UPTOWN: l Okeanos, 11 a.m. l Mid-City, Noon l Thoth, Noon l Bacchus, 5:15 p.m. METAIRIE: l Athena, 5:30 p.m.
His majesty
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CARNIVAL FORECAST SUNDAy 76 55 MONDAy 68 54 TUESDAy 71 59
PROPHETS OF PERSIA MARKS 100 YEARS OF CARNIVAL BALLS Living, 1D
BACCHUS BULLETIN INSIDE TODAY
N O L A.C O M
Freshman applications breaking records at LSU
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S u n d ay, F e b r u a ry 15, 2026
$2.50X
BEST IN THROW
And most of them are from out of state, officials say
BY HALEY MILLER Staff writer
In the past decade, the number of students applying to LSU has nearly tripled — and the number of applicants from out of state has soared. More than 62,000 potential incoming freshmen have applied this cycle, university officials say, compared with 29,000 in 2020. While the pool of applicants swells, so does the proportion of out-of-state students interested in becoming Tigers. A staggering 82% of applications came from non-Louisiana residents, up from 49% in 2017. “That is a trend across all institution types, whether it’s a regional, public or a flagship, even private institutions, seeing more students choose to come to the Southeast than ever before,” LSU Vice President for Enrollment Management Emmett Brown said. “This region, in general, is growing. We happen to both be the type of institution that’s grown the most but also in a region that’s in demand.” Officials say LSU benefits from a confluence of factors which might help it head off the dreaded “demographic cliff” that is worrying other universities as the number of high school graduates in the
ABOVE: The Krewe of Endymion riders make throws during the parade on Canal Street on Saturday. ‘American Songbook’ is the theme for the parade with 3,250 riders on 38 floats by Kern Studios. LEFT: The crowd reaches for
CARNIVAL
2026
INSIDE, 6A NOLA.COM
throws at the Endymion parade. STAFF PHOTOS By ENAN CHEDIAK
ä See LSU, page 7A
‘The culture kid’
A younger generation steps into elaborate costuming, dancing traditions of Mardi Gras Indians BY JENNA ROSS
green sequins. The pair of intricately beaded, dramatically plumed suits they wore last year After school was out, band practice stood tall in the living room’s corners, over and dinner eaten, Horace X and his egging them on. Horace and Hayden are spy boys of the 11-year-old son Hayden pulled out their Creole Wild West and keepers of the Marcanvasses and began to bead. It was four weeks until Mardi Gras, di Gras Indian tradition, leading the proand they were behind. cession of the oldest Mardi Gras Indian “Start with the green, son,” Horace ä See TRADITIONS, page 8A said, tapping on a small container of
Staff writer
WEATHER HIGH 76 LOW 55 PAGE 8B
Business ......................1E Deaths .........................3B Nation-World................2A Classified ..................... 2F Living............................1D Opinion ........................6B Commentary ................7B Metro ...........................1B Sports ..........................1C
Spyboy Hayden ‘Trouble’ X, of the Creole Wild West Black masking Indians, beads a bird design for his suit at his home in New Orleans on Jan. 27. STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER
13TH yEAR, NO. 187