orleans damaged by the March storms and tornadoes, McCann said.

The Student Emergency Support Fund is designed to help students who have unexpected expenses after an emergency. The maximum award amount for students applying to the fund is $750.

McCann said other students affected by the weather could still apply for financial support.

The tornado that struck the Arabi area of St. Bernard Parish caused severe structural damage to more than 130 homes, including those that were destroyed, St. Bernard Parish President Guy McInnis said.

McInnis said clean-up efforts are moving faster than expected.

“The clean-up is going very good—actually, way ahead of pace,” McInnis said. “We are now looking at long term solutions through nonprofit organization, and trying to set up a process for individuals to seek assistance.”

Help from the state was quick, and the parish government had all the aid it needed to clean up and begin demolishing severely damaged homes, McInnis said. The Federal Emergency Management Agency likely won’t grant financial aid to in-

insufficient or no insurance to finance and rebuild their homes.

“We at parish government are suggesting any donations go through our website,” McInnis said.

“That donation goes to Greater New Orleans Foundation… we set up

CHYNNA MCCLINTON / The Reveille

The LSU COMET lab sits April 14, inside the LSU Energy, Coast and Environment building in Baton Rouge, La. dividual Arabi residents.

“We don’t think we’re going to meet the threshold for individual assistance,” McInnis said. “But you know, that assistance is minimal in the totality of someone losing a home.”

Individual assistance through the FEMA Individuals and Households Program can provide up to $33,000 to an individual or household, according to the Louisiana Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.

McInnis said the parish government is trying to work with nonprofits to make sure residents have transportation and help those with

where those donations will go directly to the citizens of the affected area.”

McInnis said the St. Bernard Parish community is feeling positive about the area’s future.

“We have a great outlook for the future of that area of Arabi, and I really do believe we’re going to grow back bigger and better than we were before,” McInnis said.

LSU students and faculty studied the storm that caused the tornado that carved through Arabi.

Since Louisiana is notorious for storm surges and severe weather, LSU offers a lab that studies coastal meteorological events within the state. Students are immersed

in studies on recent storms to find ways to lessen the impact of severe weather on local communities.

The Coastal Meteorology Lab occupies 600 square feet of the LSU Energy, Coast and Environmental Building for the primary focus of coastal meteorology.

Oceanography and coastal sciences graduate student Cade Reesman works in the COMET lab.

Reesman said tornadoes are not uncommon in New Orleans, as previous tornadoes hit in February of 2017. However, this particular tornado that landed on March 22 was the strongest recorded in New Orleans.

“Compared to hurricanes, the wind strength was stronger than a hurricane,” Reesman said. “However, the overall damage was not as significant as hurricanes in previous years, consequently due to hurricanes’ strong storm surges.”

The COMET lab houses computer clusters that students can access to track weather and its effects.

Reesman said that students within the COMET lab use the LSU supercomputing resources to run numerical weather simulations and use the model output to access various weather phenomena.

Throughout his research, Reesman found that cyclone heat events are emerging now more than ever.

Reesman said that while people recall Tornado Alley, parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Texas, Arkansas and other states as the hot spot for tornado activity, the southeast experiences more deadly tornadoes. He said that studies have shown the costly damage from tornadoes in Louisiana is a consequence of poorly made housing structures and bumpy terrain.

The COMET lab publishes its results online and sometimes works on projects with the National Weather Service office in Slidell to assist the service office in relaying the severe weather messaging to the public. Reesman said that it can be difficult to track these storms, but has positive effects in the future.

“This past tornado occurred at 7:20 p.m., which is one of the later time slots for a tornado to ever hit New Orleans,” Reesman said. “That time slot for the hurricane to appear was less fatal because of the decreased amount of people driving back from work and other areas across town.”

Reesman recommends that residents stay aware and follow local weather services to prepare for these storms.

Mass communication and geography senior Kelsey Otlhing has worked on projects that emphasize that meteorologists and emergency management responders should be aware of non-severe weather events and how they can have big impacts.

“Seeing the damage resulting from these severe weather events hits close to home because although I knew in advance that we were expected to get severe weather, nobody knew if a tornado was going to directly affect them,” Othling said.

Othling said the tornado that struck Arabi was heartbreaking.

“Knowing that that area was still recovering from the impacts of Hurricane Ida last year—in addition to Arabi being a more vulnerable population—it was heartbreaking to see the damage and know the costs of having to rebuild your livelihood all over again,” Othling said.

HEALTH

HIV diagnoses in Louisiana increased during pandemic

BY OLIVIA C. LANDRY LSU Manship School News Service For decades, Louisiana was one of the worst states for HIV transmission, and in 2015, healthcare leaders created a plan to try to end the epidemic.

As they expanded access to prevention tools, health services pushed to ease the stigma surrounding the human immunodeficiency virus, new diagnoses dropped by more than 20%, and by 2019, Louisiana no longer ranked among the ten states with the highest transmission rates.

Then COVID hit, forcing the immunocompromised, like people suffering from HIV to isolate themselves. Many of the more than 22,000 Louisiana residents with HIV or AIDS lost in-person access to health providers, and newly diagnosed patients did not get the treatments that can keep them from

transmitting the virus. Testing sites also administered far fewer tests, and five years of progress evaporated.

Preliminary data suggests that after a multi-year decline, new HIV diagnoses increased by about 33%, from 722 in 2020 to 960 in 2021, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.

“We don’t know exactly why that was the case,” Sam Burgess, the STD/HIV program director at the health department said. “We certainly know there was a lot less testing in 2020 and 2021. There were a lot of calls out to the public to avoid routine medical visits, so I think a lot of people delayed their screenings for sexual health. Some of the folks who probably would have been diagnosed in 2020 were diagnosed in 2021.”

Testing is picking up again with the recent lull in COVID cases, but the totals are not reaching pre-pan-

demic numbers.

Testing efforts at Crescent Care, one of the main HIV/AIDS treatment centers in New Orleans, were cut in half over the last two years.

The clinic administered almost 8,000 HIV tests in 2019. Because lockdowns limited many patients to tele-health visits, the number decreased to 4,000 in both 2020 and 2021.

“The most effective means of HIV testing is getting out in the community and testing people,” Dr. Jason Halperin, an infectious disease specialist at Crescent Care, said. “In lockdowns and social distancing, all of that testing has stopped.”

“The second-best way to test is in clinics and emergency rooms,” he said. “Our clinics moved to telehealth, and our emergency rooms were focused on COVID.” Crescent Care has not yet seen evidence of more HIV diagnoses among its patients, but it has had

more syphilis and gonorrhea diagnoses over the last two years. An increase in other sexually transmitted infections can indicate an increase in HIV transmission.

Noel Twilbeck, the chief executive of Crescent Care, said the job now is getting people tested and back into care.

“We expect to lose a lot of ground in the work we’ve been able to do,” he said. “We’ve got to figure out how to step it up some. It might be three steps forward and two steps back, but we have to keep at it. We know this epidemic is not over.”

Other testing centers sometimes offer gift cards as incentives for getting tested but that has not been very successful.

“I can’t even bribe people to test,” said Sonya Milliman, the harm reduction and prevention coordinator at the Capitol Area Reentry Program, which tries to reduce health

disparities in Baton Rouge. “People don’t want to be in that closed area.

They want to be back home where they feel safer.”

Who faces the greatest risk?

Most of the HIV/AIDS patients in Louisiana live in the New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport and Lafayette regions. Of those, 68% are Black.

HIV, which can cause AIDS, began spreading among gay male populations in the early 1980s. But it also has become more prevalent among heterosexuals in lower-income areas with high rates of sexually transmitted infections. Drug users sharing needles also can spread it.

About 35% of people living with HIV in Louisiana were exposed to the virus through high-risk heterosexual contact, while 45% of the residents with HIV are gay or bi-

see HIV, page 4

Thursday, April 21, 2022

page 4 HIV, from page 3 sexual men, according to the health department.

Experts say that when people with HIV are on antiretroviral therapy, they have undetectable viral loads and are unable to transmit the virus. For people on treatment, life expectancy is similar to the general population.

Milliman, who was diagnosed with HIV in 2017, said she is tested at least once a year.

“I found out my diagnosis within six months of contracting the virus,” she said. “I started my treatment within two weeks of that diagnosis, and I was undetectable three weeks after that treatment began.”

Halperin said that after people test positive for HIV, doctors can start them on antiretroviral therapy the same day.

“If we have everyone with HIV on life-saving medication, that ends the HIV epidemic,” he said.

Burgess, the state health department official, said that “does not mean there will not be anyone living with HIV. It just means we should get to the point where there are little to zero new HIV diagnoses a year.”

Physical and personal effects Gina Brown, who was diagnosed with HIV in 1994, said the hardest part of the pandemic has been the isolation from a community she relied on for support.

“I feel like a plant that’s not getting enough sunlight or water,” she

said. “I sometimes feel like I’m wilting.”

Brown worries about people who have been diagnosed over the last two years.

“We learn how to take care of ourselves through other people who are already living with HIV,” she said. “Even if you don’t talk to anybody at the clinic, you hear conversations in the waiting room. People

gic, dehydrated and had to force himself to eat. He lost 10 pounds during the two-week isolation period. Still, he says, he avoided hospitalization.

“When you’re immunocompromised, sometimes viruses hit you a lot different than when you’re not immunocompromised,” he said. “I felt that I was lucky that I didn’t have as much of a problem as other

COURTESY OF SONYA MILLIMAN

Preliminary data suggests that after a multi-year decline, new HIV diagnoses in Louisiana increased by about 33%, from 722 in 2020 to 960 in 2021. are talking about things like side effects from medication. You kind of file that away so that if you ever have that, you can try it. You also learn that there’s hope. There is life after diagnosis.”

Brandon Lee Brown, a New Orleanian in his late thirties who is living with HIV, contracted COVID-19 in September 2020. He was lethar-

people.”

Easing the stigma HIV and other sexually transmitted infections are socially stigmatized. People who contract them usually deal with judgment and rejection.

Brandon Brown said the stigma around HIV is not as bad as it was when he was diagnosed two de-

cades ago but there is still progress to be made.

“We’re in the Bible Belt, a place where people don’t even talk about sex,” he said. “People don’t want to talk about sex or STIs, and it’s not a conversation that is had out in the open. Once we start having conversations, it will bring the stigma down even lower.”

Brandon Brown said his HIV status does not make him different from anyone else.

“We are still everyday regular people,” he said. “We have the same issues and same problems. Verizon, Amazon, everybody wants their money just the same, so we still gotta go to work. We just have this one little thing that we have to take a pill for.”

HIV prevention efforts are focused on sexual activity and drug use. But Gina Brown, who works for the Southern AIDS Coalition, a nonprofit group, said health officials should be looking at broader social determinants as well.

“We’re not looking at poverty,” she said. “We’re not looking at housing. We’re not talking about intimate partner violence. We’re not talking about the fact that Louisiana incarcerates more people per capita than any other state. We’re not talking about those things, yet we say we’re going to end this epidemic.”

“Young people are contracting HIV because we’re not having a comprehensive sexuality education conversation with them,” she added.

“Nobody is out here just giving HIV.

People are contracting HIV because we are not having conversations about prevention.”

“We’ve got to finish it” Milliman, the health advocate in Baton Rouge, said educating young people on sex could work the same way as handing out sterile supplies.

Her organization has a safe syringe program that allows access to clean injection equipment and HIV, hepatitis C, and syphilis screenings.

“We’re not telling them to use,” she said, referring to drugs. “We’re just telling them, ‘If you’re going to, please do it in the safest way you can.’”

Education should go beyond just being safe, though. Milliman said life does not end with a positive HIV test.

“We have to educate on, ‘So, you tested positive. Let’s get you on treatment. Let’s show you that you can go on. You can still have sex.

You can still have babies. You can still breastfeed your babies.’ That’s what we need,” she said.

Though HIV activists and healthcare experts have made tremendous progress over the last 40 years, there is still a lot of work to be done before ending the epidemic.

“It took many people screaming in the streets, and a lot of people dying to get what we have now,” Twilbeck said. “But we’ve got to finish it. There’s no reason another person should become infected with HIV. We have the data. We have the science. We have an arsenal of tools.

We just gotta get it all together.”

ENTERTAINMENT

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90’s Night Chelsea’s Live Baton Rouge’s favorite new music venue follows up its recent ‘80s Night with a night dedicated to ’90s nostalgia.

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People Musuem finish their opening performance Feb. 4, at Chelsea’s Live Cafe on Nicholson Drive in Baton Rouge, La.

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The blues are back in town for the Baton Rouge Blues Festival. Multiple stages and artists are certain to keep crowds entertained.

There is no cost to attend the festival.

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MATTHEW S CHAUVIN

ETHAN DEVILLIER

TAYLAR ROSE GREEN

DANIEL HUPFER

DENISE MARTINEZ

CODY PATE

ALEXANDRA ROSENBOHM

MADDI TAYLOR

BROOKE BILLISON

SARAH CHEVALIER

JOSEPH DIGIOVANNI

LAUREN ALEXIS GRESHAM

CAMRYN A. JOHNSON

HUNTER MASSEY

JUSTIN PATE

BRADLEY EVAN ROSENSTON

DRAKE THERIOT

JUSTIN D. BONURA JR.

JENNA CHRISTOFFEL

JAKE DIXON

ADAM GREXA

MAXWELL JOHNSTON

BRI MATHEWS

ZOË MARIE

ALYSSA NICOLE ROUX

KAMRYN ASHLEY THOMPSON

PAIGE BOUDREAUX

MADISON CIMAROLI

KRISSI ANNE DOUCET

ALEXIS SYMONE GROS

MATTHEW JORDAN

HAILEY MATHIEU

HARLEE ASHLYNN ROWE

LAUREN G. THOMPSON

MADELYN BOURGEOIS

RYAN T. CLANCY

ALEXIS CHRISTINE DUKES

JAMISON GUELZOW

LAUREN NICOLE JULIEN

STEPHANIE MAYBERRY

HOLLIE PAYNE

MAX RUTLEDGE

BRENNAN TILYOU

EMERSON BOUTTE

MAEVE CLEARY

MARY MICHAELA

EMMA E. GUIDRY

OEYVIND JUNGE

ZACHARY ANDREW MAYFIELD

MADISON PEARCE

GEORGETTE SANANIKONE

JEFFREY JT TOBIAS

PARKER BRADY

HENRY CLEMMONS

JANVIER GUIDRY

ALICIA BUCKELEW KABAT

MACY MCADAMS

BRIANN PERKINS

STEPHEN JEFFREY SANDEL

ANGELLE TORRES

DUNKERLEY-OFFOR

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SPORTS FOREVER 31

page 8

Column: A letter to the Wally Pontiff Jr. Classic, from a kid from New Orleans JARED BRODTMANN

@_therealjarbear

When I was a kid, there was no Major League Baseball in New Orleans. Everyone clumped together to form an aggregation of fans from all fanbases across the MLB. The Yankees, the Cubs, the Astros, the Braves, the Rangers and, for me, the Red Sox were some of the most common teams we followed.

But it just wasn’t the same to not be able to go a ballpark, munch on a hot dog and sip a cold soda while watching a game — New Orleans didn’t have that excitement.

Kids couldn’t go to high-energy games regularly, glove ready to catch a foul ball and spirits raised to support their heroes at the plate and on the mound.

The Classic provided that experience for kids like me. And with this season being the last year it is being held, albeit in Baton Rouge at Alex Box, I wanted to write this memoir as a testament to the impact it had on so many

FRANCIS DINH / The Reveille

The LSU baseball team celebrates a home run April 19, against University of Louisiana Lafayette at Alex Box Stadium on Gourrier Avenue. kids and families in New Orleans who love baseball and those special evenings.

The Wally Pontiff Jr. Classic, a LSU baseball tradition held in memory of former Tiger Pontiff

Jr. who died in the summer before his senior season in 2002 due to a heart anomaly.

LSU baseball is the professional team of Louisiana.

Fans spread out across the

state. The passion they collectively bring is unmatched, and in a concentrated city like New Orleans, the Tigers are as beloved as any other sports team in the area. It is the manifestation of Louisiana

sports passion—outside of football—presented in a game honoring Tiger standout Pontiff Jr., a New Orleans area native and Jesuit High School alumnus.

He passed away unexpectedly at 21 years old, and everyone involved with the programs and fanbases was devastated.

My dad bought my family and me tickets on the first base line every year for that April night in Zephyr Field, home of New Orleans’s now-absent minor league baseball team. I always felt a special privilege being able to have such good seats to watch a team I cared about as much as LSU. It was also an opportunity for me to bring a friend to the game, show off my seats to them and laugh the night away while watching the game pass. It was my dad’s chance to give our family a fun and relaxed evening and give me the opportunity to get as close as possible to the team I loved.

I deeply cherish spending those nights with him.

Before the game, LSU players

see PONTIFF, page 9

SOFTBALL

LSU vs. Georgia Preview: How to watch and what’s to come

BY MACKAY SUIRE @macthetiger The LSU softball team hits the road this weekend to compete in its seventh SEC series of the season against the Georgia Bulldogs.

The Tigers will travel to Georgia carrying a four game win streak after sweeping South Carolina and then dominating McNeese State Tuesday. The No. 14 Bulldogs are entering this weekend on their home turf with a season record of 35-9, and 6-9 on conference play.

The No. 21 Tigers lag behind with a 28-16 record on the season and 8-7 in conference play.

The South Carolina series was only the second series win for the Tigers, their first being a sweep against the Alabama Crimson Tide. The Alabama series was LSU’s first SEC series of the season.

LSU has displayed some shaky performances this season. Inconsistencies in the lineup and defensive errors within multiple games have cost the team some major losses. When these inconsistencies are nowhere to be found, however, the Tigers are unquestionably indestructible.

In the South Carolina series, as well as in the game against McNeese State, these faults were nowhere to be found. Taylor Pleasants, Ali Newland, Savannah Stewart, Ciara Briggs and Shelbi

SAVANNA ORGERON / The Reveille

LSU softball stands for the national anthem March 12, before LSU’s 13-6 win against Alabama at Tiger Park in Baton Rouge, La. Sunseri were offensive powerhouses against McNeese. The Tigers totaled nine hits and seven runs, all of which were RBIs. Fans also got to watch some more unfamiliar faces in the circle with freshman Raelin Chaffin and junior Shelby Wickersham.

Chaffin has been a force to be reckoned with in the circle. After some shaky outings, she has produced nearly perfect performances for the Tigers. It is unlikely, however, that she will be seen much this weekend against Geor-

gia, considering her many outings these past few games, and the lack of typical starters, Kilponen and Sunseri. Head Coach Beth Torina is typically quiet on who her starters will be in the circle before the game is set to begin.

Georgia has been pretty consistent throughout its season thus far, shutting out higher-ranked teams like Clemson and Tennessee. The Bulldogs were also able to secure a win over Alabama in their three game series. They have conquered some of the same op-

ponents that LSU has, such as Texas A&M and South Carolina.

A huge factor of success for LSU going into this weekend will be success at the plate. Georgia is no stranger to high-scoring innings, and the same can’t always be said for the Tigers. LSU has been prone to leaving players stranded on base in multiple innings from multiple games. This habit could be detrimental to their performance, especially against a team with a higher caliber, such as Georgia.

Defense will also have to be nearly perfect, as a fiery offense is accompanied by equally impactful defensive plays. The typical hotspots for powerful ground balls in softball, shortstop and the third base line, are easily the places on the field that have the biggest margin for error. This rings true for LSU. Third baseman Daineca Coffey and shortstop Pleasants both account for the most errors on the team, with 13 and nine, respectfully. These errors have little effect on the outcome of the game, though, when the Tiger offense is successful.

The young team that composes LSU has a huge weekend ahead of them in facing the Georgia Bulldogs. With such similar wins, and a relatively young Bulldog roster, this three-game series could be an extremely entertaining one to watch. With virtually no fielding errors and a stellar offensive performance, it is the Tigers’ for the taking.

Fans at home can watch LSU take on the Georgia Bulldogs on ESPN. They can also listen live with the LSU Sports Radio Network.

How to watch: Friday at 5 p.m. — SECN+ Saturday at 1 p.m. — ESPNU Sunday at 11 a.m. — ESPNU

page 9

Thursday, April 21, 2022 PONTIFF, from page 8 would line the first base line and sign as many autographs as possible. I made it an effort every year to get as many signatures as I could. These were my idols, the guys each kid looked up to and wanted to be. And for us in New Orleans, it was the only chance we’d get all year to meet them and get that coveted scribble on baseballs, hats and gloves.

I can remember my next-door neighbor, a close mentor to me until he recently passed away, coming to the game with us one year and nudging me to get Aaron Nola’s autograph.

“That one is going to be worth something one day,” he told me.

“He’s the real deal.”

He was right about that one.

I keep my gold LSU hat with the Philadelphia Phillies’ ace’s signature in my childhood room in New Orleans to this day. A ball that sits quietly on my desk, ink fading as time passes, has signatures from local legends Mikie Mahtook and Mason Katz, as well as Tigers who have gone pro like Kevin Gausman, Austin Nola and JaCoby Jones.

The signatures to me are not just worn black marker. They mean something to me because they are a physical representation of my childhood.

The games offered us memories that live on in my head so

FRANCIS DINH / The Reveille

LSU baseball fans analyze the game April 19, against University of Louisiana Lafayette at Alex Box Stadium on Gourrier Avenue. vividly, to the point where I can still smell the freshly made popcorn and the leather of my glove, or see the Dippin’ Dots stand that stood at the end of the first base line like an oasis in the desert on those warm April nights.

I can freshly remember LSU’s star catcher Micah Gibbs slamming a home run almost all the way to Airline Drive over the leftfield wall and being awestruck by the power he showed.

If you walked back across the concourse, the chances of you running into somebody you knew

were exponentially high. Old friends, coworkers and classmates lined the walkway underneath the grandstand, chatting and catching up on the latest developments in their lives. This was a staple of what New Orleans sports looked like. It was a collective atmosphere of fans of the game, who were given this special night for the enjoyment of the event and more importantly, the people that they brought with them.

It’s a common belief that New Orleans is a family itself, despite any adversity we go through or

We’re looking for a highly motivated graphic design student to join our office.

This is a great opportunity for the right student to build their portfolio in an ad agency type setting.

Must be accepted into the Graphic Design or Digital Art program at LSU to be considered.

any differences we share, and not too many events showcased that better than the Pontiff Classic.

But as time went on, the game started to gray and grow old. Nick Pontiff, Wally’s younger brother, told WDSU that due to the recent passing of the Foundation’s executive director, Sherrell Gorman, and the conversion of Zephyr Field from baseball field to the new home of New Orleans’s professional rugby team, NOLA Gold, this would be the last season the event would be held. However, the Pontiff family and their foundation have continued to show their affection for LSU despite the event’s dissolvement.

“Wally Pontiff Sr. has been really supportive to me since I got here, literally from the first press conference, and we stayed in touch,” Head CoachJay Johnson said. “What the cause is for is awesome: raising money for charities throughout Louisiana. We’re excited to be able to do it again this year and be a part of that.”

LSU defeated UL-Lafeyette in the classic’s most recent game on Wednesday evening by a score of 8-4. It was a complete offensive effort from the Tigers, with six different players tallying RBIs. Tre’ Morgan and Jordan Thompson hit their third and fourth home runs of the year, respectively. Dylan Crews came through with a clutch two RBI single in the fourth inning with the bases loaded and

two outs, and the Tigers never looked back from there.

Ty Floyd earned the win on the mound for LSU, going five innings and giving up two earned runs on four hits. He struck out eight Cajun batters. It was Floyd’s fourth win of the season in his sixth start of the year. Of all of LSU’s starters, Floyd has the highest strikeouts per nine innings at 11.70.

The lasting legacy of the game serves as a great tribute to the young Wally Pontiff Jr., who inspired many in his short life, but is also a tribute to him by facilitating companionship, quality family time and growth of the game of baseball in the New Orleans area.

Providing New Orleans kids like me the avenue to get as close to the team as I did on those beautiful April nights was an invaluable contribution to our childhoods. As a writer for the team for three years, I can’t help but think about those games as the foundation for my drive to start writing about the team in the first place.

And even more importantly, the game was my chance to have some of my best memories with people I care about like my dad and neighbor. So, I want to tell those nights “Thank you,” for giving a kid from New Orleans something to look back on fondly and share with the people I love. The event means so much more to us than a Tuesday night midweek game.

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page 10

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FOR RELEASE APRIL 21, 2022

FOR RELEASE APRIL 18, 2022

THE Daily Commuter Puzzle ACROSS 1 WWII president 4 Remove the lid from 9 “Better late __ never” 13 Region 14 Sherbet flavor 15 Pinkish-red color 16 Jimmy __ sausage 17 In __; specifically 19 TV’s “The __ Couple” 20 Radials 21 Revise; correct 22 Alex Haley classic 24 As nutty __ fruitcake 25 Monastery 27 Real estate __; Century 21 staff 30 Long and lean 31 One of the Seven Dwarfs 33 Razz 35 Pasta maker’s needs 36 Walked back & forth 37 Man’s nickname 38 Puny 39 Cruise stops 40 Longest bone 41 __ up; envisioned 43 Most current 44 Big kahuna 45 Person 46 Beverage container 49 Sty residents 51 Prefix for taste or mount 54 Rehearsing 56 This and that 57 Sydney’s nation: abbr.

58 Kitchen appliance 59 Cry from a vaccine clinic 60 Golf shop boxfuls 61 ACL tear sites 62 Cigar dropping DOWN 1 Pebbles’ pa 2 Look-alike 3 Fled 4 Snobbish

by Jacqueline E. Mathews

Created by Jacqueline E. Mathews

5 Closes in on 6 Concern 7 __ of war; initial affronts 8 Letter from Greece 9 Eisenhower’s predecessor 10 Bagel center 11 As slippery __ eel 12 Intellectual type 13 Fuss and bother 18 Stengel or Affleck 20 Conservative Brit 23 Majestic trees 24 No longer young 25 __ the coop; left home 26 Became furious 27 Jungle beasts 28 Colossal 29 __ congestion; cold symptom 31 Move suddenly 32 Part of autumn: abbr.

34 “Sesame Street” Muppet

4/18/22

Saturday’s Puzzle Solved

©2022 Tribune Content Agency, LLC All Rights Reserved.

36 “__ and Circumstance” 37 “__ move on!”; cry to a slowpoke 39 Artist’s purchase 40 Renown 42 Kicks out 43 Fencing moves 45 Gate squeaker 46 Quarrel

4/18/22

47 Bona fide 48 At __; relaxed 49 Read over quickly 50 Seder beverage 52 Dry skin symptom 53 Request for silence 55 Irritate 56 Large snake

THE Daily Commuter Puzzle ACROSS 1 TV psychologist 5 Small band 10 West, for one 14 Actress Anderson 15 “I’m just __ wayfaring stranger…”

16 Parakeet’s home 17 Aide: abbr.

18 Oppresses 20 “Are we there __?”

21 Sound the horn 22 Pile up 23 Sprinkles 25 Eur. nation 26 British estate owner 28 Palm tree leaves 31 Ill-gotten gain 32 Thread holder 34 Helper for Santa 36 Quaker product 37 Launderer’s problem 38 __ on; incite 39 Fight result, for short 40 One of the five senses 41 Funeral hymn 42 Before this time, in poetry 44 Most recent news 45 Use a spade 46 “The Canterbury __” 47 Comic __; “Peanuts,” e.g.

50 Swampland 51 Sandwich variety 54 Going forward 57 Electrician’s supply 58 Remove from power 59 Forward thrust 60 Greedy people 61 Palmer’s pegs 62 Bury 63 Snake eyes, in craps DOWN 1 Drama 2 Rubber tube

by Jacqueline E. Mathews

Created by Jacqueline E. Mathews

3 Teacher 4 Ignited 5 Gangster Al 6 Some golf tournaments 7 TV’s “__ & Mindy” 8 Derek & others 9 Silver or uranium 10 Shrewdness 11 Facts & figures 12 Eras 13 Complicated situation 19 Christmas song 21 Give a job to 24 Haughtiness 25 Steel component 26 Pigeonhole 27 Earthshaking event 28 Thwart 29 Reason to take Prozac 30 Garden pests 32 Goulash 33 Compadre 35 Guitar ridge 37 Air pollution

4/21/22

Wednesday’s Puzzle Solved

©2022 Tribune Content Agency, LLC All Rights Reserved.

38 Place 40 Shoot from hiding 41 Actor Robertson 43 Royal commands 44 Roomier 46 Slight coloring 47 Espy 48 Word of agreement

4/21/22

49 JFK’s mother 50 After-dinner candy 52 Yen 53 Mrs. Truman 55 Samuel’s teacher 56 Final bill 57 Seuss’ “Horton Hears a __!”

OPINION

page 11

LSU needs to take vocal stance in support of tenure at Capitol CHARLIE’S ANGLES CHARLIE STEPHENS

@charliestephns

Stephen Finley, chair of the African & African American Studies Department, was recently targeted

by Turning Point USA, a rightwing group that criticizes professors across the country for teaching topics they deem radical.

This is part of an increasing partisan animosity toward higher education principles like tenure that protect the unique knowledge distributed by people like Finley.

This hostility has also manifested itself in bills banning the teaching of critical race theory, and more generally, of racism in public schools controlled by Republican politicians.

LSU President William Tate IV recently told The Reveille that “[tenure is] designed to provide security for people to be able to articulate the truth without retribution.”

I completely agree with the president. But, if Tate claims to value tenure, he must take a stand against legislation that seeks to

destroy it.

State Sen. Stewart Cathey, RMonroe, has introduced concurrent resolution 6, which creates a task force to review tenure policies in the state. The bill’s introduction follows similar legislation across the country that aims to limit academic freedom.

With bills like this being brought up in the Legislature, tenure needs fierce defenders—like university presidents—so that academics like Finley can feel free to discuss and distribute their research “without retribution.”

Tate told the Reveille that “there is no attack [on tenure]” and that he does not oppose the task force created by the bill, saying, “democracy is about having conversations.”

The conversation that Cathey seemingly intends to have, though, is not about strengthening tenure, but about stripping away its protections bit by bit.

In response to a recent Reveille article about the LSU Faculty Senate violating open meetings law, Cathey tweeted, “I think breaking the law should lead to a revocation of tenure!”

This statement speaks to

MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille

A pair of trees frame the State Capitol on Feb. 6, at 900 North Third Street in Baton Rouge, La. Cathey’s feelings on the role tenure plays in the university, and it doesn’t inspire hope in his intentions for academic freedom at the flagship.

One of the main objectives for Cathey’s proposed task force is to “perform an in-depth review of the merits of and need for tenure,” which implies that tenure isn’t a foundational aspect of the educational ecosystem, but rather a

policy that should be controlled by the increasingly partisan Louisiana Legislature.

LSU spokesperson Ernie Ballard said in a statement that “President Tate has stated publicly that he is supportive of tenure. But the university doesn’t take a position on any piece of legislation.”

This is a dubious statement considering that the university employs a government relations

team that can be seen lobbying for and against legislation at the Capitol on a regular basis. This is not to mention that the university’s annual appropriation is included in a “piece of legislation” that the university surely has opinions on.

On an issue as critical to the university’s mission as tenure, Tate needs to stand by his words that the university is “one of the last places we have where the truth is foundational” and fiercely defend one of the few tools that protects truth, even if it means angering the Legislature.

Turning Point USA ended its blog post about Finley by saying that critical race theory is an aggressive invasion of college campuses, and professors advocating for these teachings should be condemned.”

How can faculty like Finley feel confident expressing their views “without retribution” when the university is unwilling to defend their foundational freedom of tenure in the face of an increasingly hostile, partisan legislature?

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

Academy’s ban of Will Smith disproportionate, unreasonable SERIOUSLY KIDDING FRANK KIDD @FK446852315 Will Smith has received a 10year ban from the Oscars after slapping Chris Rock at this year’s award show.

In a statement released on April 8, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said, “for a period of 10 years from April 8, 2022, Mr. Smith shall not be permitted to attend any Academy events or programs, in person or virtually, including but not limited to the Academy Awards.”

Being banned from events means Smith will have to miss special screenings and all of the festivities during Oscar Week.

The 10-year ban seems a tad excessive given that this was a singular event and, frankly, not that serious when put into context.

Harvey Weinstein was banned from the Oscars following the public uncovering of his decadeslong patterns of abuse. He was

COURTESY OF POLYGON

accused of sexual assault by over 80 women in the film industry.

He was known in Hollywood circles for forcing himself on women, offering roles in exchange for sexual favors and threatening victims. Weinstein

was sentenced to 23 years in prison for his crimes.

Weinstein was banned from the Oscars in 2017, but he’s been allowed to keep his Oscars.

Smith’s ban to a potential revocation of Weinstein’s awards isn’t a

one-to-one comparison, but one must consider the difference in the severity of offenses. There should be a far greater distinction between how the Academy treats slapping someone once versus 30 years of being one of Hollywood’s most notorious sex criminals.

For a more one-to-one comparison, see film director Roman Polanski. Polanski pled guilty to drugging and having sex with a 13-year-old girl. While awaiting sentencing, Polanski fled the country for Europe.

Polanski’s expedition took place in 1978, but he wasn’t banned from the Oscars until 2018. For comparison, Will Smith was banned only two weeks after the slap.

Polanski was convicted of statutory rape, and the Academy needed the time between the Carter administration and the Trump administration to consider his standing.

While mulling it over, the Academy awarded Polanski best director in 2003 for “The Pianist.”

He even received a standing ovation at the awards ceremony.

Editorial Policies and Procedures EDITORIAL BOARD Lara Nicholson

Editor in Chief

Enjanae’ Taylor

Managing Editor

Josh Archote

News Editor

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Deputy News Editor

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.

The ovation is indicative of the feelings held by a large portion of the film industry toward Polanski. His crimes were not enough to stop the industry from working with and awarding him.

Over 100 people in the film community signed a petition asking for the convicted pedophile to be freed when he was arrested in Switzerland and facing extradition.

Getting a standing ovation after being convicted of such heinous crimes is something that could only happen in Hollywood.

Banning Will Smith from the Oscars for 10 years is a few steps too far. A one- or two-year ban would be reasonable in a vacuum, but when compared to the transgressions of others in Hollywood, any punishment seems unjust.

If the Academy wants to avoid the rehashing of its past mistakes and discussions of Hollywood’s toxic culture, it should rethink its decision.

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

Quote of the Week “Life would be tragic if it weren’t so funny.”

Stephen Hawking

Theoretical physicist 1942 — 2018