Today in Print - March 15, 2011

Women’s Basketball: Lady Tigers fail to make NCAA tournament, p. 6

Football: Twelve former Tigers work out for NFL scouts at Pro Day, p. 5

Reveille The Daily

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BENJAMIN OLIVER HICKS / The Daily Reveille

Ibrahim Matri, petroleum engineering freshman, discusses the turmoil in his home country of Libya.

Spotted: Mike Huckabee visits Baton Rouge, p. 3 Tuesday, March 15, 2011 • Volume 115, Issue 106

Hitting close to home

Libyan University students watch, discuss home country’s turmoil from afar Xerxes A. Wilson Staff Writer

In a span of weeks, emotion has become an increasingly difficult thing for Safa Elnaili to explain.

A Libyan doctoral student studying at the University, Elnaili’s native land, family and friends have been thrust into a bloody revolution that is beginning to resemble a civil war.

“I’m angry, scared, happy and thrilled at the same time,” Elnaili said. “I’m about to be reborn again.”

Elnaili lives with her daughter and husband, Hesham Elashhab, a master’s student at Southern University, who is from Elnaili’s hometown of Benghazi, Libya’s second largest city located on the country’s northern coast, and unofficial capital of the resistance to the government.

Elnaili describes Benghazi as a tightly knit

Mediterranean metropolis, citing chapter and verse of transgressions committed by the country’s dictator of 41 years, Moammar Gadhafi, that have fermented anger enough to spark the current bloodshed.

“We are sick and tired of him,” Elnaili said.

“We want him out. He has been a burden to the society and people here. We are an oil country, but LIBYA, see page 11

photos courtesy of THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

[Left] A pro-Gadhafi fighter walks past a destroyed building March 12. [Right] Libyan university students chant anti-Gadhafi slogans March 13 during a demonstration.

BOARD OF REGENTS

Higher ed study gives vague results Robert Stewart, Sydni Dunn Managing Editor, Staff Writer

A study analyzing higher education in New Orleans says “change is required” — but what exactly those changes will be remains a mystery, as the study gave vague solutions and left the Louisiana Board of Regents with a plethora of questions.

The study, presented by the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems to the Regents on Monday, gave two alternatives for restructuring New Orleans higher education institutions. Both alternatives include four main “components,” which represent higher education institutions.

The structure of those four components is the difference in the two suggestions.

The study’s four components include: an “urban research university,” a “metropolitan university,” a “comprehensive community college” and a “university college.” All four must have clearly defined mission statements, according to the study.

Gov. Bobby Jindal ordered the study in January to see if it was feasible to merge Southern STUDY, see page 11

ELECTION WATCH: A series looking at the SG presidential race

Dupre, Richard claim ‘smarter approach’ to SG operations Editor’s note: Ticket series will be printed in alphabetical order according to the presidential candidates’ last names.

Andrea Gallo Staff Writer

Candidates of the “LSU Open Source” ticket for Student Government president and vice president say they want to approach SG in a more analytical manner and minimize wasted time.

SG presidential candidate Garrett Dupre and vice presidential candidate Jarrett Richard said they have calculated the amount of work current SG President J

Hudson’s administration has put in, and it amounts to 35,000 “manhours” of work. After looking at the “raw magnitude” of such a number, Dupre and Richard said they think they could accomplish on average one initiative per week.

Dupre and Richard have few initiatives, but they said they plan to formulate more initiatives once they are elected into office and know who they will be working with. Dupre said they cannot begin to build an administration without knowing what “tools” they have to help.

While neither Dupre nor Richard is an SG member, they said they watched last year’s election

and Hudson’s administration and found ways to “streamline” SG. “I can’t see someone in Student Government really having that much of an edge over someone who isn’t,” Dupre said.

Dupre and Richard said they want to approach their administration in the “smartest way” they can and they want to better represent student voices by being “more serious” about the approach to

Hear more from Dupre and Richard at 5:20 p.m. on KLSU. OPEN SOURCE, see page 4

BRIANNA PACIORKA / The Daily Reveille

SG vice presidential candidate Jarrett Richard, left, and presidential candidate Garrett Dupre discuss their campaign Monday in Hodges Hall.

The Daily Reveille

Nation & World

page 2

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

INTERNATIONAL

NATIONAL

STATE/LOCAL

Japanese village of Saito all but vanishes after tsunami

California: Nuclear plants can handle high magnitude quakes

6-year-old dies after being dragged 20 feet by school bus

SAITO, Japan (AP) — It’s hard to believe there was ever a village here at all.

The tsunami that devastated Japan’s coast rolled in through a tree-lined ocean cove and obliterated nearly everything in its path in the village of about 250 people and 70 or so houses.

Now, three days later, Saito is a moonscape of death and debris, a hellish glimpse into the phenomenal destruction caused by the killer wave that followed Japan’s most powerful earthquake on record and one of the five strongest on Earth in the past 110 years.

In Saito and nearby areas, there is no electricity and no running water. There are no generators humming. The night is pitch black.

The buildings still standing are closed. No stores are open. Everything has stopped.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Operators at California’s two nuclear plants say their facilities can withstand a higher-magnitude earthquake than scientists predict could ever strike the plants.

They said Monday that the San Onofre and Diablo Canyon plants can handle earthquakes of magnitude up to 7 and 7.5, respectively.

Americans have become increasingly concerned about domestic facilities in the wake of fears of

LAFAYETTE (AP) — Lafayette Parish sheriff’s deputies say a 6-year-old elementary student has died after being caught in a school bus door and dragged about 20 feet.

Sheriff’s Lt. Craig Stansbury says Lederion Miller attempted to board the bus Monday with other children at a neighborhood school bus stop when the door closed and caught a piece of his clothing.

He said the driver did not see the child and continued to drive down the dead-end road.

Miller was transported to a local hospital but died of his injuries.

The accident remains under investigation.

Russian officials postpone March 30 launch to space station MOSCOW (AP) — Russian officials have postponed the March 30 launch of a rocket carrying a U.S. and Russian crew to the international space station due to a communication problem found during testing.

DAVID GUTTENFELDER / The Associated Press

A Japanese rescue team member walks through the leveled village of Saito in northeastern Japan on Monday.

France, Britain pushing to isolate Gadhafi with no-fly zone PARIS (AP) — France and Britain stepped up calls Monday for other world powers to isolate Libya’s Moammar Gadhafi with a no-fly zone, amid diplomatic differences over how much backing to give Libyan rebels.

The accelerated push came as U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other top diplomats from the Group of Eight prominent world economies met in Paris for a previously planned foreign ministers meeting.

Struggling states may cancel or delay 2012 primaries MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — In these tough times, even how we nominate presidents is facing the threat of the budget ax.

Lawmakers and elections officials in at least six cash-strapped states are hoping to move or replace their stand-alone 2012 presidential primaries, sacrificing some influence over who wins the nominations in favor of saving millions of dollars.

The moves to either delay primaries by several months or hand over the nominating process to party-run caucuses comes as Republican and Democratic parties implement new rules to limit the number of states voting before March 1.

Today on lsureveille.com Watch videos of Pro Day, Mike Huckabee and the “Open Source” SG ticket.

Libyan students share views of the conflict in the Out of Print news blog.

What’s the best movie soundtrack? The LMFAO entertainment blog has possible winners.

New Spin Zone blog: ‘Free Boosie’ movement unwise. flickr.com/groups/ thedailyreveillephotos

3 boys, 2 women killed; 2 more injured in fiery I-10 wreck (AP) — State police say three boys, their mother and another woman died in flames when a pickup truck crossed the median on Interstate 10 and slammed head-on into their car.

Trooper Russell Graham says the wreck killed Effie Fontenot and Kim Stag, both 29 years old and from Prairieville, and Fontenot’s sons: 3-year-old Austin Fontenot, 7-year-old Hunter Johnson and 11-year-old Keagan Fontenot. Both people in the truck were injured.

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SPRINGFEST Team Leader Applications still available!

Apply online at www.lsu.edu/oma Last day to apply is Tuesday, march 15 ADAM VACCARELLA / The Daily Reveille

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See photos from inside the Governor’s mansion on Snapshot at lsureveille.com.

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS In a March 14 article titled, “Program lacks minority students,” The Daily Reveille misidentified Murlonda Webb in a photo.

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

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The Daily Reveille

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Louisiana survey shows budget worry Matthew Albright Chief Staff Writer

Louisianians are less confident the state is headed in the right direction now than they were in 2010, according to a study conducted by the Manship School of Mass Communication’s Public Policy Research Lab. Kirby Goidel, a mass communication and political science professor and the lab’s director, unveiled the study’s findings Monday at the Baton Rouge Press Club.

The Louisiana survey, which the lab has conducted annually since 2007, indicates 41.1 percent of Louisianians believe the state is headed in the right direction.

That’s down about seven percentage points from 2010’s 47.5 percent, and down almost 10 points from the survey’s high-water mark in 2008.

Goidel said the decline was likely a result of the economy.

The study indicates the decline mostly occurred among white respondents, whose confidence dropped from 51 percent in 2010 to 42 percent this year.

The study also looked at public perceptions of the state’s $1.6 billion budget crisis. Fortysix percent of Louisiana residents favor filling the state’s budget gap through some combination of spending cuts and tax increases, down five points from 51 percent in 2010; 44 percent prefer addressing the gap only with spending cuts, up three points from 41 percent in 2011.

Gov. Bobby Jindal’s budget, released last week, relies on spending cuts to fix the deficit. Jindal has vowed to veto any tax increases that come across his desk.

Goidel said the general theory of cutting government is popular, but those numbers drop when it comes to cuts of specific programs.

“People are pro-cutting, but they don’t want to cut anything,” he said.

Many voters are also willing to see increased taxes to fix the budget deficit. Fifty-nine percent of respondents, for example, said they would support a temporary reinstatement of the Stelly Tax Plan. Jindal and the Legislature repealed the tax proposal in 2008,

leading to reduced tax revenue.

Fifty-nine percent of respondents said it was a bad idea to repeal the plan because it cost state tax revenue and contributed to the budget shortfall.

The report indicates many Louisianians are concerned that continued budget cuts to higher education will hurt the state in the long run, and many are willing to pay to stop the damage.

Sixty-one percent of respondents said they would like to see higher education spared further budget cuts. Sixty-one percent also said they would support income tax increases if all of that revenue went to higher education.

Thirty-seven percent of those surveyed said they would support allowing colleges to raise tuition to offset cuts, and 41 percent said they would not support such raises.

Contact Matthew Albright at malbright@lsureveille.com

Researchers create ‘collaboratory’ Chief Staff Writer

An interdisciplinary team of University researchers is spearheading an effort to coordinate coastal research efforts using a massive grant from the National Science Foundation.

The Northern Gulf Coastal Hazards Collaboratory — a portmanteau of “collaborative” and “laboratory” — will use $1.3 million from the NSF to create a cyber-infrastructure that will connect 10 universities in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi doing research on coastal hazards.

“It’s a virtual organization,” said Q. Jim Chen, a civil and environmental engineering professor who is part of the group. “It’s what we call ‘distributed research.’”

Chen said the technology would allow researchers to work together more closely on research to model and mitigate coastal dangers like storm surge, flooding, oil spills and coastal erosion.

Individual researchers, for example, have their own equipment that monitors the coast, but that equipment is currently not networked together. The grant will allow the universities to create a cooperative system for storing and communicating the data, allowing for a more comprehensive picture of the coast.

The money will allow the researchers to create high-bandwidth optical networks, high-performance computing equipment, and large-scale data storage. It will also create software and imaging equipment that will allow researchers to simultaneously view coastal processes.

It will also pay for video conferencing and communications software to allow research-

ers in different locations to work together.

“In the old-fashioned way, you got a small group that gets funding and works by itself,” Chen said.

“Now we can share models and resources.”

Chen said the University is spearheading the effort because of the Center for Computation and Technology, which is working to set up the infrastructure. The money will be used to purchase hardware and software and to pay programmers to create new communications tools.

Four University researchers are participating in the project, including one from the Department of Geography and Anthropology.

“It isn’t just coastal engineering that’s involved in this. There are people from multiple departments,” Chen said.

In addition to research goals,

HEEEERE’S HUCKABEE!

BENJAMIN OLIVER HICKS / The Daily Reveille

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee greets fans Monday afternoon at LifeWay Christian Store. Watch a video of Huckabee online at lsureveille.com.

Read about Louisiana’s budget concerns on Out of Print at lsureveille.com.

ENVIRONMENT Matthew Albright

page 3

the grant includes an educational and outreach component. The program will involve undergraduate and graduate students that will participate in the research and networking process.

Computer science and computer engineering students will work on creating and maintaining the systems, while coastal engineering and other students will assist with research.

“There will be opportunities for students to get involved,” Chen said.

Chen said the University’s leading role is something students can be proud of.

“I think students should know we’re doing top-notch research here at LSU,” Chen said.

Tuesday March 15 Shady’s

Free drinks 8-10 $1.50 High Life 50 cent shots all night Come have a drink, Don’t be a Dick

Pluckers Wing Bar Mon.: $14.99 All You Can Eat Wings and $3 Pluckers Lemonades Tues.: Kids Eat Free, $3 Mexican Beers and Margaritas Wed: Trivia at 8 pm, $4.50 Mother Plucker Mugs of Bud and Miller Thurs: $15.99 All You Can Eat Wings, $4.50 Mother Plucker Mugs of Bud Light and Miller Lite, $5.50 Patron Margaritas Sun: $3 Pluckers Specialty Shots

Contact Matthew Albright at malbright@lsureveille.com

3:00-3:30 PM Newsbeat 4:00-4:30 PM Sports Showtime 4:30-5:00 PM Newsbeat Repeat 6:00-7:00 PM Sports Showtime Repeat 7:00-7:30 PM Newsbeat Repeat Ch. 19 9:00-9:30 PM Making Moves 9:30-10:00 PM That’s Awesome

The Daily Reveille

page 4

BUDGET CUTS

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

LAWSUIT

EducateLA to advocate Group: Board of Regents still not representative of state population for higher education Group recruiting students around La. Sydni Dunn Staff Writer

Another student organization designed to advocate against cuts in funding to higher education has emerged, according to a Thursday news release.

EducateLA, the new nonprofit organization, consists of about 25 students attending twoand four-year public universities and colleges across Louisiana, according to John Parker Ford, EducateLA chief communications officer and mass communication junior.

Ford said the group’s mission is to recruit students from around the state and gain alliances within the Legislature by asking individual representatives to pledge to protect and improve higher education.

EducateLA has four main goals: -To limit the state-appropriated cuts for education to less than 10 percent -To prioritize higher education within the state -To require a clear, consistent funding formula from the Board of Regents -To reduce “bureaucracy

OPEN SOURCE, from page 1

student outreach.

Dupre said they had to attend one of SG’s current executive branch meetings, and there was no discussion as to how student outreach could be improved. He used last year’s Groovin’ on the Grounds “Shinedown fiasco” as an example as to how SG needs to listen to students. He said he did not recall meeting one person who was happy with the decision for Shinedown to perform.

Dupre and Richard said they would especially like to increase SG’s financial transparency. They said they want to post a detailed list of how much money SG spends and where it is being spent on SG’s website, and they want students and organizations to hold them accountable.

“If I’m going to pay my student fees, I deserve to know where it’s being spent,” Dupre said.

Dupre said he thinks SG’s Senate “wasted valuable time” debating about the resolution to create a black caucus. He said the resolution should have been presented as “something to better the students,” and race should not have been an issue in the debate. Dupre said the senators were not necessarily representing what was in the best interest of the student body during the debate.

Using the black caucus debate as an example, Dupre said if elected, he would like to address

costs” in higher education Though the organization’s objectives appear to be similar to other advocate groups, EducateLA and Student Government President J Hudson insisted it will be “something that has never been done before.”

Ford agreed, saying the group is different from other student groups in that it is recognized by the state as an official corporation, has private donors and will launch an advertising campaign later this month.

Details about the campaign will be announced March 31 at a news conference, Ford said. The location has not yet been confirmed.

“We have to remind our legislators that students have the most at stake when it comes to the higher education budget,” Hudson said in the release. “It is the determination of whether our education, and ultimately our degree, means something significant in the future.”

Ford said the group has met with about six state representatives to date and is actively scheduling more meetings.

Contact Sydni Dunn at sdunn@lsureveille.com the senators about how much time they monopolize debating.

Both Dupre and Richard said they would have voted in favor of the resolution to add “gender identity and expression” to the nondiscrimination clause of the equal opportunity policy.

Dupre, the treasurer of Women Organizing Women, said he has been approached about “women’s issues,” and in light of the attacks near Middleton Library and on the Parade Ground, he’d like to see SG partner with more organizations that advocate awareness about such issues.

Dupre and Richard said decisions made about budget cuts will be value-driven.

He and Richard said the question comes down to the decision between raising tuition or cutting programs. If the University values having students with low incomes or making the University attainable

Sydni Dunn Staff Writer

Though Gov. Bobby Jindal appointed a minority member to serve on the Board of Regents on Wednesday, the group that challenged the Board’s makeup says one man is not enough.

A lawsuit was filed against Jindal and the Board on Feb. 14 by former Congressman Cleo Fields on behalf of seven Southern University students stating the Board’s membership was unconstitutional.

The students said the formerly all-white Board was not representative of the state’s population.

And it still isn’t, said plaintiff Venese Morgan, a political science and Arabic senior at Southern University in Baton Rouge.

“One minority appointed to the Board is not representative of the state of Louisiana,” she said.

Morgan said more minority members need to be appointed to the administrative board to represent the state’s minority demographic, which she said is about 37 percent.

Jindal appointed Albert Sam II, an African-American surgeon in Baton Rouge, to the Board on Wednesday following the resignation of Board member Roland Toups on March 7.

If approved by the Senate, Sam will be the only racial minority member of the 15 representatives.

Regents spokeswoman Meg for all in-state students, then it will cut programs. However, if the University values increasing its U.S. News and World Report ranking, then it will need to increase tuition.

“We like to look at things analytically, but with things like this, values have to come into play,” Dupre said.

Contact Andrea Gallo at agallo@lsureveille.com

7:20 a.m., 8:20 a.m.

Noon, 3:20 p.m.

4:20 p.m., 5:20 p.m.

Casper said Sam will seek approval during the legislative session and will serve on the Board until that occurs.

“Having Sam is a step closer to where we want to be, but it’s not the end,” Morgan said.

The injunction against the ALBERT SAM II Board was denied on Feb. 24, but the students filed an appeal on the case, according to plaintiff Dadrius Lanus, a political science and history junior at SUBR. Morgan said the hearing is scheduled for some time in April, as there is “still a case to be heard.”

“I believe if we had not filed, they would not have appointed

Sam,” she said. “I’m glad the state is starting to see where we are coming from.”

Morgan said it’s important to remember the lawsuit is about equality, not about the potential merger between the University of New Orleans and Southern University-New Orleans.

“It doesn’t have anything to do with the merger, but it has everything to do with the individuals that sit on the Board, and they have something to do with the merger,” she said.

The results of the merger study were announced Monday, and the Board’s recommendation on the matter will be disclosed today in a special meeting.

Contact Sydni Dunn at sdunn@lsureveille.com

Sports

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

page 5

FOOTBALL

THE JOOSE IS LOOSE

Report: LSU pays $6K for scouting

MICHAEL LAMBERT Sports Writer

Johnson puts stock in LSU

Rowan Kavner Sports Writer

LSU paid $6,000 in December for football scouting services from Will Lyles, according to a Fox Sports report Monday.

LSU Senior Associate Athletic Director Herb Vincent said Monday the Tigers paid Complete Scouting Services, one of Lyles’ businesses, according to the report.

Michael Bonnette, associate athletic director and sports information director, told The Daily Reveille late Monday that everything concerning recruiting services goes through LSU’s compliance department before any money changes hands.

“We feel like we’re doing business the right way with those guys,” Bonnette said.

The $6,000 was spent on game films from California and Kansas junior colleges, according to the Times-Picayune.

Two NCAA investigators reportedly interviewed linebacker Trevon Randle about his contact with Lyles.

NCAA Bylaw 13.1.2.1 prohibits boosters from directing a recruit to a school. If Lyles helped recruit a player to LSU, the NCAA would consider him a booster and any payment to him would be a violation, according to the report.

Contact Rowan Kavner at rkavner@lsureveille.com

Like a pro Michael Lambert Sports Writer

Former LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson’s jersey selection many years ago may have been a precursor to the future.

Peterson picked to wear the No. 48 jersey of Carolina Panthers running back Stephen Davis during pee wee football.

“At the time my favorite player was Davis,” Peterson said Monday at LSU’s Pro Day. “He wore No. 48, and I was a running back, so I ended up wearing No. 48.”

ADAM VACCARELLA / The Daily Reveille

Former LSU linebacker Kelvin Sheppard gears up for a sprint drill Monday during LSU’s Pro Day at the indoor practice facility.

NFL scouts evaluate former LSU stars Ironically enough, Carolina holds the top pick in April’s NFL draft, in which Peterson is regarded as a consensus top-five selection.

“I never thought I would be in this position right now coming from a 6-year-old playing pee wee ball to 20-year-old young man,” Peterson said.

Peterson garnered the bulk of attention from Monday’s Pro Day even though he didn’t participate in timing drills, but 11 other former Tigers were on display to NFL coaches and scouts in the LSU indoor practice facility.

Most of the eight players who worked out at the NFL Scouting Combine a few weeks ago stuck with their times from Indianapolis.

A few former Tigers, however, aimed to reach better marks.

Defensive tackle Drake Nevis kept his 31 bench press reps from the Combine, but he wanted to improve his 40-yard dash time.

See a video and more photos from Pro Day at lsureveille.com PRO DAY, see page 7

The past two seasons haven’t been too much fun for LSU men’s basketball coach Trent Johnson.

Johnson’s team has only won five of 32 Southeastern Conference games since the start of the 2009-10 season.

The honeymoon of his first campaign in 2008-09, in which he claimed the SEC with a 13-3 mark, came to a screeching halt after the departure of veterans Garrett Temple, Chris Johnson and Marcus Thornton.

Johnson went from winning the SEC Coach of the Year award to being under the microscope of the restless LSU fan base.

But it seems as if Johnson plans to be in Baton Rouge for the long haul to groom his young squad.

LSU released a statement Monday expressing Johnson’s intentions to remain the Tigers’ coach after rumors swirled Utah was interested in Johnson, who was their former assistant coach from 1986 to 1989.

“Contrary to published reports, I have no interest in leaving LSU for another school,” Johnson said in the news release.

The Salt Lake Tribune threw out Johnson’s name as a possible replacement for former Utah coach Jim Boylen.

When scouring for a name to throw out once a coach is gone, past assistants are always an easy out.

Remember when Denver Post JOHNSON, see page 7

BASEBALL

Ross nabs starting catcher spot after Gibbs’ departure Snikeris still up for playing time Rowan Kavner Sports Writer

BLAIR LOCKHART / The Daily Reveille

LSU freshman catcher Ty Ross eyes a pitch Feb. 18 during the Tigers’ 15-4 win against Wake Forest at Alex Box Stadium. Ross replaced former Tiger Micah Gibbs at catcher.

LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri had a decision to make at catcher this season for the first time since former Tiger Micah Gibbs was a freshman in 2008.

One newcomer would have to fill the shoes of Gibbs, a member of the 2009 Southeastern Conference All-Defensive Team who hit .322 his freshman year, .294 his sophomore year and .388 his junior year.

After junior college transfer catcher Jordy Snikeris pulled his

groin in the fall, it became clear the post-Gibbs era would involve freshman catcher Ty Ross.

Three weeks into the season, Ross has solidified the starting role.

“There’s no question that he’s our No. 1 guy, primarily because he throws better than Jordy,” Mainieri said. “But Jordy’s a very pesky and good player, too.”

Snikeris returned to full health after Christmas break, but Ross had been catching the majority of the fall by that point.

“Coach Mainieri’s pretty specific about groin injuries,” Snikeris said. “He wanted to make sure I was 100 percent when I got back.

It was just awful timing because it was right when we first started team practices and intersquads.”

Both catchers have more than

15 at-bats, but neither has broken out at the plate. Snikeris is hitting .211 (4-for-19) after going 0-for-3 with a run scored Sunday.

Ross carried a dismal .185 batting average (7-for-32) into the Cal State Fullerton series but caught fire Saturday. He pulled his average up to .219 with two hits, including a single in the eighth inning which started the eventual winning rally.

“This is kind of what he did in the fall,” Mainieri said. “The more he played, the better he started swinging. We’re starting to see him do that now.”

Freshman pitcher Kevin Gausman said Ross’ defensive prowess makes up for any offensive woes.

His .988 fielding percentage is ROSS, see page 7

The Daily Reveille

page 6

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL BASEBALL

Lady Tigers Tigers have a lot of work to do before Florida SCHWEHMMING left out of AROUND tournament Andy Schwehm Sports columnist

Mark Clements Sports Contributor

The LSU women’s basketball team will be in an unfamiliar place this March – at home.

The Lady Tigers missed the cut for the NCAA tournament for the first time in 13 years, dating back to 1998.

“I really feel bad for our players to miss the NCAA tournament,” said LSU coach Van Chancellor.

“That’s what you work for all year.

They’ve worked awfully hard.”

Chancellor said LSU would decline an invitation to the WNIT if an offer was extended to attend.

“We’re just interested in the NCAA. Our goals are there, and that’s it,” Chancellor said. “We’re not going to the [WNIT].”

LSU finished the year with a 19-13 record and an 8-8 conference record.

Fifteen Southeastern Conference teams have posted exactly a .500 record in league since the conference expanded from a 12-game schedule in 1997, and 10 of those teams made the NCAA Tournament.

Only four SEC teams made the big dance this year – No. 1 seed Tennessee, No. 4 seed Kentucky, No. 6 seed Georgia and No. 10 seed Vanderbilt.

“I never dreamed that the SEC would only get four teams in,” Chancellor said. “I never envisioned we’d be faced with a day like today.”

Chancellor said the team was confident it was receiving a bid as the players watched the selection show announce the field of 64 on Monday night.

Junior forward LaSondra Barrett said she was in shock when LSU’s name wasn’t called.

“I’m just shocked and disappointed. I just knew we were going to get called,” Barrett said. “Right now it’s a lot of pain going on, but we will bounce back from this … but it’s motivation for the players coming back.”

The Lady Tigers graduate three seniors – guards Latear Eason and Katherine Graham and forward Jasmine Nelson – who leave the school with a record of 90-40.

“I enjoyed the four years here,” said Graham, fighting back tears. “I’m disappointed and hurt.”

Contact Mark Clements at mclements@lsureveille.com

Yes, LSU’s baseball team was able to pull out the brooms over the weekend in a sweep of national powerhouse Cal State Fullerton.

But it wasn’t pretty, and two games could and should have gone in favor of the Titans.

Just look at this: The Tigers had eight of their 24 runs gift wrapped to them by Titan errors during the weekend.

In a sense, I suppose you have to give the Tigers credit for pulling out three wins. However, things must change this upcoming weekend when No. 1 Florida visits Baton Rouge for what may be the best series the new Alex Box Stadium has seen since its birth.

The Gators are a much better defensive team than the Titans as they enter the weekend with a team fielding percentage of .976 (No. 5 in the SEC). They won’t be giving up many easy runs.

On the flip side, LSU must play better defense than they have been.

The Tigers have a rubbish .959 team fielding percentage. And on top of that LSU catchers have thrown out two of 22 runners in the 16 games so far this season (9 percent).

Let that sink in.

Last season in 63 games, the Tigers threw out 17 of 81 (21 percent).

In other words, if Florida has done any scouting whatsoever of this LSU team, it should run. Often.

The interesting thing, though, is Florida hasn’t been running often this season, stealing only 19 of 27. In comparison, LSU has stolen 34 of 43 bases.

LSU’s bullpen is also going to have to pitch more along the lines of how it performed in Sunday’s 10-2 victory against Cal State Fullerton in which a pair of relievers combined to give up no runs in 2 1/3 innings.

On Friday and Saturday’s lateinning 7-6 nail biters, it was a different story. Relievers in the two games combined to give up seven earned runs in just five innings’ work.

There’s no doubt these games against Florida will be some of the best, closest and most competitive games LSU will have all season.

That means middle relief and closers will be of utmost importance.

It will be interesting to watch how Florida’s pitching staff (the

BRIANNA PACIORKA / The Daily Reveille

LSU freshman second baseman JaCoby Jones (23) swings at a pitch Sunday during the Tiger’s 10-2 victory against Cal State.

best in the league with a 2.31 team ERA) fares against one of the best offenses in the SEC. The Tigers enter the game hitting .318 as a team and lead the league in runs scored with 151.

This series could be far removed from the west coast, small ball series the Tigers were involved in during the weekend against the Titans in which only one home run was hit.

Instead, one or more of these games could turn into a slug

fest that LSU fans have become accustomed to see in Alex Box Stadium with “gorilla ball.”

Then again, Florida’s pitching staff could keep the Tigers’ bats in check.

As long as Florida can keep itself from committing the insane amount of errors Cal State threw around during the weekend, it should hold a slight edge in the series.

But LSU will have one thing the Gators won’t — home field

advantage.

It’s going to be an interesting series. And I wouldn’t expect anything less.

Andy Schwehm is a 21-year-old psychology and English senior from New Orleans. You can follow him on Twitter @TDR_ASchwehm.

Contact Andy Schwehm at aschwehm@lsureveille.com

The Daily Reveille

Tuesday, March 15, 2011 PRO DAY, from page 5

Nevis ran a 4.90-second 40-yard dash Monday after being clocked with a 4.97 at the Combine.

“I talked it over and felt like the 40 was something I needed to improve, so I put my focus on running a faster 40 time,” Nevis said.

Not every player saw improved numbers.

Wide receiver Terrence Toliver’s 40-yard dash slowed down from 4.52 seconds at the Combine to 4.64 seconds Monday, but he injured his hamstring during the run.

Toliver worked through the pain and did catching drills for NFL coaches.

“I kind of tweaked my hamstring a little bit, but I just pushed through it,” Toliver said. “Coaches and scouts want to see if you can.”

Running back Stevan Ridley recorded 21 reps on the 225-pound bench press after opting not to do the bench press at the Combine.

Ridley said limited carries in college will give him an advantage going into the NFL. “Even if I came back, to really

JOHNSON, from page 5

columnist Woody Paige dubbed Les Miles as a possible replacement at Colorado?

But the simple mention of Johnson’s name with Utah garnered speculation from LSU fans.

Would he leave the Tigers to return to the Pac-10, where he coached for many years?

Would he want to escape closer to his family on the West Coast?

Is Johnson eager to flee LSU while the program is at rock bottom?

The answers appear to be no.

LSU Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Joe Alleva has been patient through the rough two seasons and once again backed his only new hire since coming to Baton Rouge from Duke in 2008.

“It takes time to build a consistent winner, one that competes on an annual basis for championships,

ROSS, from page 5

third best among starters.

“He got me probably 10 to 15 strikes [Saturday] that weren’t strikes,” Gausman said. “He really works hard back there. He’s coming into that role kind of being like Micah last year.”

The Tigers have soared despite the rawness behind the plate.

LSU is 11-0 when Ross starts and 4-1 with Snikeris catching.

“Regardless of who’s back there, we’re going to do a good job,” Ross said. “I definitely am more comfortable now playing in front of 10,000 people.”

up my stock, I’d have to have a [1,500-yard] season,” Ridley said.

“I’d really come a year back to beat up my body.”

Kicker Josh Jasper said he hit a 60-yard field goal going with the wind and completed all kicks against the wind except two from 45 yards during Monday’s workout.

“This was the last chance to prove what you can do,” Jasper said.

Middle linebacker Kelvin Sheppard didn’t blaze the trail with a 4.76-second 40-yard dash Monday, but he did work out for New Orleans Saints linebackers coach Joe Vitt.

Sheppard already has a visit lined up with the Buffalo Bills in couple of days.

“I’m going off to the cold,” Sheppard joked. “I love the game of football. It doesn’t matter where I’m playing.”

But Peterson has a jump on Sheppard, having already met with a possible suitor. Peterson spent Sunday night eating dinner with new Carolina head coach Ron Rivera.

“We were just getting to know each other,” Peterson said. “It’ll be an honor if Carolina would take me No. 1.”

The Pompano Beach, Fla., native said he also has workouts planned with the Denver Broncos, Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals.

The four former Tigers who didn’t get the opportunity to shine under the bright lights of the Combine got their chance Monday with the hopes of being a late-round pick or free agent selection.

Special teams standout Dan Graff posted a 4.54-second 40-yard dash, while cornerback Jai Eugene clocked in at 4.59 seconds.

Running back Richard Murphy recorded 21 repetitions in the bench press, and punter Derek Helton participated in punting drills with Jasper.

and I am pleased Trent intends to remain at LSU to do just that,” Alleva said in the statement.

Johnson has numerous reasons to keep his residence in the Red Stick.

The players Johnson handpicked to come to LSU are maturing. His first class of Eddie Ludwig and Aaron Dotson will be juniors next season.

His best crop — the trio of Andre Stringer, Matt Derenbecker and Ralston Turner — have a season under their belt and will only get better.

The three first-year players accounted for 45 percent of the Tigers’ total points from this season.

The biggest reason Johnson has to stay is the addition of 6-foot10-inch power forward Johnny O’Bryant next season.

Bryant is Johnson’s biggest grab of his tenure. The Scout.com five-star recruit has been selected

for the McDonald’s All-American High School Game on March 30.

The Cleveland, Miss., native averaged 19.2 points and 14.7 rebounds a night as a senior.

But O’Bryant won’t be the savior of the program.

Veterans like Storm Warren and Malcolm White will need to step up as seniors next years.

If improvements are made with the young guns and O’Bryant makes a splash in his first year, Johnson’s future is sure to be more enjoyable than the past two seasons.

It can only go up from here.

A rotation of inexperienced catchers is nothing new for Mainieri and the Tigers.

Gibbs started 67 games at catcher as a sophomore in 2009.

As a freshman he only started 48 games, while former catcher Sean Ochinko started 21.

Mainieri said he still plans on resting Ross sporadically for the remainder of the season.

“Jordy’s going to continue to be a very important player for us because Ross can’t catch every game,” Mainieri said. “It’s just too demanding a position physically. You have to have another catcher ready.”

Snikeris said he’s comfortable in the role he’s in. He started Sunday’s game, was inserted late into Friday’s 7-6 win and has played in 11 of the Tigers’ 16 games.

“We’re both getting opportunities in key points and times that can help us win games,” Snikeris said.

Follow Michael Lambert on Twitter @TDR_Lambert.

Contact Michael Lambert at mlambert@lsureveille.com

Follow Michael Lambert on Twitter @TDR_Lambert.

Contact Michael Lambert at mlambert@lsureveille.com

Follow Rowan Kavner on Twitter @TDR_Kavner.

Contact Rowan Kavner at rkavner@lsureveille.com

page 7

ADAM VACCARELLA / The Daily Reveille

[From left] Former Tigers Joseph Barksdale, Stevan Ridley, Jai Eugene, Daniel Graff, Drake Nevis, Pep Levingston, Kelvin Sheppard and Richard Murphy watch Monday as teammates participate in LSU’s Pro Day.

The Daily Reveille

Opinion

page 8

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Send Japan your help through prayer and donations As you must be aware, Japan is going through its biggest challenge in recent history. Multiple earthquakes and the subsequent tsunami have killed likely more than 10,000 people.

As 20+ year residents of Baton Rouge, my family was saddened by this horrendous news. I felt depressed in seeing houses, cars and people swept away by the tsunami.

Scenes of devastation after the tsunami were eerily similar to those after Hurricane Katrina — water

all over, people asking for help on the rooftops, fishing boats resting a mile inland, automobiles standing upright and rubble of what used to be people’s residence. There is no doubt that many LSU students, faculty and staff members can put themselves in the shoes of the people in that country.

My family lives in Tokyo, 200 miles away from the epicenter.

Still, my sister-in-law told me that she felt the jolt as long as five minutes, and it was unlike anything she ever experienced. One of my uncles sustained a head injury after being struck by falling roofing slates. In our families’ homes, glassware fell off shelves, the fridge moved 5 inches and everything went upside down in one of their rooms. People in Tokyo are enduring rolling

blackouts and having some difficulty purchasing foods and essentials, but it’s nothing compared to the plight of people near the epicenters.

Japanese people are resilient, and they will rebuild, just as they did after the 1995 earthquake in Kobe or as we have been doing after Hurricane Katrina. It’ll be a very long ordeal as we, south Louisianans, know well, and they can use our help.

Some 90+ countries offered help to Japan, including the U.S. with “Operation Tomodachi (Friendship),” with aircraft carriers off the coast to support helicopter rescues, among other things.

In Japan, people are helping each other. Bakers are handing out bread for free. Many people are offering the bathroom in their

residence for those who have to walk home, and a 2-year old boy rushed outside to “arrest the earthquake.” You might catch some of these stories with #prayforjapan on Twitter.

I was wondering what I could do myself. The answer is “not much.” There are, however, two things we can do to help them — prayer and donation. Please pray for those who lost their lives and those who struggle with the damage and devastation.

You might say, “Donation to Japan?” While Japan is a rich country, it definitely needs your help for the more than 400,000 people in shelters/temporary locations and more than 20,000 people still stranded. They need food, water, clothes, blankets, temporary

PRESS X TO NOT DIE

Microsoft wants the world to stop using Internet Explorer from 2001

In the world we live in today where technology is constantly advancing, something new is always coming out.

Your computer, phone or even TV are usually outdated by the time you get it home and plugged in — as we see in those horrible Best Buy commercials.

The same holds true for Web browsers.

Browsers like Google Chrome, Apple’s Safari, Windows’ Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox are some of the most popular browsers used today.

Log on to any desktop on campus, and you’ll see Internet Explorer and Firefox readily available.

Which browser reigns supreme is up for debate, but there’s no question about which one is more common.

Apple has exploded recently in personal computing market share, but Windows-based platforms still outnumber the competition.

The simple reason for this difference is business preference. How many businesses do you see running on Apple’s OS X? Not many.

And with every single purchase of a Windows-based platform, a version of Internet Explorer comes preinstalled as the default browser.

So many people, whether they know it, are proud (and I use that term loosely) Internet Explorer users.

However, back in a magical time known as 2001, Microsoft launched Windows XP — and with it, came Internet Explorer 6.

Fast forward to now, and Windows

finds IE6 at the top of many websites’ “worst tech products of all time” lists.

IE6 is plagued with security issues and lacks support for many modern web standards.

Even as Microsoft releases a new update, the browser remains vulnerable.

Although Windows already has IE8 on every computer with Windows 7 — I know, all these numbers don’t match up — some are still clinging to IE6.

Despite these outdated users, WinAdam Arinder dows has launched Columnist “The Internet Explorer 6 Countdown” in preparation of its upcoming launch of IE9.

“Moving the world off Internet Explorer 6” is the mantra at the top of ie6countdown.com.

A colorful chart breaks down each country’s use of the outdated browser, attempting to get worldwide usage down to less than 1 percent by next year.

It’s currently at 12 percent, with the most usage coming from China at 34.5 percent.

America’s usage is almost negligible at 2.9 percent.

The IE6 countdown website also provides links explaining the benefits of IE8 over IE6.

It isn’t often you see a company devote an entire campaign to get people to stop using one of its products.

The Daily Reveille

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

The reason for Microsoft’s rally comes after French and German governments openly spoke out against Microsoft and IE6 last year, advising Internet users to find a different way to browse the Web. I guess Microsoft’s logic is to campaign against its own product in an effort to get clients to upgrade (even though they should’ve done that years ago) rather than losing them altogether to the competition.

If you’re one of those still using Internet Explorer — whether it’s version 6, 8 or 800 — please stop. Vastly superior alternatives are at your disposal.

Google Chrome is easily my favorite browser thanks to its sleek, intuitive user interface and ease of use.

But Mozilla Firefox and even (dare I say it) Apple’s Safari are adequate browsing solutions, as well.

Then again, anything is better than Internet Explorer.

The IE6 Countdown page says it best: “friends don’t let friends use Internet Explorer 6.”

Well friend, I’m trying to help you out by saying friends don’t let friends use Internet Explorer — at all.

housing and everything else we currently own ourselves.

The following are some of the potential donation takers, among many others: Amazon.com, where all donations go to American Red Cross Japan Earthquake/Tsunami fund, redcross.org and the Lady Gaga “We Pray for Japan” bracelet, with all proceedings going to “Japan relief efforts.”

Thank you for your support.

God bless everyone and Go Tigers!

Yoshinori Kamo, Ph.D. Sociology associate professor

Contact The Daily Reveille’s opinion staff at opinion@lsureveille.com

By the Numbers Internet Explorer use quickly falling

2001

The year Internet Explorer 6 was released

Percent of Internet users still using Internet Explorer 6 in 2011

4.71 45.63 23.3

Percent of Internet users using any version of IE in 2011

Percentage points dropped in IE usage from Jan. 2008 - present

5

The number of present, major competitors in the “Browser Wars” — Internet Explorer,

Mozilla Firefox, Safari, Google Chrome and Opera

Adam Arinder is a 21-year-old communication studies senior from Baton Rouge. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_ aarinder.

Contact Adam Arinder at aarinder@lsureveille.com

Statistics from statcounter.com

Editorial Policies & Procedures

The Daily Reveille (USPS 145-800) is written, edited and produced solely by students of Louisiana State University. The Daily Reveille is an independent entity within the Manship School of Mass CommuniEditorial Board cation. Signed opinions are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the editor, Sarah Lawson Editor-in-Chief paper or University. Letters submitted for publication should be sent via e-mail to opinion@lsureveille.com or delivered to B-26 Hodges Hall. They must be 400 words or less. Letters must have a contact phone Robert Stewart Managing Editor, Content number so the opinion editor can verify the author. The phone number won’t be printed. The Daily ReveilStephanie Giglio Art Director le reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for space consideration without changing the origiSteven Powell Managing Editor, External Media nal intent. The Daily Reveille also reserves the right to reject any letter without notification of the author.

Writers must include their full names and phone numbers. The Daily Reveille’s editor-in-chief, hired evDevin Graham Opinion Editor ery semester by the Louisiana State University Media Board, has final authority on all editorial decisions.

Quote of the Day

“A dying man needs to die, as a sleepy mans needs to sleep, and there comes a time when it is wrong, as well as useless, to resist.”

Stewart Alsop

American writer May 17, 1914 — May 26, 1974

The Daily Reveille

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

THE C-SECTION

Opinion

page 9

‘Free Boosie’ movement stupid, asks for release of murderer

Going to jail on a regular basis seems to be a recurring problem with rap artists these days. (I wonder why).

M o s t seem to get picked up by police on drug or weapons charges, but they’re usually released shortly after.

Chris Grillot But two Columnist rap-star incarcerations in the past few years have really stuck out.

First, Lil Wayne earned himself a year in jail after getting arrested for carrying a gun in New York after a concert in 2007.

On March 8, 2010, almost three years later, Wayne was finally locked up.

Then something strange happened.

“Free Weezy” shirts popped up in store windows, and Facebook statuses among the Wayne loyalty suddenly changed, informing all their friends the guntoting, tear-drop-tattooed criminal should be released.

In another case, Baton Rouge rapper Lil Boosie was sentenced in 2009 to two years for a marijuana charge. But his sentence was later doubled to four years after authorities caught Boosie violating his probation while awaiting sentencing.

With Boosie’s incarceration, even more ignorant propaganda sprung up — this time in the form of “Free Boosie.”

And just as Lil Wayne’s release approached, a storm hit poor Boosie. He was indicted on

a first-degree murder charge for the death of Terry Boyd.

East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore III also launched an investigation into whether Boosie was involved in five other slayings.

Needless to say, Boosie does not seem like a person you would want to free.

But this didn’t stop the “Free Boosie” brigade.

More Boosie attire sprung up, bumper stickers were made, and Facebook pages appeared.

Facebook page, “FREE LIL BOOSIE!!!!!!” has more than 81,000 “likes” as of mid-March and a slew of comments from people trying to defend their favorite criminal.

Some aimed their comments toward the stupidity of the group while the majority seem to disregard the seriousness of Boosie’s first-degree murder indictment.

One commenter thinks Boosie will make a come back.

“Free mii n---a boosie he da realest n---a it aint nothing minor set back 4 major cum back,” she posted.

Another commenter believes Boosie “haters” are jealous.

“TO ALL THE DISRESPECTFUL PPLE THAT WANNA COMMENT ON BOOSiE ‘S Pg,, YU ARE A LAME!! OBVIOUSLY YU WANT SOME HE GOT!! ... FREE BOOSIE,” she commented.

Of course, Boosie’s got something we’d like — jail time and a first-degree murder indictment.

Jokes aside, why would anyone honestly believe Boosie should be released from jail?

I’ll give him some respect

as a Louisiana-born rap artist, but his actions completely overshadow any credibility he once had — and pushing for his release seems completely asinine.

First, it’s simply unwise to wear a shirt advocating for the release of any convicted criminal.

It’s equally stupid to be associated with “Free Boosie” material after he has been indicted with first-degree murder and possibly linked with five others.

I also find it senseless to even consider Boosie a respectable member of society, considering the music video for his song “We Out Chea,” depicts him pointing pistols at the camera while his crimecrew dances behind him.

One part even shows Boosie and Co. beating a guy, likely because he walked on the wrong turf.

Overall, publicly flaunting the desire to release criminals is probably one of the worst things you can do to yourself, aside from committing the same crimes.

Consider you show up for a job

interview with a slick “Free Boosie” sticker on the back of your Escalade. The

interviewer will probably think, “What a moron — this guy wants to free a possible murderer,” and not hire you.

Or in general, consider what others think of you when you advocate for a possible murderer to be released — it’s usually not a positive assessment.

Our culture has become way too fond of stupidity, and pushing to free Boosie epitomizes that foolishness.

Chris Grillot is a 19-yearold English and mass communication sophomore from New Orleans. Follow him on Twitter @ TDR_cgrillot.

For more information on why the ‘Free Boosie’ movement is mindless, see the New Spin Zone blog on lsureveille.com.

Contact Chris Grillot at cgrillot@lsureveille.com

cartoon by LACYE BEAUREGARD /

The Daily Reveille

FAILURE OF DIPLOMACY

Unalienable right to death just as important as right to life Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Considered some of the unalienable rights of man, this phrase has had a massive impact on our country since the Declaration of Independence.

Based on John Locke’s “Life, Liberty and Property,” it’s hard to disagree that these three things are extremely important.

Yet, as with most rights of man, we often have to question how far they extend. In past years, that issue has manifested itself with the question of whether the right to die is one of our unalienable rights.

For example, why shouldn’t those suffering through the pains of a terminal illness be allowed to end their lives and stop the pain? Some patients might simply want to die while they still maintain who they are, instead of

passing away as a trace of their former selves.

Some countries (and a few states) allow physicians to grant these wishes to their patients.

While both Oregon’s and Washington’s Death with Dignity acts include many requirements for physician-assisted suicide to be legal, the fact that patients at least have this choice is a step Zachary Davis in the right diColumnist rection.

Yet these acts should only be the tip of the iceberg. Instead of being limited to those with six months to live, this freedom should extend to Americans in many circumstances.

Last year, the Dutch seemed

to be in pursuit of something along the lines of what I’m envisioning — an initiative known as Uit Vrije Wil. Translated into English as “Out of Free Will,” this initiative sought to allow anyone who just simply didn’t want to live anymore and was over the age of 16 to seek medical help in ending his or her own life.

While there are obviously some issues, namely moral implications for doctors, this is the sort of policy should be enacted.

Some people simply don’t see the point of life.

Just as freedom of religion in this country can mean a lack of religion, the right to life should also mean the right to death.

I’m sure most people can envision circumstances where death would be a more desirable option than living. Why force someone

to continue to live if they don’t want to?

Undoubtedly, something like this would need oversight. There are still problems with assisted suicide that need ironing out before we look forward.

Many of us should remember the Terri Schiavo case, or the South Park episode that parodied it. This case, besides being far too publicized, is a perfect example of the problems facing the right to die argument.

More recently, the case of terminally ill 13-month-old Joseph Maraachli in Canada has shown this is a heated topic here in the U.S., especially with lies about “death panels” still circulating among certain groups of Americans.

It is cases like these that highlight the problems with someone’s “right to die.”

Because certain religious groups will almost always side against this right, these are undoubtedly going to continue for some time.

However, should we ever get past these hurdles, Americans may very well see their freedoms further enhanced.

While a guarantee of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is a great thing, the right to escape it can be just as necessary to some.

Zachary Davis is a 20-year-old history Junior from Warsaw, Poland. Follow him on Twitter @ TDR_zdavis.

Contact Zachary Davis at zdavis@lsureveille.com

page 10

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The Daily Reveille

Tuesday, March 15, 2011 LIBYA, from page 1

we haven’t seen any progress in the country.”

Anger over crumbling infrastructure, underfunded education and an impoverished society have amassed a powder keg of political anger that is now exploding across the country, Elashhab said.

“He has been suppressing the people’s opinion, and he claims he is promoting democracy, but he is not,” Elnaili said. “When anybody speaks about him, they would simply disappear the next day, be put in prison or killed. That is why people were afraid to say anything.”

Elnaili said revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt were the spark that ignited the current uprising.

“It was when the revolution in

STUDY, from page 1

University-New Orleans and the University of New Orleans.

However, the alternatives’ components didn’t use specific names of New Orleans institutions for “sensitivity” reasons, and the Regents asked question after question in a nearly four-hour meeting.

The Board probed the panel for more specific answers to the study, but the panel members emphasized that the main purpose of their study was to determine how to best serve the New Orleans region.

Regents Chairman Robert Levy said after the meeting he was unsure of the Board’s position on the alternatives.

The “urban research university” will serve students fully prepared for college, while the “metropolitan university” is for students less than prepared but have “no developmental education requirements that cannot be addressed in college degree credit courses.” The community college will serve a varied range of students from underprepared students to college transfer students with an emphasis on technical degrees.

The “university college,” a new component altogether, would emphasize developmental education and serve as a transfer gateway to the other three components. The study proposes the university college would share the same site as the metropolitan university.

In Alternative A, all four components will be supervised by the proposed Greater New Orleans Higher Education Authority, which would require legislation to be established.

In Alternative B, the urban research facility and the metropolitan university would share a site and be called the “University of Greater New Orleans,” which would fall under the University of Louisiana System. The comprehensive community college would fall under the Louisiana Community and Technical College System. The Board of Regents would oversee the transition by forming a temporary group known as the Greater New Orleans Coordinating Authority.

Board member Joseph Farr asked how much money the state will save if it uses the alternatives.

NCHEMS panel member Dennis Jones said the alternatives won’t necessarily save money immediately, and panel member Alvin Schexnider said the Board should instead focus on ways to increase graduation rates and productivity over time instead of

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Tunisia succeeded and the revolution in Egypt succeeded — the people got fired up, and we say, ‘You know what? It happened in Tunisia, it happened in Egypt, we can do it, too,’” Elnaili said.

Benghazi was one of the first areas thrust into violence, causing the couple to live in constant fear for their families back home.

“Every time they would post pictures [on Facebook] of the dead bodies of victims in the hospital, we were freaked out because we were worried maybe my brother was one of them,” Elnaili said.

Elnaili’s older brother, a doctor in Benghazi, barely escaped injury when his car was hit by a stray bullet as he traveled from helping those injured in the violence.

“He said he was given a

second chance to live, and he was so thrilled,” Elnaili said.

Like many other students, Facebook is a major distraction for the couple, but they aren’t just procrastinating.

“Facebook is my No. 1 source,” Elnaili said. “After all, it is the Facebook revolution. You have no idea how this network has helped everything that goes on.”

Elnaili said the initial protest in Libya was organized on Facebook.

Libyan doctors and others involved have used the social media site to appeal for and to receive aid from Libyans living outside the country.

Elnaili keeps track of developments through two Arabic news organizations on Facebook — Almanara and “February 17th” — which aggregate various sources and

give up-to-the-minute information through user input from all over Libya. The couple also use Facebook to donate money to aid the injured.

But that’s not enough for them or Ibrahim Matri, a Libyan freshman studying petroleum engineering at LSU who has family living in a suburb of Libya’s capital, Tripoli.

“If it were up to my parents, I would be sitting at home [in Libya],” Matri said with a smile. “But you have that spirit in you when you see your brothers getting killed and murdered in cold blood by mercenaries.

Who wouldn’t want to be in their country, especially in this time of need?”

As the death toll rises, the debate surrounding proposed intervention from the U.S. and other superpowers intensifies, but Matri is reluctant to

support any outside intervention.

“If you have oil, it is the modern-day money,” Matri said. ”In my opinion, they want to protect the Western assets.”

Although they can’t be there, the three students said seeing their country united behind the cause of removing Gadhafi makes them proud and could open the door for a return home to build the future Libya.

“We are the Libyan future,” Elnaili said. “We are the scholars, we are the scientists — they need us back home. We want to go back home if things change.”

immediate cost savings.

Board member W. Clinton Raspberry asked point blank if either alternative would effectively shut down the Southern University System. NCHEMS panel member Aims McGuinness deflected the question, once again saying the study’s purpose was only focused on best serving the New Orleans area, and that both options will have implications on the SU System.

The Regents will meet again Tuesday morning to finish taking public comments, hold another discussion with the panel vote on accepting the report and possibly adopt

both recommendations, adopt only one or reject both.

Jindal announced Monday he will pursue legislation to consolidate UNO and SUNO. Jindal said the study results found the current institutions are not meeting the needs of the students in the region and that there is “no evidence that the institutions, within their current governance and leadership, will improve their performance.”

Jindal, who was joined by House Speaker Jim Tucker and Sen. Conrad Appel, said he will begin drafting legislation based on

Alternative B. Jindal said between the two options, Alternative B will better suit the students.

“Both options contemplate some kind of merger, but Alternative A creates another management board while essentially leaving the three institutions as they are today,” he said. “Adding bureaucracy is no way to reform the status quo.”

Jindal said “less is more” when referring to management boards.

“I’m not simply going to take B and turn it into a bill,” he said. “We

will work out details between now and session.”

Jindal said this period will allow discussion among higher education officials and stakeholders.

“The University of Greater New Orleans and Delgado would share in a ‘university college’ — a central access point for applicants that would place them in the right education environment for their academic needs,” he added.

Contact Xerxes A. Wilson at xwilson@lsureveille.com

Contact The Daily Reveille’s news staff at news@lsureveille.com

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The Daily Reveille

Tuesday, March 15, 2011