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LSU football takes first loss of the season versus Ole Miss despite third quarter comeback. Photo by Alexis Persicke
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TAKE IT OR LEAVITT
LSU football falls short in head coach Lane Kiffin’s return to Ole Miss BY TRIPP BUHLER Staff Writer OXFORD, Miss. — VaughtHemingway Stadium had all of the nation’s eyes on it Saturday, with most fans hoping to witness a sweet revenge. Rebel fans, who stayed on their feet for every single play, got what they asked for. LSU head coach Lane Kiffin’s return to Oxford ended in his No. 7 Tigers being defeated by No. 8 Ole Miss 32-24 after a horrid first half. “I think [we] walked into a storm,” Kiffin said about the atmosphere. “That’s what happens a lot of times in these games.” Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss had a phenomenal game with 363 yards and 2 touchdowns in the air, and the decisive score on the ground with just over six minutes left. “I mean, [the] game was on us,” linebacker Whit Weeks said after a six second pause between the question and the start of his emotional answer. “We want the game to be on us, [the defense], and we didn’t execute when it mattered most.” He continued saying, “I wanted to win this one more than any of them.” LSU had a chance to tie the game with under a minute left, but a bad pass on third-and-goal and a tipped pass and interception on fourth down sealed the game. Those two plays told the story of quarterback Sam Leavitt’s game. LSU tying the game in the fourth quarter seemed like it took a miracle. “It just shows that we’re gritty, we’re tough and we’re really good to be able to come back and do that,” safety Ty Benefield said. “You know, teams that aren’t that good can’t do that.” The comeback had to happen because LSU did not look sharp in any aspect to start the game. Kiffin said Monday that the pressure was on Ole Miss, and that LSU was just coming
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LSU football redshirt junior quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) narrowly avoids a tackle Sept. 19, during the 24-32 loss to Ole Miss at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford Miss. to play its own game, but it was clear that nerves were bothering the Tigers in the first half. On top of the sloppy play, LSU had multiple starters leave the game injured. Safety Dashawn Spears left in the second quarter and tight end Trey’Dez Green left in a heap of pain after sustaining an injury to his leg in the fourth. Both were on crutches at the end of the game. Leavitt had even more pressure on himself to try and lift LSU to a win after Green’s departure. Leavitt’s success against Clemson in improvising with his legs caused issues in Week 2 with forcing plays. Those same issues were present in the first half against Ole Miss when his offensive line couldn’t buy him time. When he had an open man, he often rushed the pass and missed high. The right side with guard Aliou Bah and tackle Weston
ALEXIS PERSICKE / The Reveille
LSU football head coach Lane Kiffin watches the game Sept. 19 during LSU’s 24-32 loss to Ole Miss at Vaught Hemingway Stadium in Oxford Ms.
Davis in particular had trouble keeping Ole Miss away from Leavitt. The quarterback looked antsy and uncomfortable throughout the game. It took almost an entire half for the Tigers rushing game to get moving. Dilin Jones took a direct snap two yards into the endzone with two minutes left until halftime. Ole Miss then drove right down the field with four passing plays of 10 or more yards, ending the drive with a 20-yard touchdown to Deuce Alexander to take the points right back. Once the first half ended, Chambliss was outgaining Leavitt in the air 248-51. It was the Chambliss show all night. “Same thing [Georgia head coach Kirby Smart] said in the games last year: You can have these calls and you can do great things and then, you know, he calls them ‘Houdini plays,’” Kiffin said. “You scheme them up and then he just makes plays … he’s the most dynamic player in college football.” Even though Leavitt never had the time to throw like Chambliss did, Kiffin had him start challenging the Rebels secondary more. A deep pass to former Rebel Winston Watkins brought the Tigers back within one score. But with LSU’s defense unable to get in the backfield, and its safeties getting to the ball late, Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy kept extending plays past flat-footed Tigers. Lacy punched in the first touchdown of the game behind a mammoth offensive line push. Then, LSU’s secondary let Traylon Ray walk into the middle of the field and catch a pass that
he turned into a 21-yard touchdown. Chambliss was slicing and dicing LSU’s defensive backs, constantly finding someone open in the middle of the field for a first down. Lacy went to the locker room in the third quarter, allowing LSU to start bringing more focus on the quarterback. CJ Jimcoily and Benefield each took snaps at star after Spears’ injury, with Benefield having the most impact. His hit on Chambliss forced a bad throw that was intercepted by Ja’Keem Jackson. LSU capitalized on the short field with a Leavitt rushing touchdown. “Next man up mentality,” Benefield said about Spears’ injury. “Unfortunately that’s my brother, that’s my guy, and it was really difficult to see that. But you can’t be emotional about things like that happening, because then it can really affect the game in an even more negative way.” Benefield was one of LSU’s most prized pickups in the transfer portal this offseason and had his best half of football while LSU was bringing the game within reach. “So, we’re 0-1 in SEC play,” Kiffin said. “Whether win or loss, I was already ready for that of knowing, ‘Man, it feels like we’ve already played a season with so much emotion of the games’ ... and now we’re back to where we’ve always been and have eight SEC games to play.” Next week, the Tigers return home to play their second game against a conference opponent that made the 2025 College Football Playoff. LSU and Texas A&M kick off at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 25.
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CORRECTIONS & CLARIFICATIONS The Reveille holds accuracy and objectivity at the highest priority and wants to reassure its readers the reporting and content of the paper meets these standards. This space is reserved to recognize and correct any mistakes that may have been printed in The Daily Reveille. If you would like something corrected or clarified, please contact the editor at (225) 578-4811 or email editor@lsu.edu.
ABOUT THE REVEILLE 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. A single issue of The Reveille is free from multiple sites on campus and about 25 sites off campus. To obtain additional copies, please visit the Office of Student Media in B-39 Hodges Hall or email studentmedia@ lsu.edu. The Reveille is published biweekly during the fall, spring and summer semesters, except during holidays and final exams. The Reveille is funded through LSU students’ payments of the Student Media fee.
NEWS COMMUNITY UNITY
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LSU organizations host event with residents to foster connections, share resources
BY KALLIE ROMERO Staff Writer LSU students and community organizations came together Saturday for the Unity in the Community Family Block Party, providing attendees with food, school supplies, hygiene products and health resources. LSU’s Food Recovery Network, Collegiate 100 and Injustice Reform were just a few of the many LSU organizations involved in planning the event alongside Baton Rouge community members. The goal of the event was to bring people together and strengthen connections within the community. Linnea and Curtis Howard have worked to bring people in their community together since the 2016 Flood, which affected many Baton Rouge residents. The Howards own New Look Neighborhood Grocery on Cain Street and have hosted events aimed at helping improve their neighborhood. This year, LSU students were invited to join in on these community events by partnering with the Howards and hosting Unity in the Community. LSU Food Recovery Network President Tyhlar Holloway, Senior English and political sci-
ence dual degree pursuant, said her organization got connected to the community through helping feed people. Food Recovery Network retrieves food from LSU Dining and helps give it to LSU students and put it in community fridges around Baton Rouge. “Mr. and Mrs. Howard, they are the beautiful visionaries behind this whole unity in the community,” Holloway said. “They’ve been doing this work and we’re just really coming along to support.” A supply drive held on campus weeks before the event allowed the student organizations to gather more than 3,000 school supplies, and hygiene items. Using the donations, organizations assembled 600 bags for event attendees. Additionally, LSU’s Collegiate 100 provided hygiene kits with essential products. “Hygiene has gone up, money has gone up,” said Aiden Ellis, member of LSU’s Collegiate 100 and senior sociology major. “It’s very expensive now, so it’s especially really good to get these products out to the community and the people.” One thing Ellis noticed about the event was that all of the different organizations were work-
ing together for one common goal. “This event is important because it shows that we have a community now,” Ellis said. “A lot of people now feel like there [are not] people they can go to. We wanted to bring it back and show that we’re still here.” The event also gave LSU students an opportunity to grow closer with the community. “This is our home, whether you’re out of state or you’re from Baton Rouge. This is where we live. This is where our school is,” Ellis said. For many, just getting to grow closer with community members and spread love was enough to want to attend the event. Garrett Rice, a junior mechanical engineering major, was at Unity in the Community representing the National Society of Leadership and Success. The organization helped by offering free snacks to attendees and being a friendly face for community members. “The world is definitely a place that needs more smiles, so any smile counts. [I’ve] been very grateful to spread joy to them,” Rice said. Holloway emphasized the importance of expanding outside of LSU. “Oftentimes, we get very
KALLIE ROMERO / The Reveille
LSU students and community members dance at Unity in the Community event on Sept. 19 at a community park in Baton Rouge, La. comfortable within our bubble, and we get very comfortable within our safe space, and our safe space is LSU,” Holloway said. “But there is a greater Baton Rouge that needs us.” Sam Breaux, founder of The Blueprint and one of the partners who helped host the event, agreed that the event showed what can happen when people come together with a shared purpose.
“Community is possible, unity in the community is possible,” Breaux said. “Giving people resources is possible.” Curtis Howard told the students in attendance that when they leave LSU and become professionals, they should always remember their communities. “When you do get there, don’t forget about wherever you come from,” Howard said. “Go back and give.”
RESEARCH
LSU professor receives $700,000 to advance chemistry research BY GEORGE DEBLANC Staff Writer An LSU chemistry professor received a National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development, or CAREER, award, advancing his research on molecular machines found within lipid membranes. Assistant Professor Víctor García-López is one of four LSU professors who received a CAREER award this year, a prestigious NSF
grant that is only for researchers at the assistant professor level and provides a minimum of $400,000 over the span of five years. García-López’s grant was $700,000. The four professors’ grants combined are bringing in $2.4 million in research spending to LSU. García-López’s research focuses on rotaxanes, a type of molecular machine. These rotaxanes are then subjected to different lights and voltages to change both their structure and motion,
COURTESY OF VÍCTOR GARCÍA-LÓPEZ
Víctor García-López and members of his research group stand outside of the Chemistry and Materials Building in Feb. 2024.
according to an LSU press release. There are two states of these machines, which either let ions through or stop them, according to García-López. He compared it to each state acting like a resistor or a capacitor commonly found in circuits. These mechanisms are also known as “lipid bilayers,” which are more commonly discussed in relation with water molecules. “The cool thing was that previously, if you want to have one or the other, you will need different materials,” García-López said. “Here we use one material, and just by shining a light you can go to one. You shine a different light, you go to the other.” García-López mentioned that the research partially takes place at LSU, while the rest takes place in the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. He said that the laboratory in Tennessee has equipment and facilities that LSU doesn’t have. These molecules or materials are also made artificially, meaning that they are synthetic. García-López said the NSF funding is going into this aspect of the re-
search — making and observing these molecules. According to chemistry graduate student Zuliah Abdulsam, who is a part of the García-López Research Group, the funding will help maintain the lab materials, including some that have been in use for five to six years. Additionally, she said graduate student researchers could focus more on the project instead of other jobs within the research team. “Most of us are teaching assistants, which limits our time to do our research,” Abdulsam said. The process began with learning how to make compounds to serve as ion transporters, which could cause ion homeostasis according to Abdulsam. She said that this would cause bacteria death since these aren’t the usual conditions the bacteria are in. The previous method for creating compounds was much slower, according to her. She said it took around three years to develop. Abdulsam also mentioned issues with the old method regarding temperature, which caused the developed compound to go
back to its original form. Another issue was getting a good result only from certain isomers of this compound. “At the end of the day, we got good results,” Abdulsam said. “But these results were not the optimal results we wanted.” The faster production of compounds provided more opportunity for testing, according to Abdulsam. She said that the research team would be able to test batches of different compounds and then select the ones that provided the best results. “We came up with the idea of ‘What if it takes just two, three steps within less than a month to make this compound?’” Abdulsam said. “Now we can test them.” García-López has some theoretical applications that aren’t being looked into or funded yet. He said the molecule seems to likely have a memory or history-dependent reaction, causing any time after the first exposure to create a larger response. Additionally, García-López’s team observed potential anti-bacterial properties that could serve well in medicine according to García-López.
Monday, September 21, 2026
page 4 POLITICS
Changes in international student regulations cause uncertainty BY MADDY SNYDER Staff Writer This summer, President Donald Trump introduced a new regulation that limits how long international students are allowed to stay in the country. Previously, international students could remain in the United States as long as they were making progress towards completing their academic or research objectives. However, the new rule limits their stay in the country to four years unless they apply for an extension. The change was set to take effect on Tuesday, Sept. 15, but a federal judge blocked the policy a day before it took effect, saying it was based on “exceptionally weak” rationales. Currently, international students are allowed to continue their education under the old rules, but tensions continue to rise on LSU’s campus as international students worry that the Trump administration will appeal this federal decision. “As an international student, I feel like we are kind of spending every day with uncertainty because every day we are getting some news,” said Sania Akter, president of the International Student Association at LSU. Originally from Bangladesh,
Akter came to LSU in the fall of 2023 to get her graduate degree in political science. She finished her coursework last year and is now working on her dissertation, which she expects to complete next year. As a fourth-year student, Akter is especially worried if the blockage is appealed because she is not yet finished with her dissertation. “If you [told] me to complete my degree within this year, it would be impossible,” Akter said, “It’s impossible to write my dissertation within one year, so when I saw the news, I panicked.” If the court blocking is overturned and international students like Akter need more time to complete their education, they can apply for an extension. According to the LSU Global Engagement Office, this process could be expensive and time consuming. Loveness Schafer, the executive director for immigration and postdoctoral programming, said students would need to apply for an extension within six months of the expiration of their status and provide all necessary filing fees, which could be up to $555. If their application for extension is denied, the student must leave the U.S. immediately following expiration.
“The staff at LSU International Student Services are ready to provide students with resources and guidance to help them navigate these challenging and costly processes,” Schafer said. Schafer added that international students are significant to the research, culture, academics and community of LSU, and the Global Engagement Office is dedicated to making sure they are included in all LSU has to offer. “LSU international students contributed $65.3 million to the
state of Louisiana and they support 548 jobs,” Schafer said. “The economic contribution is in addition to the cultural enrichment international students bring to our campus and to our communities.” Akter emphasized how international students completely transform the culture at LSU. “If you look at different events at LSU, international students, they are participating there, and they are showing their cultural heritage, like their traditions, their lifestyle, their food,” Akter
said. In addition, by supporting international students, LSU will attract more students from around the world, Akter explained. “When you’re accommodating international students, you will also show your credibility to [the] outside world, as well,” Akter said. “When I talk to my friends, from my home country, I also discuss LSU to them, like how supportive LSU is towards international students… and they feel motivated to apply here.”
CHYNNA MCCLINTON / The Reveille
Flags representing Australia, South Africa and Spain hang Oct. 15, 2021, from the International Student Association booth during Fall Fest at the Parade Ground.
ENVIRONMENT
Long-time research lab manager retires, new manager steps in BY MAIA TYLER Staff Writer LSU’s Wetland Biogeochemistry Analytical Services, or WBAS, lab has been a staple for environmental research at LSU since 2005. Thomas “Tommy” Blanchard has helped lead WBAS for more
than two decades, serving as manager of the lab. He first joined LSU in 1998. He retired in August after more than 28 years at LSU. Song Li is the new WBAS manager. When he first came to LSU, Blanchard started working with Robert Twilley. In 2004, Twilley was hired to be the director of
the Wetland Biogeochemistry Institute, which is the parent organization of WBAS. Twilley and Robert built a lab that went on to support many research projects and advance Louisiana’s understanding of the complex waterways in the state. Twilley now serves as LSU’s vice chancellor for research and
COURTESY OF TOMMY BLANCHARD
Former WBAS Manager Tommy Blanchard hands the lab keys over to Song Li, the new lab manager, on Aug. 28.
economic development. “[The lab] just continued to grow every year,” Twilley said. “Tommy told me, last year they did $400,000 worth of samples. My first year, we did $10,000.” The lab is a self-funded, nonprofit center that works to process an array of environmental samples including water, soil, sediment and plant tissues. The lab serves researchers at LSU, as well as other universities. State agencies and international industry clients across six continents have also used the lab to analyze environmental samples. “Since we run samples for other people who are paying us, we need to give them the best data that we can,” Blanchard said. Beyond the research report, the facility provides hands-on laboratory and field training for both undergraduate and graduate students. Song Li, a researcher who previously worked alongside Blanchard and Twilley, has assumed leadership of the lab. Li got acquainted with the lab when she began as a student worker, then earned her doctorate with findings produced in WBAS. Blanchard and Twilley agreed that Li should be the one to continue their legacy by being promoted to manager of the lab. “She loved learning the analytical understanding of the samples. Her passion is the analytical
part of research,” Twilley said. Twilley and Blanchard encourage students who take an interest in the lab to apply to become a student worker. Twilley said that as a student worker, sometimes the work seems repetitive, running the same thing over and over or weighing things. With these repetitive tasks, he said that student workers quickly pick up on using instruments and building their skill set. “It builds a discipline that I think you use in a lot of other things that you do in life,” Twilley said. “They’re just good habits.” With Li at the helm, the WBAS lab is set to build upon what Blanchard left behind while also expanding its research footprint. The lab serves as a standard for the research that is conducted at the university and remains crucial for understanding wetland ecosystems both locally and across the world. For Li, this leadership isn’t just a step forward in her career, but a return to where her scientific journey began. The routine tasks that Twilley described act as the foundation for her career in science. Even the most mundane tasks could prove successful for other students interested in getting their foot in the door and starting their expedition into becoming confident researchers, Twilley explained.
ENTERTAINMENT LSU homecoming queen creates program for youth with alopecia PUZZLES
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BY CHARLOTTE TRENTALANGE Staff Writer
Last weekend, three boys traveled from Texas, Boston and Ohio to spend a weekend at LSU, where they were given the treatment of football recruits, despite being just 11 years old. The boys are members of Rooted Boys, a program with mentorship program Alo Bloom which was founded by LSU’s 2025 Homecoming Queen, Kalayna Walker. Alo Bloom serves children with alopecia. For Walker, the weekend was about giving the boys something she wished she had growing up: A community and mentor who understood what it was like to live with alopecia. Walker said she founded Alo Bloom to mentor and create opportunities like this for young people living with hair loss, and this year she launched Rooted Boys. “I’ve always had a heart for the boys because they don’t get enough attention,” she said. The idea came to life during the weekend of the LSU game against Louisiana Tech in Tiger Stadium. The boys, whom Walker met through the National Alopecia Areata Foundation were given the treatment of LSU football recruits, sitting in special seats and touring the facilities. Alo Bloom also partnered with LSU soccer, where one of the boys spoke with the coach and wore a team jersey. The weekend was designed to be about more than alopecia. Walker said she has learned that young boys do not want to spend their time talking about
COURTESY OF KALAYNA WALKER
Members of Rooted Boys pose in 225 Studio in the LSU Football Operations Center.
FOR RELEASE SEPTEMBER 21, 2026
THE Daily Commuter Puzzle by Stella Zawistowski
COURTESY OF KALAYNA WALKER
Kalayna Walker poses with members of Rooted Boys in Tiger Stadium. their condition. Instead, they want to play, make friends and have a space where they can be themselves. “I had a whole app for them, a whole program, and I deleted it all because I had FaceTimed one of my mentees, and they were like, ‘I’m not going to lie, Miss Kalayna. I don’t know if I would want to do that.’ So just knowing the different age groups and how they respond is something that I had to learn in the middle of that,” she said. That realization changed how she mentored the group as she previously had only worked with young girls. To Walker, mentorship is not limited to conversations about confidence or alopecia awareness; it’s exposing children to opportunities they might not otherwise have. “When I think of a mentor, it’s someone who can expose me to things that I couldn’t expose to myself,” she said. Walker was diagnosed with alopecia at three years old and lost her hair by seven. She said that while her parents respected her wishes surrounding her condition, like covering her hair with a wig, she did not have a program that felt personal to her. “That’s why I wanted to build something I wish I had,” Walker said. She began developing Alo Bloom after attending an event in Baltimore. She said she initially wanted to be a support group leader, but changed course after discovering her knack for mentorship. Alo Bloom has since grown beyond a traditional support group. Walker has created opportunities for children with alopecia to interact with LSU athletics, including previous partnerships with LSU Gymnas-
tics and the Tiger Girls. In April, Alo Bloom received $15,000 from the J Terrell Brown Venture Challenge hosted by the LSU Stephenson Entrepreneurship Institute. The funding has helped with marketing, building Alo Bloom’s mentorship app and Walker’s recently published children’s book “Crowned Before The Crown.” The app, she said, is designed to make mentorship more personalized. Children can join by having a parent complete an application using their specific situation. Walker uses the information about each child’s interest and needs to personalize a plan for them. She also hopes to expand the program to children of different age groups and eventually build a larger network of mentors, as she is the sole mentor now. Success, she said, is measured by the number of children she’s able to reach. “Success looks like if a kid comes in and they’re feeling upset about their situation, and our space is able to bridge that gap,” she said. Walker was able to put this into practice during the game day weekend. While the boys were outside playing football, another child made a comment about their alopecia. The children immediately turned to Walker, watching to see how she would respond. Instead of escalating the situation, she used the moment to educate the child about alopecia. The child apologized and the group continued to play football together. Walker said that is why mentorship matters. “The goal is not to make alopecia disappear from a child’s life. It’s to make sure it doesn’t become the thing that defines it,” she said.
ACROSS 1 Laughing sounds: 2 wds. 5 Moistens 9 Rank above captain 14 Has debts 15 Way to get out 16 Home 17 Common flavor enhancer 18 Shop with cold cuts 19 Got along (with) 20 Filmmaker Justine 22 Perceived 24 Dreadlockprotecting cloth 26 First Bible book 30 Actress Sorvino 31 Help out 32 Unaccompanied performer 36 Floral garland 37 Dell Tower, e.g.: 2 wds. 42 Curved path 43 Actress Kristen 44 Quickly grab 47 Baked desserts 49 Paid tribute to 51 Yemen’s capital 53 Sushi condiment 56 News channel’s former name 58 Wearing a cloak 61 Fishing poles 63 Adored figure 64 Reside 65 Part of a forest 66 Volcano’s output 67 __ and desist 68 Actor Connery 69 Toboggan, e.g. DOWN 1 Emcee 2 Oscar or Emmy, e.g. 3 Balloon-filling gas 4 * symbol 5 Get married
9/21/26
Created by Stella Zawistowski
6 Former spouses 7 Bathroom surface 8 Bee’s attack 9 Trusted experts 10 Tolerates 11 Role at a company 12 Poem of praise 13 Stoplight’s color 21 78-card deck 23 Airplane diagrams: 2 wds. 25 Overshoes for rain 27 Loose sediment 28 “Uh-huh”: 2 wds. 29 Use a spoon 33 Make a choice 34 __ cream sundae 35 Scatter seed 37 Quick race 38 Composer Dohnányi 39 Look over 40 “Iliad” king
Saturday’s Puzzle Solved
©2026 Tribune Content Agency, LLC All Rights Reserved.
41 Tools for eating 45 Drying cloths 46 Infant’s bed 48 Summer shoe 50 Feathered projectiles 52 Higher than 54 Make a hole
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55 Notion 57 Clothed (in) 58 Atlanta agency: Abbr. 59 Astonish 60 Split-__ soup 62 D.C. politician: Abbr.
Monday, September 21, 2026
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Monday, September 21, 2026
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REBEL
TAKEOVER Photos from LSU’s 24-32 loss to Ole Miss on Sept. 19 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss. Photos by Alexis Persicke | Design by Emily Boudreaux
Junior cornerback PJ Woodland (11) trips the opponent.
Redshirt junior quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) rolls over a defender. LSU football head coach Lane Kiffin watches the game.
Fifth year senior offensive line Braelin Moore (61) prepares to snap the ball.
Senior safety Ty Benefield (2) tackles Ole Miss football fifth year senior quarterback Trinidad Chambliss (6).
Senior safety Ty Benefield (2) and senior linebacker Whit Weeks (7) celebrate.
Senior linebacker Whit Weeks (7) pushes a defender.
Junior tight end Trey’Dez Green (7) runs the ball.
Monday, September 21, 2026
page 8 CAMPUS LIFE
Meet the LSU Library barista known for kindness and coffee BY LILY CENTOLA Staff Writer With a bright smile on her face, Charline Neal is known for making people’s days from behind the counter at the CC’s Coffee in the LSU Library. Her genuine happiness is reflected on those around her. By simply asking for your coffee order, she lights up the LSU atmosphere. However, her life spans beyond the library itself. Neal grew up on a dairy farm in Robert, Louisiana. She shared that she had to mature at a very young age working on her father’s 300 acre farm.
ALEXIS PERSICKE/ The Reveille
Mrs. Charline smiles Sept. 17 at the LSU Library.
When she was old enough, she and her seven siblings began helping him clear the land. The family would cut trees down, plow the stumps and load them on a trailer. Their father then hauled them off to a field to burn and would later plant the field into hay grass. Neal and her siblings loaded the hay barrels onto a flatbed and then hauled them to the hay barn. Also a part of their daily chores, the children milked the cows and picked up eggs from the chicken house. All of this had to be done before school, so the siblings would wake up at 3 a.m. every day. Neal and her twin brother remain very close to this day. She also had an older brother that the pair was close with who sadly passed at 18 years old. “He loved to hide and scare us — jump out from behind buildings and scare us, cause me and my brother were scared of the dark,” Neal said, describing her older brother. “Oh Lord! And he loved to fight with us.” All except one of her siblings still lives in Louisiana, and they make a point to speak regularly. Later in life after getting divorced, Neal moved to Denham Springs to live with her son. Three years later, she met her current husband at the motel she was working at and shortly moved to Baton Rouge with him. “He thought I had the prettiest eyes,” said Neal.
ALEXIS PERSICKE/ The Reveille
Mrs. Charline helps a customer Sept. 17 at the LSU Library. He was head over heels for her from the start, and so was she. “He’s got muscles. He’s really strong, and he doesn’t lift weights. He’s just strong,” Neal said. “He’s from the country, and I’m from the farmlands. So we were raised differently, but we had the same values.” After moving to Baton Rouge, she met Melissa, her neighbor. Knowing that Melissa worked at CC’s, Neal asked if the coffee company was hiring. Soon after, she got the job. Neal has now been working
at CC’s for 5 years and is very experienced when it comes to coffee. Her favorite CC’s flavors are the butter cookie and crème brûlée, but it took some experimenting for her to come to this consensus. “I did the crème brûlée, and I did it with my dark roast because I like the dark roast because it’s richer in flavors. It was perfect for me,” Neal said. “Then I tried the butter cookie. I tried it in my dark roast coffee. It did not taste right, so I tried it as an ice latte with the espresso shot, and it was really good.”
Neal says that she has gotten to the age where it’d be appropriate to stop working, but her commitment to students makes clocking in well worth it. “Every semester when I get laid off at the end of the semester during the summer, I say, ‘Yeah, I’m getting too old for this,’” Neal said. “But in my mind, I can’t quit because I would miss y’all.” At work, Neal loves talking and helping students with anything from ordering tips to personal advice. “You know, I want to be there for y’all,” Neal said.
LOCAL BUSINESS
The Pink Elephant Antiques hosts first trunk sale of the season BY PAIGE CHERAMIE Staff Writer Bringing together over 20 local vendors, The Pink Elephant Antiques hosted its first trunk sale of the year on Saturday, filled with vintage and handmade items. Events coordinator Coco Pellissier, who also is a vendor of The Pink Elephant Antiques,
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A guest decorates a bandana at The Pink Elephant Antiques trunk sale on Sept. 19.
put together the first of the trunk sales for this year. The market takes place once a month in the cooler seasons, taking a break for the sweltering Louisiana summers. The trunk sales for the rest of the year are already planned, taking place on Oct. 24, Nov. 14 and Dec. 12. Pellissier said this is the 11th year of trunk sales, which features booths of many kinds that line the store’s parking lot. The trunk sale on Saturday had a free crafting booth provided by The Pink Elephant Antiques, where visitors could decorate bandanas for their dog or fill baby socks with catnip for their cat. The trunk sale also featured the Companion Animal Alliance’s mobile dog truck, with volunteers periodically walking adoptable dogs around the site. The adoption fee for dogs was $10, except for a dog named Nala, whose fee was waived due to how long she has been at the shelter. Offsite event coordinator Kirstyn Crockett, 23, said the dogs brought to the sale were dogs who were not doing well in a shelter, but would excel in a different environment. “We’re just really trying to get
these dogs a place to stay in a forever home,” Crockett said. Vendor Melinda Thiessen, co-owner of the soon-to-open Verdant Niche, said the sale is a great way for her to get the word out about the upcoming business. The booth consisted of a variety of teas and plants, a reflection of the contents of their future store. Thiessen said the sale’s consistency brings them back to the market each time, along with their regular visitors. “We have people come down, sit in our tent,” Thiessen said. “They get tea every time. They get to know us. They get to know everybody else, and it’s just a really great opportunity for the community to come together in this area and sort of count on a monthly meeting of like minds and like values, and that’s really cool. I think we need more pockets of that throughout the city.” Verdant Niche was one of three food and drink booths, with Pop’n Rouge, a dirty soda business, and Brucey Bites, a Korean food pop-up business, also in attendance. Macie Fernandez, an LSU freshman fashion marketing major, stopped by the sale with her parents after seeing the vendors
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A rack of vintage LSU clothing at The Pink Elephant Antiques trunk sale on Sept. 19. on the way to lunch. She said she was looking forward to seeing a booth she spotted earlier on Instagram, but overall was enjoying the trunk sale. “They have a lot of good vintage LSU stuff, so if you need some stuff for game day, it’s really good,” Fernandez said. Vendor Char Prentiss, 64, said she has been visiting the store
since it was called Aladdin’s Lamp and has been a vendor since the trunk sales originally began. However, Prentiss said she doesn’t come to the trunk sales to make a profit, but instead to shop at the other booths. “I leave happy every time, so it doesn’t matter,” Prentiss said. “It’s not about the money for me.”
SPORTS LESSONS FOR LSU
page 9
Three areas of improvement for LSU football following loss to Ole Miss
BY ALEX SHEESLEY Sports Editor Defeat can make teams better, and LSU football is hoping that’s the case after its difficult 32-24 loss against Ole Miss on Saturday. LSU was significantly held back in critical areas throughout the night, ultimately leading to its loss. Here are three areas where a need for improvement was revealed in the Tigers’ defeat. Offensive line’s regression is jarring The front for LSU’s offense was poor, especially in the early going on Saturday. The right side of the line especially struggled, Aliou Bah and Weston Davis consistently got bullied by the Ole Miss rushers and allowed a lot of pressure to get back to LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt. Leavitt got hurried 6 times and sacked twice in the loss, and LSU’s yardage per carry in the first half was only marginally better than Ole Miss’ in the first half, a tenth of a yard better at 3.6 yards per tote. In the second half, Kiffin moved physically-imposing tight end Trey’Dez Green to a blocking role to support the line. This paid off, as LSU began to run away in rushing rate stats and Leavitt had much more time to process the play, but it did not last forever. Green went down with a knee injury toward the
end of the game and the offense stalled again. These results are a step back for LSU’s line, which dominated Clemson and held its own against Louisiana Tech. The offensive line was a problem and a key part of why LSU’s 2025 campaign sank, and a showing like the one it had in Oxford on Saturday leaves concern for a similar story in 2026. Sam Leavitt’s decision making is a problem Leavitt was firmly outplayed by Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, but the LSU signal caller demonstrated his physical talent on Saturday. Leavitt’s physical ability to play as a dual-threat weapon under center is undeniable, but it was limited by the choices he made. Too often in the first half, Leavitt pulled the ball to run on passing plays, ignoring potential downfield receivers for modest gains on the ground. While his offensive line didn’t do him many favors, this style of play continues a concerning trend for the quarterback. The inefficiencies burned the Tigers as a team, producing short drives that gave Ole Miss the ball without much time for the LSU defense to rest. The fatigued defense got bullied by Ole Miss’ offense and was a major reason LSU fell into its early hole. Kiffin accounted for Leavitt’s tendencies as the first half pro-
gressed and continued to in the second, calling more designed quarterback runs that gave Leavitt the support to rattle off more productive plays. The offense sprung back and dug out of the 17-point hole when the system adjusted, but the makeup of the game was radically altered by Leavitt’s poor early decision making. This marks a trend for Leavitt, who displayed a run-first tendency and made poor throwing reads in LSU’s first two games of the season, including a 3-interception night against Louisiana Tech. Leavitt’s high-wire act works against programs like Louisiana Tech, but concerns about his knack for Houdini-esque escapism running out against top teams proved to be legitimate on Saturday. LSU’s secondary is hurt by depth Defensive backs were the biggest weakness on defensive coordinator Blake Baker’s roster in 2026. The unit was ho-hum in the first two games, playing without incident and not drawing attention, but cornerbacks PJ Woodland and DJ Pickett lacked support when they individually experienced breakdowns in coverage on Saturday. A first-half injury to Dashawn Spears, who plays in the star position as a hybrid linebacker and defensive back, furthered these
weaknesses. Against a quarterback of Chambliss’ caliber and a receiving room like Ole Miss’, this was a recipe for disaster. Chambliss had his way for most of the night, especially through the air. He went 33-for-48 on passing with a pair of passing touchdowns and 348 yards. While it is easy to chalk the performance up to Chambliss’ sta-
tus as a Heisman candidate, the Tigers secondary made it far too easy at times, leaving Rebels receivers wide open in dangerous areas. These breakdowns occasionally appeared in the first two weeks of the season, but LSU’s front seven got into the offensive backfield fast enough that the lapses wouldn’t hurt. That was not the case in Oxford.
ALEXIS PERSICKE / The Reveille
LSU football redshirt junior quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) runs Sept. 19 during the 24-32 loss to Ole Miss at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss.
BASEBALL
Jay Johnson outlines 2027 roster, aims for redemption season BY TRIPP BUHLER Staff Writer LSU baseball head coach Jay Johnson is, self-admittedly, a reflective person. Injuries sent the 2026 Tigers into a slide that saw LSU miss the postseason for the first time in 15 seasons, one season after Johnson brought the school its second national championship in three years. Just a year removed from the pinnacle of the sport, Johnson knew he had to make some adjustments to his approach. “I think [it was] the structure of what we did with the players, [and] a little bit of a different roadmap in recruiting that I think positively impacted us with both the transfer portal and high school players,” Johnson said. LSU brought in the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation, according to Perfect Game, after some of LSU’s top signees didn’t get drafted or declined to sign with major league clubs. “I’m so high on what we brought in on the ground floor of
the freshman players in the program on both sides of the ball,” Johnson said. “They shouldn’t care that we weren’t as good as we wanted to be last year, but I want them to operate at the highest possible level.” To keep Johnson’s best players on the field, he and the staff took a different approach to summer assignments after much of the 2026 team — including all three weekend starters and two outfielders — missed time due to injury. “This is specific to some of the returning players; there was actually more to be gained in improving them off the field relative to strength and conditions,” Johnson said. “We battled some durability issues on the mound last year.” While there were more players on campus over the summer than usual, a handful of position players went to Cape Cod or California to play in summer leagues. Reagan Ricken is LSU’s only returning pitcher who competed this summer, throwing eight innings with the Cape Cod League’s Falmouth Commodores. Johnson said that this was rela-
tively unique to this team, and the decisions were intentional, as is everything that he does in terms of preparation and recruiting. The Tigers added multiple top portal players and brought in a whole new outfield with starting experience. But with the talented freshmen coming in, starting spots won’t be determined for a while. “When you have talented players, that’s one thing. But when you have good players, it’s another thing. And [then] there’s great players and they have confidence,” Johnson said. “They don’t see who’s around them. They see what they need to do, and they believe in themselves.” While the outfield depth chart will likely be toyed with until the beginning of SEC play, the infield is probably set, even if competition is still headlining each position group. Johnson noted some position changes that he stated are not just a move to benefit this year’s team, but “a program thing” to build depth and competition. Freshman Malachi Washington, the
No. 5 outfield recruit in the nation, has moved to the infield and sophomore infielder Jack Ruckert worked out at catcher. The starting infield will most likely consist of Mason Braun at first base, Florida transfer Cade Kurland at second, Steven Milam at shortstop and Texas State transfer Dawson Park at third. Milam is one of the best defensive players in the country, and Kurland is “a Jay Johnson player to a T,” according to Johnson. Johnson highlighted six other players that, like Kurland, practically live at the facility: Left-handed pitcher and outfielder Lucas Nawrocki, first baseman Mason Braun, outfielder Dominic Santarelli, outfielder and infielder Malachi Washington, outfielder Bino Watters and outfielder Angel Laya. Nawrocki is someone who needs plenty of time to work, because he will be Johnson’s first player at LSU to see significant time on both sides of the ball. “Just so we’re clear,” Johnson said. “He is a two-way player. Like, that is not up for debate. It will not change over three years.
He’s definitely going to be a twoway player.” Half of LSU’s lefties are freshmen and will be heavily tested this year. Johnson said the change from high school to SEC baseball is the biggest jump in their playing career, but one lefty has a particularly elite skillset to compete early. Logan Schmidt was one of the top high school left-handers in the draft, and he chose not to sign with the Cleveland Guardians after they drafted him in the second round of July’s MLB Draft. For the first time in his coaching career, Johnson had two inhome visits in a week while trying to convince Schmidt to come to LSU over junior college. On Aug. 1, Schmidt did what Johnson didn’t think was possible and announced he would be coming to Baton Rouge. No matter how intentional or self-aware Johnson is with his craft, things can still fall into place better than expected. “Sometimes it’s good to get lucky,” Johnson said. “And that’s what happened in this instance.”
Monday, September 21, 2026
page 10 MEN’S BASKETBALL
Column: PCSA is furthered, could ruin basketball’s roster plans BY BROOKE BENEDICT Sports Columnist LSU has looked more like a courthouse than a football franchise since the start of the 20262027 school year, with ongoing legislation on the program and athletic department. Now, there’s new legislation that will make another major impact on LSU athletics. This time, it doesn’t involve a specific player, consequence or state judge’s decision to make the next change in the Bayou State. The Protect College Sports Act is a bipartisan bill aimed at regulating college athletics and
was originally introduced by its writers, Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) in 2026. Now, it’s received the first green light in the ever-changing world of college athletics, as the U.S. Senate voted 74-24 on Tuesday, Sept. 15, to advance the act into the voting process. There’s still a long process for the bipartisan bill to be fully presented to the NCAA, as the House of Representatives is next in line to cast its vote. As this year falls on a midterm election year within the House of Representatives, the legislative body has taken a recess before
its vote on the major bill. Now, the NCAA, the bill’s creators and everyone who is waiting on the anticipated outcome of the legislation must wait, until November. After the bill passes through the House of Representatives, the next step is President Donald Trump, who has not only shared his support for the bill, but has also praised the Senate for passing the legislation. It sounds as if the bill has a clear path to being passed, if it can be patient enough to wait through an election. The recent passing in the Senate is a celebration of its own,
SAM BECKER / The Reveille
LSU men’s basketball head coach Will Wade raises his fist during a press conference March 30 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
after two of the nation’s most powerful athletic conferences — the SEC and the Big Ten publicly opposed the legislation. On its own, a bipartisan bill is slower-moving than most, with both Democrats and Republicans aiming to agree on one major impact. While athletic conferences around the nation might not openly agree to the legislation or cast a vote in the passing process, they are some of the direct impacts of the PCSA. At LSU, it won’t lead to just a simple roster adjustment the day before a season opener. It could transform athletic programs that have been built up all offseason, with one direct hit aimed at Baton Rouge. The PCSA will grant NCAA legal protections to enforce strict limits on athletic eligibility. Yes, this even includes the Class of 2022, the group of players that LSU football head coach Lane Kiffin has been battling to add to LSU’s roster. The lawsuit protections are effectively designed to shield the NCAA from these players’ court cases for a fifth year of eligibility. Once again, the bill is entirely focused on regulating college athletics and is now a by-product of LSU athletics’ recent controversies. Not only would the NCAA be protected from cases involving the Class of 2022 athletes trying to maintain a fifth year of eligibility, but also deem anyone from a professional league ineligible under the PCSA. Which might sound like an obvious addition to the bill, especially after the recent tug-of-war
between the LSU and the NCAA. But this time, the bipartisan bill, for once, isn’t focusing on Kiffin. It has changed the spectacle to another head coach takeover in Baton Rouge. If the PCSA gets passed, especially by mid-November after the House of Representatives elections are cleared, men’s basketball coach Will Wade and his roster could be in serious trouble. Even as late as mid-basketball season. After Wade returned to the program last spring, he took the unorthodox approach to build up a new roster with international talent, filling out a roster with EuroLeague stars. Just a few weeks after signing the overseas players, the PCSA legislation included banning professional stars from returning to college athletics. Yes, even when coming from Europe, they are considered professional athletes. Another rule in the controversial bill concerns a head coach switching from programs during a season, prohibiting future coaches from doing so. That may sound familiar to LSU football fans. After football head coach Lane Kiffin made the dramatic switch from Ole Miss to LSU late last season, leaving the Rebels behind in the berth of their first playoff run, the media is now dubbing this rule the “Lane Kiffin Rule.” At a wide-scale view, the act definitely has its perks in maintaining the mess that modernday college sports is becoming. But a clearer view shows just how much LSU athletics has to do with the sudden legislation.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
LSU plans to build statue of former women’s basketball star BY HANNAH GARCIA Staff Writer LSU announced on Sept. 16 that a statue will be built in honor of LSU women’s basketball alumna Sylvia Fowles. Fowles, a former three-time All-American for the Tigers, had her jersey number, 35, retired by the university in 2017. Fowles will become the seventh athlete to have a statue on campus, and the second female athlete, joining her former teammate Seimone Augustus. As of Sept. 16, there is no planned date for the unveiling of Fowles’ statue. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Fowles said in a statement. “It is such a privilege and an honor, and I don’t take this recognition from LSU lightly. It says a lot to be recognized for all my hard work, and I wouldn’t appreciate it the way that I do if I didn’t accomplish it on LSU’s campus. Thank you to everyone who made this happen.” Fowles’ statue is set to be placed outside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, where statues
of former greats Shaquille O’Neal, Bob Pettit and Pete Maravich currently reside. Before joining the Tigers, Fowles was a three-time state champion at Gulliver Preparatory School in Miami. She was named a McDonald’s All-American and MVP of the 2004 WBCA High School All-America Game. ESPN later ranked her as the No. 1 high school player in Florida history for the 2000-2009 decade. During her freshman season at LSU, Fowles played in all 36 games during the Tigers’ 2005 Final Four run. Her 11.8 points per game and 9 rebounds per game earned her SEC Sixth Woman of the Year, Second-team All-SEC and an honorable mention for AllAmerica honors. Fowles continued to excel during her sophomore season, earning First-team All-SEC and Thirdteam All-American honors. Her team also made a Final Four appearance in that season. Fowles’ junior season was no different. She was named SEC AllTournament team, Second-team All-American, First-team All-SEC
and the Fresno Regional Most Outstanding Player during her team’s fourth-straight Final Four appearance. The LSU great finished her senior season as the SEC Player of the Year, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, the New Orleans Regional MOP and a First-team AllAmerican. “This is a great day and a wonderful honor for LSU legend Sylvia Fowles,” LSU Vice President and Director of Athletics Verge Ausberry said. “It is a tremendous achievement to receive a statue on campus, and one reserved for some of the most decorated legends in LSU Athletics’ storied history … Sylvia [Fowles] has been the ultimate representation of LSU and this athletics department at the highest level, and I am thrilled to see one of our most iconic athletes be immortalized forever.” Fowles, currently an assistant coach for the Portland Fire, was the second overall pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft. Her career spanned 16 seasons with the Chicago Sky and Minnesota Lynx before retiring in 2022.
“Sylvia Fowles is one of the greatest players, not only at LSU, but in the history of our game,” LSU women’s basketball head coach Kim Mulkey said. “This honor is something that is extremely well-earned. She is one of the most significant ambassadors
that this university has and what she did for this program and LSU deserves to be recognized permanently. I am proud that we can honor Sylvia with a statue on campus, giving our fans a lasting symbol that celebrates her remarkable legacy.”
XANDER GENNARELLI / The Reveille
Pete Maravich’s new statue now stands near the Shaquille O’Neal statue outside the PMAC July 25, 2022.
OPINION
page 11
Nutrition should be for all students, not just student-athletes BOYNES’ BULLETIN SAVANNAH BOYNES Columnist Amidst the LSU dining halls’ buffets and beverage bars, it’s easy to notice how one of the many lines dividing student-athletes and regular students takes the form of food. French philosopher JeanJacque Rousseau wrote in his book “Confessions” that a great princess once told peasants without bread: Let them eat brioche. Since language translation can almost never be exact, brioche is more often than not translated into the word “cake,” due to the fact that brioche’s high butter and egg volume constitutes it as sumptuous as cake. These types of food signified a certain status of wealth in the 18th century, and as a perpetual signal understood across societies, a showcase of power. With that power comes a hierarchy, and despite the advancements in different power signifiers, food still signifies rank.
It has only claimed further stake in the 21st century, varying from higher end grocery products to exclusive five-star restaurants promising a luxurious dining experience. Most are exposed directly to this conceptual hierarchy in adulthood, particularly in university dining halls. Or in LSU’s case, the Performance Nutrition Center, or the PNC. LSU rightfully prioritizes the diets of student athletes, as nutrition is directly tied to athletic training performance. However, proper nutrition needs aren’t exclusive to athleticism; food can greatly impact academic performance. LSU’s mission promotes student confidence and academic growth, and if willing to honor this integral statement, the promise begins with viewing food as the fuel. The institution should be providing sustainable nutrition to even non-athlete students in order to foster academic excellence, not just as a means to rack up points on a scoreboard. In a study from the American Journal of Biomedical Science and Research, researchers highlighted
nutrition’s role in students’ cognitive function. In addition to a study of nutrition, researchers raised concerns surrounding college dining halls’ varied nutrition capabilities – as they can range from whole foods to ultra-processed, edible waste. The 5 and The 459 are not necessarily limited in their healthy options if you were to take a look at their daily menus, but for those who have seen athletes post their nutritiously sculpted plates provided by the PNC on TikTok, one can’t help but see the food capital disparity. Many individual student athletes have shared the specific contents on their plates via social media; fellow LSU students who do not play sports and use these platforms receive their own glimpse into what nutritional needs and desires are offered to their athlete-peers. These plates have included honey-glazed salmon, steak, custom acai bowls and more than would be found at the “regular” dining halls. Athletes that post these photos and clips only mean to share their career journey at LSU, but it’s understandable for non-ath-
letes seeing these posts to feel inferior in comparison. With this inferiority can come a sense of being undervalued on campus, as it certainly seems that LSU focuses more on athletes’ nutritional needs than those of the student body in general. Beyond what the athletes post, the official PNC Instagram account posts nutritional information regarding their menu items, the different food groups they belong to and other food facts crucial to athletic performance. The educational nature of the center and its social media presence places it not just as a fueling station but also as a fountain of knowledge. While the non-athletic dining halls do list nutritional facts about the the menu in the dining halls themselves next to the food options, the way that the PNC frames the facts as advertisement on their social media perhaps indicates a higher social standing for LSU’s athletic culture. The LSU Dining Instagram account could do the same education-wise instead of providing general information about all oncampus dining locations besides
the PNC. Ironically though, this distinction only makes the PNC’s prerogative for elite nutrition feel even more exclusive. The PNC’s social status as higher than that of the regular dining options extends into its general web presence, with the official website listing its official nutrition assessments, education plans and other educational advantages. These kinds of options readily attached to the dining experience itself elevates its intrinsic status as above what the regular dining halls provide. Ultimately, college’s socialization as a predecessor to actual adulthood should always consider uplifting each and every student in equal opportunity to come into their own, regardless of their roles as athletes or nonathletes. Food fuels not only the body but also the mind, and if higher education institutions establish a food hierarchy, food remains a tool of division instead of a means to reach one’s individual power. Savannah Boynes is a 20-yearold journalism and screen arts double-major from Madisonville.
Monday, September 21, 2026
page 12
Using feminism to remove a woman’s agency is anti-feminist MONTGOMERY’S MONOLOGUE KELSI MONTGOMERY Columnist Feminism is beautiful … in theory. Hear me out — I’ll preface this by saying I do not seek to attack feminism; rather, I’d like to critique a great failing with great consequences for the movement. History tells us that feminism dates as far back as the 1840s and has evolved in multiple waves over much struggle. The basic concept? Women were to be treated the same as the powers at the time, or men. Merriam-Webster describes feminism as a “belief in and advocacy of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes expressed especially through organized activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests.” In theory and in practice, feminism has created opportunities and displayed resilience and grit that is objectively admirable. A core tenant of feminism over time became agency. As defined by the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative, agency is “a person’s ca-
pacity to make choices and act in accordance with their values and desire.” To put it simply, agency within feminism is a woman’s ability to make decisions as she pleases, without the control of a patriarchal or alternative power. Agency is beautiful, when applied correctly. It can lead to accountability, and accountability can lead to awareness that makes our society easier to live in. However, a lack of applying agency and therefore accountability is deeply dangerous. It creates a precedent in which one may be able to completely remove capacity from themselves and pass it onto another. I’ve seen this growing debate where instead of agency being applied, it’s being redirected to everyone but the person responsible. The attention is being shifted toward men. Now, we can acknowledge patriarchal powers that previously oppressed women and in some cases continue to in the present day. This concept is why feminism came to fruition with those brave women in the 1840s. However, when nuance is applied, agency is not blaming an issue on another group because of their previous role in history. Fur-
thermore, current history doesn’t determine wrongdoing in a present situation, especially when it’s blatantly obvious that the wrongdoing done in this situation is by a woman. And this is where the lack of agency comes in. There’s this phrase I’ve heard thrown around when a woman is in the wrong: “Men do it all the time.” And that makes it right? Where is the agency in this situation? Precedent is not justification, and it is absolutely not empowerment for another gender. Let’s bring in a case study. The Lindsay Clancy case has taken the nation by storm as her trial for the murder of her children has caused debates across multiple mediums. In my opinion, one of the biggest conversations here has been the debate surrounding Clancy’s condition at the time of the murders, with many in the public viewing the case through a feminist lens. According to PBS, “[Clancy] doesn’t deny killing her children before trying to cause her own death by suicide in 2023. But she pleaded not guilty, arguing that she cannot be held criminally liable because her mental state was impaired at the time of the murders.” Despite the arguments made
about her mental state and criminal responsibility, I’ve encountered social media posts and comments that have stated that she didn’t know what she was confessing to. It is argued among netizens that Clancy, in her disparaged mental state, may have been pressured to admit to killing her children. With various theories spreading, there is discourse — despite a legally accepted fact — essentially removing agency from Clancy in order to soften the blow. And why is this? From my personal observation, I think it may be hard for feminists or even communities rallying around Clancy to accept the fact that a woman may have truly been in the wrong. I’ll admit, I’m inclined to believe a woman’s version of the story first. But what happens when the woman’s version is the less accepted one? What if, in this case, the original story is exactly as she declared it. She killed her children. That’s a harder pill to swallow. The easier pill is to accept the theory that Clancy, even in the aftermath of the murders and well into the trial, did not know what she was confessing to, that she could not have done what she admitted to do-
ing. To me, this translates to “women can’t do wrong, and if they do, it wasn’t their fault.” Where’s the nuance, people? By removing Clancy’s agency and ability to be truly guilty of wrongdoing, we are infantilizing her and sending feminism back to square one. It re-substantiates the archaic idea that women don’t really know what we’re doing, that we’re not capable of choosing to do something, whether good or bad. Despite Clancy’s mental history and the circumstances of her children’s deaths, the question remains: Why should her being a woman be cause for dismissal of the agency utilized to commit murder? Why can’t we contextualize the fact that the perpetrator may have been at a diminished capacity during the act but still committed the act? Why is it so difficult to criticize a woman who has done blatant wrongdoing? We are all capable of evil, even women. To suggest otherwise is not only anti-feminist, it is also foolish and frankly demeaning to the freedom of women everywhere. Kelsi Montgomery is a 19-yearold journalism major from Baton Rouge.
Meet Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, the modern-day Huey P. Long BULLION’S BRIEF AVA BULLION Columnist Jeff Landry, Louisiana’s current governor, has begun to reflect former governor, the infamous Huey P. Long, in his institutional power expansion, involvement with LSU and governing style. Recognizing patterns in major leaders’ governing styles can prompt the public for future political outcomes, and this is an important pattern to observe. Long’s governance of Louisiana lasted from 1928 to 1932. Within these short four years, he managed to reshape Louisiana’s corporate and political atmosphere through his centralization of power. It is not unknown for political leaders to take matters into their own hands, but Long delegated little to no power to city mayors. Landry is similar in this aspect. He executed the power to directly appoint about 150 of Louisiana’s state commissions and boards, including The State Board of Education, Board of Ethics, Louisiana Tax Commission and many more. He also maintained the Republican-dominated legislature from the previous governor, making the ability
to pass his bills more efficient while lowering the chances of combative behavior among the branches. Long additionally suppressed anyone in opposition to him within state government by purging those in office who were not in his favor. This does not come as a shock in either the Long or Landy administrations. Before coming into office in Louisiana, both governors had significant influence within government professions. Landry served as attorney general for 12 years, while Long was the Louisiana Public Service Commission Chairman. Long drove a strong campaign, arguing to reform Louisiana into a state of wealth equality by funding poor regions, implementing education funding for citizens and a program designed to rebuild major railways, bridges and roads. He drove a farleaning populist approach in bringing Louisiana to prosperity, nearly identical to Landry’s current approach. Long’s conservative populist ideals argued for the strengthening of traditional American values. Landry led his governing campaign centered around public safety reforms, parental rights in education and lowering crime rates. He has also been eager to flaunt his conservative, populist, prolife values alongside religious ideals and environmental regulation policy
rollbacks. While these campaigns seem ideal for Louisiana, Jeff Landry and Huey P. Long exercised complete and unwavering control over their governments, allowing them to work around anyone in opposition. Recently, Landry has issued an executive order to redraw congressional maps of the state’s districts, which has been ruled as unconstitutional gerrymandering. His congressional maps target Black communities by erasing one of two majority-Black districts from the map. Democratic Rep. Cleo Fields’ predominantly Black district was gerrymandered to be surrounded by predominantly white, Republican districts to favor Landry in the elections. While there are several lawsuits on both the state and federal level, the governor has managed to manipulate his way around consequences as the new congressional map has remained unscathed. Long worked similarly, operating a political machine with absolute totality. He would assault other machines, ultimately destroying their legitimacy via legal attacks. Political machines in the 1920s were extremely corrupt organizations, and with Long’s strong grasp of rhetoric and charming mass appeal, he was able to greatly extend the powers of his office.
GRAPHIC BY CAROLINE SIMONEAUX / The Reveille
Long managed to work around impeachment, similar to Landry’s avoidance of lawsuits surrounding unconstitutional congressional mapping. Many accused Long of bribery and misusing government funds to achieve his goals, and Landy has been accused of the same. The Louisiana House of Representatives held 19 allegations against Long, and he managed to circumvent them with a “round robin,” a document that over one-third of senators from the House of Representatives signed, which made a two-thirds vote to impeach impossible. He used his support from the public to sway senators into thinking the impeachment was a strategy backed by other
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PACs. By doing so he was able to stay in office and continue pushing laws through in Louisiana. Both Landry and Long raise one important question: How have Louisianans done little to nothing to prevent corruption in our state government? Long was not secretive in his authoritarian aims, and the same can certainly be said for Landry. Change for the better cannot start without recognizing historic, and unfortunately frequent, patterns of abusing government power on local, state and federal levels. Ava Bullion is a 19-year-old political science and criminology double major from Baton Rouge.
Quote of the Week “The greatest menace to freedom is an inert people.”
Louis D. Brandeis
former associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court 1856 — 1941