Vote for homecoming king and queen until Thurs., see lsureveille.com
Reveille Athletic Dept. issues statement on early kickoffs set by CBS, p. 5
The Daily
Volume 115, Issue 55
CRIME
Jury trial date set for homicide case
www.lsureveille.com
SPLAT!
LSU makes effort to play in-state schools, p. 5 Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2010
Students to protest at Capitol today
Sarah Eddington
Matthew Albright
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
A jury trial date has been set for June 27 for the double homicide case against Devin Parker, the only man indicted in the murder of two University graduate students in 2007. A status hearing was held Tuesday to determine a trial date, as well as discuss several other issues at hand. Jim Holt, Parker’s defense attorney, had his motion to move the trial to another jurisdiction deferred. Holt argued that his client would not receive a fair and impartial jury because of extensive pretrial publicity. The trial has generated at least 10 articles from The Advocate in addition to numerous references on different news stations, according to Holt. “This incident occurred in 2007, and it’s still a hot topic in Baton Rouge,” Holt said during the hearing. Parker was one of three men arrested for the murders of Chan-
Multiple student groups and hundreds of students plan to flock to the State Capitol at 11:30 a.m. today as part of a “Rally for Higher Education,” protesting cuts in state funding to colleges and universities. The protest, originally planned and spearheaded by University of New Orleans-based group “Save UNO,” has expanded to include students from LSU, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and Southern, Southeastern Louisiana and Nicholls State universities. LSU group Proud Students has thrown its support behind the protest. The Louisiana State Police announced the agency will make a strong showing after concerns were raised that fringe groups with possible anarchist ties might hijack the protest for violent means. Protest organizers have made it clear the event is not intended to turn violent.
TRIAL, see page 11
SHAINA HUNTSBERRY / The Daily Reveille
Students douse each other in paint and hit trash cans to the beat of music Tuesday during the Residence Hall Association’s Splatterbeat event on the Parade Ground. See a photo slideshow and a video of Splatterbeat at lsureveille.com.
Contact Matthew Albright at malbright@lsureveille.com
RELIGION
Faculty members hold, practice diverse religious beliefs Instructor calls self priest for Greek god Grace Montgomery Contributing Writer
SHEILA DE GUZMAN / The Daily Reveille
Kent Filbel, communication studies instructor, speaks Nov. 2 about his religion, which he defines as a version of Hellenismos, a restoration of ancient Greek practices.
The University is known for having a large, diverse student body, but faculty culture is also varied — especially concerning religion. From Judaism to the worship of Greek gods, University faculty members honor a wide array of religious traditions. And though their beliefs are different, professors agree openmindedness is of utmost importance. Madhuri Yadlapati, philosophy and religious studies instructor, grew up practicing Hinduism. She studied Christian philosophy in her doctorate studies because the topic interested her, and a wider variety of classes
were offered on the subject. Like many professors, she stresses the importance of learning about and discussing religion in terms of identity and relating to others. “I hope as people study it, they learn tools for how to talk about religion,” Yadlapati said. “It’s so central to how people define themselves, it shouldn’t be off-limits.” But discussion of religion is sometimes avoided because the topic can be controversial. “Students seem cautious. Often they’re taught not to talk about religion and politics,” Yadlapati said about her classes. Kent Filbel, communication studies instructor, has a unique perspective on religious beliefs, even forming his own practices. Filbel defines his religious beliefs as a version of Hellenismos, or
modern people who turn back to the religious roots of the ancient Greeks. But Hellenismos is a modern “restoration” of old practices, and each person differs in how they practice, Filbel said. Reconstructions of other ancient religions, like German and Roman practices, also exist, Filbel said. “Unlike, say, Christianity or Judaism, which has had a continuous, unbroken history, considerable parts of the practice and doctrinal beliefs [of Hellenismos] have been lost,” Filbel said. But while these beliefs are restored, followers do not fully revive the practice and place a modern spin on worship — for example, followers do not practice animal sacrifice, Filbel said. Filbel grew up practicing RELIGION, see page 11