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RECRUITING THE STANDARD Tiger Girls bring an electric aura that matches Arizona’s hotspot dance culture. Photo by Hinesley Bryant
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ELITE ENERGY
B-16 Hodges Hall Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, La. 70803
How LSU Tiger Girls is drawing in top out-of-state talent BY HANNAH GARCIA Staff Writer The LSU Tiger Girls are known in the Universal Dance Association as one of the elite college dance teams in the country. Over the past five seasons, the team won the 2022 and 2024 Division IA Hip Hop National Championships. The Tiger Girls also placed in the top five in Division IA Hip Hop and Division IA Jazz multiple times during that span. While the titles are certainly an attraction for the country’s elite dancers, the culture of being unapologetically themselves and blazing their own trail is what sets the team apart. “I really don’t think that without Tiger Girls, there would be the amount of love or appreciation for dance that there is now,” senior Summer O’Haver said. “We’re not afraid to step outside the box or set a different standard or make a statement.” O’Haver is one of seven Tiger Girls from Arizona, joined by fellow seniors Alessandra Brown and Lauren Toci, sophomore Grace McKinley and freshmen Brooklyn Bell, Lena Brown and Bella Crutchley. The Grand Canyon state is on the rise in terms of producing top dancers. “[Being on a] dance team has been blowing up everywhere, but I feel like Arizona specifically is such a hotspot for it,” Lena said. “I feel like Arizona being a hotspot and LSU being this admirable place that all dancers want to go to, it just kind of connects in that way.” The seven Tiger Girls from Arizona have known each other in varying circumstances since high school. They competed against each other in state championships, danced at the same studios or attended the same conventions. “I feel like the Arizona dance community is so big but so small that you just see everyone any-
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The LSU Tiger Girls perform their hip-hop routine during the UDA Finals Jan. 18 at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla. ways, whether it’s [at] conventions or competitions,” Lena said. “You’re just bound to meet everyone.” However, each dancer’s path to the team looked slightly different. While dance teams used to hold tryouts, most have moved into recruiting, including the Tiger Girls. O’Haver was initially recruited to other universities, but she felt a different energy among the Tiger Girls when she watched them compete. “I [could] see myself on stage like that with those types of people doing that type of dance,” O’Haver said. “There’s just such an aura and such an energy that I feel when you watch the Tiger Girls. It’s very particular to them.” Toci was introduced to the Tiger Girls through her high school dance coaches. During her first visit, she noticed that the Tiger Girls were treated differently, as opposed to dance teams at other universities. “Some teams, they’re under band,” Toci said. “It really chang-
HINESLEY BRYANT/ The Reveille
The LSU Tiger Girls perform their routine during the D1A Jazz Finals Jan. 18 at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla.
es the dynamic of the team, and I was like, ‘I want to be a student athlete.’” Alessandra felt like she got a late start in the recruiting game. She reached out to former Tiger Girl Caliea Koehler after taking a clinic with her the summer before her senior year of high school, which led to connections with Tiger Girls head coach Kandance Hale. Hale invited Alessandra to a recruitment weekend, which is when she decided the Tiger Girls were it for her. “I really did put all of my eggs in one basket,” Alessandra said. “I was like, ‘If I don’t come here, I don’t want to be anywhere else!” O’Haver, Toci and Alessandra were recruited to the team together in 2023. It was rare for three dancers from the same state to make the team, let alone in the same year. It motivated McKinley, Bell, Crutchley and Lena to reach for the same, with each being introduced to the coaches by their now teammates. “When [O’Haver, Toci and Alessandra] made the team, that was kind of what really inspired me,” Crutchley said. “I knew exactly from that point that I want to go for it.” Bell, who had never considered being on a collegiate dance team, was inspired by Alessandra. The two had strong Los Angeles dancing backgrounds at the same studio, so when Alessandra committed to a dance team, it caught her attention. “I was like ‘Wow, if [Alessandra Brown] is doing this, it must be something more than just a dance team,’” Bell said. “I feel like the biggest difference is they are truly dancing and performing. There’s not a lot of teams that have that same aura.” The dancers had differing backgrounds in studio dance and dance teams, which gave them a versatile background that helped them transition into Tiger Girls. The Tiger Girls compete annu-
ally in the UDA Division 1A Jazz and Hip Hop Championships, as well as perform at a multitude of LSU sports games. The training for that level of competition is vigorous. Training began in the summer, with dancers learning videos and filming themselves individually. Once they return for the year, they choreograph their competition dances. The Tiger Girls practice at least four days a week for three hours, lift weights two to three times a week and run consistently. Once the semester ends for the winter, it is an all-out effort until competition day. “People [think] ‘Oh, they just go on stage and perform their routine,’ but they don’t understand the half of what actually goes into the 2-minute routine that you see on stage,” O’Haver said. All of the practice and long days made competition day feel effortless, Alessandra said. “Walking out and hitting my pose for the first time, I felt this wave of peace, which is so weird, but I knew we were about to do it and kill it because we were just so well prepared,” Alessandra said. “I was so excited to dance with these girls because they’re my best friends. You feel right where you are meant to be.” McKinley and her teammates did not take the name Tiger Girls lightly when they stepped onto the competition stage. “I felt really lucky and grateful to be feeling that kind of pressure, because I know that I finally made it to the point I had been yearning to make it to for so long,” McKinley said. The bonds made on the team were what truly made up the legacy of the Tiger Girls. “We call ourselves the TG Unit for a reason,” Alessandra said. “It’s a unit that’s so bought in and tight knit, and that’s so special and what separated LSU from every other place for me.”
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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 READY TO GEAUX
page 3 STUDENT LIFE
Raising awareness LSU Parking & Transportation hosts launch for Park & Geaux Mobility Hub for breast cancer
BY ABIGAIL ANDERSON Staff Writer
Waiting on a bus or rushing to the parking lot as it begins to rain is a common experience for many LSU students. Rain or shine, students find that parking on campus can be difficult, too. However, the opening of the Park & Geaux Mobility Hub off Skip Bertman Drive will make getting from one place to the next easier. To launch the hub, LSU Parking & Transportation hosted an event called Park & Geaux Grand Prix: The Ultimate Campus Pit Stop. The hub is furnished with vending machines, restrooms and screens that show buses’ estimated times of arrival. “One of the good things about this hub is that it handles the macro and micro levels of transportation. If students are parking out here, they’re able to get on that bus and go. If they don’t want to wait on the bus, and they want to get there quicker, [they] have that autonomy [to walk],” said Broty Stelly, communications specialist for Parking & Transportation. He added that there have been conversations about placing a central epicenter for Parking & Transportation for five to
six years. According to Stelly, LSU Residential Life fronted the funding for the hub after complaints built up due to construction in one of the largest commuter lots on campus. “We’re not the most rich department, we kind of make ends meet. We always had the designs for the hub, we were just waiting to get funding. And thanks to ResLife, we were able to go ahead and press the green button on getting this done,” Stelly said. Construction started around November of last year, and after 10 months, the hub is officially open and running. “I feel like this is a great option for students because with the old Park & Geaux lot, it wasn’t covered really. If it’s raining, you’re going to get wet. You might have to sit in your car or something while you’re waiting. So having this — it’s perfect,” said Amari Smith, senior public relations major. In the future, Stelly would like to see rest stops like the hub at different drop-off places across campus. He suggested areas like near Lockett Hall or near University Recreation; however, he said those additions would be five to 10 years in the future. There is also discussion
BY MADDY SNYDER Staff Writer
Junior journalism major Malachi Mayes depends on the buses because of her disability that makes it difficult to get around campus on foot. She said gaining another bus for each on-campus route shortened her wait time. “It’s picked up this year because they’ve been able to get two buses on the same route
Minority Women’s Movement hosts scavenger hunt to educate participants on breast cancer The Minority Women’s Movement at LSU hosted a breast cancer awareness event on Tuesday to promote women’s health. Jeisnady Regla, events chair of MWM and a senior kinesiology major, was the primary organizer of the event. It was set up as an interactive scavenger hunt. Students transitioned between stations to learn how to identify breast cancer, facts about it and common misconceptions surrounding it. Social outreach chair Tiara Alridge, a sophomore biology major, led students in a trivia-style game about breast cancer at the first station, Think Pink Trivia. Alridge emphasized the importance of taking the time to learn about the disease itself and go beyond simply wearing pink. “People think that [you can] only spread awareness [by] wearing pink,” Alridge said. “I feel like when you do interactive things like these, you genuinely learn about breast cancer more.”
see MOBILITY HUB, page 4
see AWARENESS, page 4
CHANDLER TROTTER / The Reveille
The LSU Park & Geaux Mobility Hub sits on Oct. 14, on LSU’s campus. of adding more buses to the routes on campus, as Parking & Transportation’s 10-year contract with the current number of buses in operation comes to a close. Stelly notes that while LSU can try to funnel students into one method of certain transportation, students are going to choose what works best for them and their specific situation.
WEATHER
LSU weather experts weigh in on Hurricane Isaias, El Niño event BY JORJA ETHRIDGE News Editor The strong El Niño event that began this summer made for an unusually quiet hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean. Hurricane Isaias, which was the first recorded hurricane in the Atlantic this season, made landfall Friday, with Florida taking the brunt. Isaias was a Category 3 hurricane but lessened to a Category 2 before landfall and continued to decline once it reached land. This occurrence is far better than a hurricane that has increasing energy as it approaches land, according to Jill Trepanier, LSU professor and department chair of the Department of Geography & Anthropology. Isaias tied a 121-year-long record for the latest-forming first hurricane of the Atlantic season according to multiple sources, including the Associated Press, Magnolia Tribune and the National Weather Service. Before Isaias, a hurricane that formed on Oct. 8, 1905, was the latest-forming first hurricane on record.
However, Kristine DeLong, paleoclimatologist and LSU geography professor, noted that 1905 is before the satellite era. She said the satellite era for weather tracking started in 1966, so Isaias is the latest-forming first hurricane since then. Before the satellite era, the only way to know about a hurricane that didn’t reach land was if somebody observed it. There was no way to know about storms in the middle of the Atlantic, DeLong said. Trepanier specializes in hurricane climatology. She explained that El Niño is part of the El NiñoSouthern Oscillation cycle, which has three phases. El Niño is the warm phase and La Niña is the cool phase. The third phase is neutral. Trepanier said all three phases are related to wind and pressure over the Pacific Ocean. “El Niño means that the winds over the Pacific have effectively stalled or reversed entirely,” Trepanier said. “What that does is increase the ocean temperature over the Pacific, because instead of wind blowing and moving energy,
it’s kind of stagnant and just baking under the sun.” She said the ocean temperature in some parts of the equatorial Pacific is nearly 4.5 degrees Celsius warmer than normal. “Fish populations get really mad when you change the temperature by a half degree, so to change it by four, a whole bunch of stuff will start to die. It’s a dramatic shift,” Trepanier said. She added that the recent typhoons near Hawaii and Mexico, as well as rain in Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon are related to the incredibly warm ocean temperature in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Trepanier emphasized the size of the Pacific — it accounts for 46% of the Earth’s water. “The downwind impact is felt all around the globe,” Trepanier explained. “Specifically, when the Pacific gets really calm and the wind dies down and it gets very hot, the Atlantic will see an increase in what we call shear, which is wind blowing in opposing directions.” Trepanier described shear as choppiness and said hurricanes do
not like choppy atmospheres. Hurricanes can form when wind blows in one general direction because storms can organize into a rotation. “During El Niño, we see a lot less hurricanes because that choppiness destructs or destroys them as they begin to build,” Trepanier said. She added that El Niño will cause storminess in the winter, so she expects to see more storms and a cooler, wetter winter. The media has been calling this El Niño event “super.” Trepanier said this is the first time she’s ever seen it called Super El Niño. DeLong said she hasn’t seen any scientists using the term, just the media. Scientists and weather experts just refer to it as very strong. DeLong said there was a powerful El Niño in 1997 and 1998, and since then, scientists have used that as a comparison for El Niño events. She said that before this year, the last strong El Niño was in 2016. Neither of those were referred to as “super.” While the current El Niño is on track to be the strongest one re-
corded, it is not over yet. DeLong said El Niño events usually start in the summer, strengthen in the winter and weaken by the next summer. However, she said there have been events that have lasted more than one or two years. El Niño events can happen every two to seven years but have recently been happening every three to four years, according to DeLong. “It just depends. Now we’re looking at a world where temperatures are increasing. We got really warm oceans,” DeLong said. “We’re kind of doing an experiment that we haven’t done before. As a paleoclimatologist, I can look at what happened in the past, but there’s not a perfect analog for what’s happening now.” Hurricane season in Louisiana ends Nov. 30. Trepanier said that she would be shocked to see a storm form in the Atlantic and make its way into the Gulf, but what she calls “homegrown” storms are not as unlikely. She said there’s still a chance of something forming in the Gulf or Caribbean Sea, but she does not expect anything devastating.
Thursday, October 15, 2026
page 4 CAMPUS LIFE
Volunteer LSU served at San Antonio Food Bank over fall break
year, when she went on a Change Break trip to Cameron, Louisiana. Loving the opportunity to give back to a new community, it inspired her to get more involved with LSU’s Campus Life as a student ambassador. “As an out-of-state student, I joined my first Change Break hoping to meet people who shared my passion for giving back,” Clabes said. “After participating in four Change Break trips, I have
seen how much community can be built through a weekend of service.” Volunteer LSU also holds initiatives throughout the academic year to help the local campus community. Geaux Big Baton Rouge is a four-day volunteer initiative connecting students to organizations in the Baton Rouge community. Clabes said that the organization offers these opportunities of service to encourage students
to meaningfully find ways to get involved with volunteering. “These experiences have allowed me to learn about communities beyond my own, grow as a person and leader, and build relationships with people who share my values,” Clabes said. “To me, service is about more than the work we accomplish; it is also about the connections we make, the perspectives we gain and the impact we carry with us long after the trip ends.” Khloe Brooks, a psychology junior, had her first Change Break in San Antonio and emphasized the importance of LSU students volunteering to help other people. She said that many of the organizations and volunteer groups would love to see more people out donating their time to help fight against food insecurity. “In simple terms, helping those who are less fortunate means to just simply want to see others do better. We never know what life may throw at us, and it’s important to showcase empathy for those in certain situations, and to do our part to help,” Brooks said. “Everyone wants to be included in the benefits of a village, but we all have to take the step and become real villagers firstly.”
AWARENESS, from page 3
gerous and destructive breast cancer truly is and how rapidly the cancer can spread throughout your body. “It might start in one area, but then it could go to your arms or legs or anything like that. And you just don’t want anything spreading in your body that you don’t know about,” Higgins said. “You know your body. Please go get checked.” At the Fact or Fiction station, MWM President Katharine Sherrett, a senior journalism major, read statements about breast cancer and students answered if the statements were factual or fictional. Through the activity, Sherrett herself learned new information about breast cancer. “I was surprised that breast cancer can spread to other parts of the body. That was the most shocking, to be honest,” Sherrett said. She believes it’s extremely
important for women, especially those in college, to be informed about their bodies as they transition to living independently and taking care of their own physical health. “Once we start adulting, we don’t have our parents telling us to go to the doctor anymore. You have to start knowing when it’s time for you to go get checked out and things like that,” Sherrett said. “I think just opening your eyes to breast cancer research in different ways to make sure you’re staying healthy and you should get things checked is very, very important.” At the final station, Wall of Hope, all of the participants came together to show their support to women battling breast cancer by writing encouraging messages on a poster. The poster will be delivered to breast cancer patients, extending the event’s message of awareness and support beyond the LSU community.
BY VIVIAN SARHAN Staff Writer Volunteer LSU partnered with the San Antonio Food Bank and Gardopia Gardens in Texas to support those less fortunate in the larger San Antonio community over fall break. The organization participates in givebacks every fall break known as Change Break. Allison Clabes, a senior business student, said that this was the first year the organization went to San Antonio, Texas. Clabes serves as the student director of service programs and was in charge of planning the event. “While researching potential partners, I was impressed by the San Antonio Food Bank’s scale and the variety of resources it provides to the community,” Clabes said. “I also saw an opportunity to learn from its programs and bring new ideas back to LSU, particularly for our own food pantry initiatives.” Clabes also said that she wanted Volunteer LSU to partner with another group to offer an alternative perspective on food insecurity. Gardopia Gardens is an organization focused on gardening education and making gardening
PAIGE CHERAMIE / The Reveille
LSU Volunteers assist San Antonio Food Bank on Oct. in San Antonio, Texas. more accessible. In previous years, Volunteer LSU has gone on the Change Break trip to cities like Memphis, Tennessee, and Dallas, but also in smaller communities. “Each trip is designed to help students make a difference, learn about a new community and reflect on the impact of service,” Clabes said. Clabes has been a part of Volunteer LSU since her freshman
The next station, Know Your Body, focused on teaching students the common symptoms of breast cancer. Jasmine Manning, the community service chair of the organization, discussed how important it is for women to know their bodies and seek medical advice if they notice anything wrong. “It’s very important to catch [it] in the early stages,” Manning said. “Catching [it in] the early stages — there’s more treatments and things like that.” MWM Secretary Brooklyn Higgins, a senior kinesiology major, led the Bust the Myth station, where students chose which balloons had a myth written on them and which one had a fact. Higgins has a family history of breast cancer. Her aunt had a double mastectomy, and her mother had a scare with benign tumors in her breasts. Higgins emphasized how dan-
ERIN BARKER / The Reveille
LSU students get onto the Park & Geaux bus on Aug. 27, 2025, from the Tiger Park East Lot on Skip Bertman Dr.
MOBILITY HUB, from page 3 this time. Last year was chaotic because there was only one bus. So you’re able to get where you need to be quicker instead of waiting around while they pick up one person at a time,” Mayes said. At the Grand Prix, Mayes enjoyed the snacks and did a taste test for Coca-Cola. While there, she also used study desks that the hub has.
Stelly said Parking & Transportation encourages students to be more open-minded to the services it provides. “We’re trying to create a bus system, but it’s new, and people aren’t the most receptive to change,” Stelly said. “So that’s why we do events like this because we want people to try to utilize the bus and see, ‘Hey, it’s not that bad.’ It’s quick, it’ll get us where we need to go, it gets me back to my vehicle.”
ALEXIS PERSICKE / The Reveille
Minority Women’s Movement Community Service Chair Jasmine Manning explains the activity Oct. 13 at Coates Hall.
ENTERTAINMENT Sorority raises awareness for breast cancer with informative, crafty event PUZZLES
page 5
BY MACI WILEY Staff Writer
October is often associated with Halloween, pumpkins and the start of fall. However, this month means much more than simple festive spirit with the presence of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The Gamma Pi chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. hosted Prhotect Your Pumpkins on Tuesday to provide students information on breast cancer and create a fun environment for students to mingle. The attendees painted pumpkins, listened to music, interacted with others and listened to junior Elisa Bowie speak on the basics of breast cancer. The sorority has a Women’s Wellness Initiative where chapters focus on health issues that target women, specifically women of color. The sorority has previously hosted events for suicide prevention awareness and collaboration events with other women-focused organizations including the Black Women’s Empowerment Initiative and the Black Women Leadership Association. “Part of our organization’s mission is to help out women, children and their families,” said Bowie, SGRho’s programming chair and a nutrition and food sciences major. “It would be a disservice to not be able to advocate and teach women how to take care of themselves and produce longevity.” The organization believes the best way to raise awareness is to address the topics that many people like to avoid. By hosting these events, the sorority is providing students with information to better themselves. “We bring it upon ourselves to talk about the hard topics that people won’t talk about or just bring information to people who just don’t know there are other ways,” said senior Kyla
FOR RELEASE OCTOBER 15, 2026
THE Daily Commuter Puzzle by Stella Zawistowski
TUCKER MANNING / The Reveille
LSU Sigma Gamma Rho sisters represent their sorority Oct. 13, at Patrick F. Taylor Hall. Moore, SGRho’s vice president and a mass communications major. “That’s really why we do a lot of events because we understand as Black women, it might be hard to talk to somebody.” Bowie began the event by explaining what breast cancer is, the importance of getting tested, self examinations and risk factors. “What I’ve noticed is, while a lot of information towards young women’s health was accessible, not a lot of women know or are taught these things,” Bowie said. “By doing this event, we’re teaching college women to start checking themselves, and hopefully she can start talking to her friends about checking.” Breast cancer typically starts by experiencing lumps in your breasts as well as changes in shape and size. Due to some symptoms being similar to a premenstrual syndrome symptom, a lot of people, don’t realize that they could be experiencing breast cancer. “It’s very important for students to be more aware and informed on breast cancer because it can happen to anyone at any
TUCKER MANNNG / The Reveille
A row of pumpkins painted by members of the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Oct. 13, at Patrick F. Taylor Hall.
time,” Bowie said. “One day you feel a lump in your breast and you’re thinking, ‘It’s something with my period.’ I feel like a lot of us nowadays are conditioned to kind of thug it out, but our health is extremely important.” There are many risk factors to breast cancer, including age, genetics and family history. This may frighten some, but there are many ways to prevent cancer earlier on, such as staying active, limiting alcohol intake and maintaining a healthy weight. “My personal mission here is to teach people about the things you can do before, because even though I’m so young, age plays a factor,” said senior Kyla Moore, a mass communication major. “I was high risk, and most people don’t know there are things you can be doing right now to make sure you don’t get cancer in the future.” The SGRhos prioritize service as a fundamental part of their mission. The sorority plans on donating the painted pumpkins to a children’s hospital to uplift the kids spirits. “Community service is very foundational to our sorority, but also community service is kind of foundational to a community in a way,” Bowie said. “It shapes our programming, because we want to continuously give back, and we want to help you guys give back. Everything that you guys do for us, we want to continue on that good love.” The sorority was able to provide a fun environment for students, even those outside of the sorority, to interact with new people and get out of their comfort zone. “I’m having a good time,” said freshman Olivia Houston, a political science major. “I’m meeting new people. I always love to meet new people, so I’ve been enjoying it. I also like to paint even though I don’t have an artistic hand.”
ACROSS 1 Got 100% on 5 Clean with soap and water 9 Big rigs 14 Lasso’s makeup 15 __ saxophone 16 Quick haircuts 17 Ukraine’s capital 18 Greatly disturb 19 Charged: 2 wds. 20 Reba McEntire’s genre: 2 wds. 23 “Very Funny” network 24 Celebrity couple 25 “Ugh, can’t __ that” 28 Smartphone programs 31 Performs like Eminem 34 Rock, __, scissors 35 Road vehicles 36 Close loudly 37 Dessert with a shell 38 One, in Spanish 39 Lyricist Gershwin 40 Nights before holidays 42 Baby’s bed 43 Prices 45 Make over 46 Shoestring 47 Cage for a rabbit 48 Skeleton part 50 Plopped on a stool 51 Totally ordinary 56 Intended (to) 57 Hindu spring festival 58 Davenport’s state 61 Time-__ photography 62 The Beatles’ “Back in the __” 63 Perform perfectly 64 Endures 65 Look for 66 Competitive advantage
10/15/26
Created by Stella Zawistowski
DOWN 1 Noah’s boat 2 Playfully shy 3 “The Odyssey,” e.g. 4 Big fan 5 Cautions (of) 6 Frequently: 2 wds. 7 Mix, as a cocktail 8 “__ moly!” 9 Walk proudly 10 Pink parts of pencils 11 “Less is more” type 12 Apple desktop 13 Former fast plane: Abbr. 21 Lyft competitor 22 “Swing and a __!” 25 Higher in rank 26 Unsophisticated 27 Ridges in roads: 2 wds. 28 Sister brand of Honda 29 Freak out 30 Official inquiry
Wednesday’s Puzzle Solved
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32 Medicare plan type: 2 wds. 33 Huge hit 41 Earliest 42 Musical symbol 43 Spiced tea 44 Preliminary sketch 49 Lymph __ 50 Smug smile
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51 Music industry group: Abbr. 52 Like so 53 Garden tube 54 Otherwise 55 Fill with freight 56 __ or nothing 59 False hair 60 India Pale __
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Thursday, October 15, 2026
MOSEYING ‘ROUND THE CAPITOL
Thursday, October 15, 2026
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Photos by John Hefti | Design by Alexandra Gerstner
Architecture and wildlife sit around the Louisiana State Capitol building on Sept. 17.
Thursday, October 15, 2026
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LSU’s ‘Marjorie Prime’ explores impact of artificial intelligence BY SARAH WALTON Staff Writer When an author adds science fiction into their story, it’s not often that it becomes reality in less than a decade. “Marjorie Prime,” a Pulitzer Prize finalist play written by Jordan Harrison about artificial intelligence, relationships and memories, is the opening show of the Lab Season program. The play is directed by senior LSU theater performance major Hunter Sparicino. “Marjorie Prime” is about a family’s grief and the use of AI in the everyday lives of the characters — especially that of Marjorie, who uses an AI companion to feel more connected to her husband who has died. “The premise that we find these characters in is a very heavy one, but honestly, with the way technology is going, a very real one. It’s a very real scenario that we could be seeing in the not-so-distant future,” said Charlie Robards, who plays Walter, the AI companion. Robards is a freshman theater performance major. Getting such a central role in a show in the first semester of college can be a rare occurance, and for Robards, the audition process was
nerve-racking. Robards, despite having come from a small high school theater program, is adjusting well to the much larger program of the LSU School of Theatre & Film. His nerves were shaken off when the cast list came out, which Robards describes as an invigorating experience. Equally as invigoratig, Robards is enjoying the process of being in a show so complex. “I don’t want to give off the impression that I am troubled by AI; the show does not try to present this as an inherently bad thing,” Robards said “It just tries to get you to think about it. After having thought about it for a while, although it is very eerie, I still want to say that I still feel for these characters.” Treazure Jackson is a senior theater performance major who plays Tess, Majorie’s daughter. It is her first time playing the lead in an LSU Show. “I’m of course very grateful for this opportunity,” Jackson said. “I feel like all the training and all the lessons that I’ve been taught at LSU have prepared me for this moment.” Working on “Marjorie Prime” has been validating for Jackson, giving her confidence in herself
SARAH WALTON / The Reveille
LSU Lab Season’s production of “Marjorie Prime.” and letting her know she had been prepared well. Though working on projects with friends can create unique challenges, Jackson feels that it benefitted the cast. “Since we’re all students, there is some comfort. It makes the space more comfortable and easygoing,” said Jackson. To Jackson, the themes of the play feel resonant of mod-
ern AI discussions. “I don’t want to say that it’s uncanny, but the timing is absolutely perfect. And I feel like I connect with my character so much because me as a person in real life — I don’t like artificial intelligence,” said Jackson. “Marjorie Prime” opened on Tuesday and runs until Sunday. The LSU School of Theatre & Film website has links to the
tickets and more information of the rest of the shows coming this season. “For anyone coming to see ‘Marjorie Prime,’ they’re going to leave the experience with a new outlook on family relationships and just life in general,” Jackson said. “It should be an eye-opening experience and I’m really excited for everyone to come see.”
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11.03.26
SPORTS ROAD WOES
LSU’s future schedule might bring more trouble BY TRIPP BUHLER Staff Writer A production that includes tens of thousands of people, colorful and flashing lasers, tons of alcohol and fireworks fit for a Las Vegas nightclub, but at the highest level of collegiate football, on top of giving fans a great time, these discothequelike events take place to make visiting teams uncomfortable. It has certainly worked against LSU football. LSU’s 35-34 overtime loss to Kentucky Saturday was the Tigers’ eighth straight road SEC loss, a skid dating back to October 2024. The Tigers’ only two losses of the year have been on the road, and the path ahead isn’t easy. LSU travels to Auburn on Oct. 24 to renew the Tiger Bowl, and will end the season with backto-back road games at Tennessee and Arkansas. The first two games have been announced as sellouts. The hype around LSU before and at the beginning of the season has turned the Tigers into a travelling circus, with head coach Lane Kiffin as its ringmaster. Ole Miss set an attendance record against LSU on Sept. 19, and the future sell outs tell the same story — every school winds back its biggest punch when LSU comes to town. LSU is at a point where it can’t afford another loss if it wishes to make the College Football Playoff. If LSU can get out of its grueling home slate unbeaten, some parts of its road schedule still provide benefits. Kickoff in Auburn will happen at 11 a.m., and in the ear-
ly window in Arkansas. Even though LSU isn’t too familiar with morning kicks — having its first this Saturday at home against Mississippi State — it will lead to a tamer crowd. “I think it’s just playing at night, sitting around all day, and going into hostile environments,” Kiffin said the Monday following the Ole Miss loss, “And offense is, a lot of times, struggling, especially early in the game.” LSU obviously had a lot of things besides football on its mind when it came into its matchup in Oxford. Kiffin’s return to his former coaching home may have rattled the Tigers’ early. LSU had nearly twice the amount of total offense in the second half as it did in the first, focus. A poor defensive start was
CHANDLER TROTTER / The Reveille
LSU football junior defensive end Jordan Ross (29) plays defense Oct. 3, during LSU’s 63-14 win against McNeese State at Tiger Stadium.
the issue at Kentucky. The Wildcats averaged 7.1 yards per play in the first half before LSU brought the number down to 5.2 over the final 30 minutes. Kiffin and his team acknowledged how winnable both games were. Kiffin’s Monday press conference, what he calls ‘Tell the Truth Monday,’ made LSU face some harsh realities on both occasions. “We had four chances to end the game,” Kiffin said two days after the Kentucky loss. “Twice on offense, you have the ball and you’re ahead … you’re on defense with the lead in the two-minute, and you’re on defense with a 7-point lead in overtime. “Just do one of those four [and you win],” Kiffin continued. Those issues just haven’t had the same presence when the Tigers are in their comfortable home. Most of LSU’s best opponents are playing in Tiger Stadium, but it looks like any opponent can have a Kentuckylike upset. Auburn and Arkansas historically give LSU good contests, no matter how well either school has done before the matchup. Tennessee is good enough to give LSU a solid challenge if the game were in Baton Rouge. An afternoon or night game in Knoxville, especially with Kiffin making his second-ever return since ditching the Vols after 2009, could be the nail in the coffin for LSU’s season, if it hasn’t come yet by them. If LSU somehow escapes its home slate unscathed, any of the three road games could be the playoff bouncers that turn the Tigers away at the door.
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Mississippi State football players to keep an eye on BY HANNAH GARCIA Staff Writer Coming off an overtime loss versus Kentucky in Week 6, No. 22 LSU football will play No. 16 Mississippi State on Saturday. The SEC currently has nine teams ranked in the AP Poll Top 25, with each of the nine ranking higher than LSU. If the Tigers still hope to make a playoff appearance, they will have to win the rest of the season, starting with their matchup against the Bulldogs, and these five players will stand in the way of that. Quarterback Kamario Taylor Sophomore Kamario Taylor has made an impact as starting quarterback for the Bulldogs after starting two games as a true freshman. Through five games, Taylor has thrown for 1450 yards, which ranks 22nd in the nation and third in the SEC. He is tied for third in the nation and is first in the SEC with 17 passing touchdowns. Taylor is second on the team in rushing yards with 159 yards, averaging 31.8 yards per game. The quarterback is currently ninth in the odds for the 2026 Heisman Trophy, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Taylor’s status is in question for the game against the Tigers, according to an X post by ESPN’s Pete Thamel or Tuesday, as Taylor is dealing with a foot injury that he suffered during the Bulldogs Oct. 3 matchup against Alabama. His availability will impact Mississippi State’s effectiveness against LSU on Saturday. Running Back Fluff Bothwell Junior Fluff Bothwell is in his second season as the starting running back for the Bulldogs. After transferring to Mississippi State from South Alabama in 2025, Bothwell rushed for 677 yards and 6 touchdowns. Bothwell is currently on pace to outdo his sophomore stats. He has rushed for 403 yards, which ranks eighth in the SEC, and 3 touchdowns. His 80.6 rushing yards per
game ranks 48th in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Wide Receiver Anthony Evans III During his 2025 campaign, Anthony Evans III had 831 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns for Mississippi State. This season, the senior has 5 receiving touchdowns for the Bulldogs. His 574 receiving yards rank 10th in the FBS and third in the SEC, and his 114.8 receiving yards per game rank seventh in the FBS. In Mississippi State’s matchup against Alabama, Evans III had 166 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns, and will look to carry the momentum into the matchup against LSU after the team’s bye week from Week 6. Linebacker Tyler Lockhart In his freshman campaign for the Bulldogs, Tyler Lockhart had 34 total tackles, including 9 solo tackles and 25 assisted tackles. In 2026, the sophomore has almost surpassed those numbers. Lockhart has 31 total tackles, which ranks 33rd in the SEC and first for Mississippi State in 2026. In the team’s 31-24 win over Missouri, Lockhart had 9 total tackles, including 4 solo tackles. Linebacker Jardin Gilbert Sixth-year senior Jardin Gilbert knows the Tigers all too well. Gilbert was a four-star recruit for the Class of 2021 at the University Lab School on LSU’s campus. He spent two seasons with LSU following a three-year stint with Texas A&M. During the 2025 season, Gilbert appeared in just three games, with only 11 total tackles. In his first season for the Bulldogs, Gilbert leads the team in solo tackles with 17. He has 26 total tackles, which ranks third on the team. LSU needs to find answers to Taylor, Bothwell, Evans III, Lockhart and Gilbert in order to rebound after the loss against Kentucky. The Tigers will face off against the Bulldogs in LSU’s first day game of the 2026 season on Saturday at 11 a.m. in Tiger Stadium.
REAGAN COTTEN / The Reveille
LSU football junior wide receiver Malik Nabers (8) fights against his defender on Sept. 16, 2023, during LSU’s 41-14 win over Mississippi State in Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Miss.
Thursday, October 15, 2026
page 10 BASEBALL
Three takeaways on LSU baseball’s first fall ball scrimmages BY MARISSA REISS Staff Writer While LSU students were enjoying their fall break, the Tigers’ baseball fans enjoyed theirs at LSU’s first fall baseball scrimmages Thursday Oct. 8, Friday Oct. 9 and Sunday Oct. 10. LSU held its first fall ball scrimmages at Alex Box Stadium this past weekend. The scrimmages marked good days for Tiger fans to watch how the 2027 roster will play out. With a finalized 39-player roster, fall ball was a chance to see the earliest preview of how the returning staff, new class of transfers and freshmen would mix together. “It’s a wide open competition,” head coach Jay Johnson said during a press conference about the competition for positions among his new roster. “It’s always that way here. There’s no lineup, there’s no leadoff hitter, there’s no Friday pitcher as of today.” Competition is exactly what this roster will bring, and fall ball further proved that. Here are a few takeaways from baseball’s first scrimmages.
Jonah Aase’s promising return Redshirt freshman Jonah Aase, who had yet to pitch for the Tigers, changed that during the fall scrimmages. The left-handed pitcher made his fall ball debut on Oct. 8 after missing his freshman season due to a torn UCL and Tommy John surgery. In the Oct. 8 scrimmage, Aase pitched 3 full innings, the longest out of the reliever rotation that night. Concluding his time on the mound, Aase completed Thursday night with 3 strikeouts across three scoreless innings. Although Aase did not pitch in Friday and Sunday’s scrimmages, his return looks to be a big addition to the bullpen ahead of spring. The depth of utilities in the infield Ahead of fall ball, Johnson noted that a few of his players were making position shifts to build additional depth on the roster. That depth will make the biggest impact, particularly in the infield. One of those players has been freshman outfielder Malachi Washington. Washington, who Johnson considers one of the best center field-
ers who came to college, shifted to the infield when he arrived at LSU. Johnson previously said that his decision to move Washington to the infield would change the dynamic of the entire program — and Washington’s working toward exactly that. Washington found himself shifting between both second and third base during the weekend scrimmages, but spent most of his time at second. Sophomore Jack Ruckert is another player who Johnson has shifted from time to time, specifically mentioning in a preseason press conference that the infielder had spent some time working out at catcher ahead of fall ball to provide more versatility on the roster. While the sophomore wasn’t seen behind the plate during any of the scrimmages, he moved around both the infield — and surprisingly — the outfield as well. Ruckert found himself in left field for a few innings on Sunday. First baseman Mason Braun also spent an inning in the outfield on Sunday, despite playing first base for most of the 2026 season. Freshmen are making an early
impact Out of the 22 new players to join the 2027 roster, 14 of them are freshmen starting their collegiate baseball careers. If fall ball showed anything, it’s that Johnson’s freshmen are already putting in work for when Opening Day at Alex Box rolls around. The most notable freshman of the weekend was right-handed pitcher Cooper Sides. Sides, a 6-foot-5 freshman from Red Bluff, California, made his first appearance as a Tiger, displaying a nasty mix of what’s to come for opponents. Sides pitched for 2 full innings on Oct. 8 during the scrimmages, showing a good mix of pitches in his arsenal, most notably 95-96 mph fastballs. Both of Sides’ innings pitched were hitless, and he also recorded 2 strikeouts that were both looking. Nate Davis-Cleary, Dylan Minnatee and Dominic Santarelli are three other additions out of the who that have made statements for themselves to start fall. Davis in particular displayed his command in center field. The freshman played all three days of scrim-
mages at center and can even take credit for robbing Ruckert of an extra-base hit and preventing another player on base during the inning. Minnatee and Santarelli both split their weekends at first base, and to add to the depth of multipleposition players, Minnatee played a little right field on Friday, and Santarelli moved to the outfield on the final day. Minnatee’s presence at first base can only be described as meticulous. He made a few defensive plays to add to that reputation, recording a few double plays across the weekend in addition to routine outs. While Santarelli had a good weekend fielding, his time at the plate arguably stood out more. Santarelli’s at-bats posed a threat to the pitchers — even if those pitchers are his teammates. He drew 2 walks from balls pitched in the dirt and hit an opposite-field double with an exit velocity of 107.3 mph. If one thing is certain, Johnson has a significant range on his roster among all 39 players. The team will continue to prepare ahead of its first fall exhibition game on Oct. 31 in Biloxi, Mississippi.
NFLSU
How former LSU football players are faring in the NFL this season BY ADAM KIRSCHMAN Staff Writer After a disappointing 2025 season for LSU football, many Tigers who fell under NFL scouts’ radars have gotten their chance to shine at the start of the NFL season. For many of these former Tigers, poor performances in 2025 tanked their draft stock, but recent opportunities have given some the chance to show their true potential in the pros. The most notable rookies out of LSU this year are Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Mansoor Delane, Indianapolis Colts safety AJ Haulcy, Atlanta Falcons linebacker Harold Perkins Jr., New Orleans Saints wide receiver Barion Brown,and Chicago Bears wide receiver Zavion Thomas. Delane was the lone Tiger to be selected in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. He was taken by the Kansas City Chiefs with the sixth pick in the draft after trading up from pick nine with the Cleveland Browns. Delane was amazing at LSU, making him worth the high pick. Delane finished his senior year with a career and team-high 11 passes defended, along with 2 interceptions. Delane was the first defensive back picked of the night, adding him to the long line of outstanding defensive backs from LSU drafted in the first round. The Chiefs were desperate to get Delane after trading away star cornerback Trent McDuffie a month prior, lining the rookie up for a day-one starting role, a tall task for any inexperienced defensive back. With one of the best teams in
the NFL, Delane quickly showed why he was a high pick. In Delane’s first game, he picked off Broncos quarterback Bo Nix on the first drive of the game, before being ruled out for the rest of the game with a shoulder injury. “Yeah, that was crazy,” Delane said. “It felt kind of unreal. Three plays, I get a pick. Like I’m thinking I’m going to get like a pick every four or five plays. That’s not the case, but it was a great moment.” Through two other games, Delane has shown to have great tackling skills as well. He’s now combined for 20 tackles through two full games, leading defensive backs in both contests, and leading the Chiefs in tackles in their Week 3 win against the Las Vegas Raiders. Delane is also tied for the eighth most passes defended by a rookie this year with 3. Delane has helped the Chiefs jump to a 4-0 start, and has played a major role in Kansas City’s No. 2 ranked overall defense and No.5 ranked passing defense. “You obviously could see the athletic ability, the feet, and the instincts there.” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said about Delane. “He’s not afraid to stick it in there; he’s a physical kid. I think he just builds on that and goes, but you obviously see the talent.” Delane looks to be kickstarting a great career in the NFL, as the star rookie sets his sights on the Defensive Rookie of the Year award. There was a pretty steep dropoff after Delane, in terms of where the next rookie Tigers were selected. Haulcy was the second former LSU player drafted. He was select-
ed with pick number 78 by the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts picked the safety after he led LSU’s defense with 89 tackles in 2025. Haulcy is a true field general safety who can help out both in the run game and in pass coverage. Despite third-round picks not usually being relied on as day-one starters, Haulcy has gotten plenty of opportunity in the Colts’ weak secondary. Haulcy has gotten significant playing time in each of the Colts’ first five games this season. In this time, he’s secured 21 total tackles and one tackle for loss. He’s also proved to be decent in coverage, with 2 passes defended so far. Despite the Colts’ defensive struggles, Haulcy has had a very impressive start for a mid-round pick, possibly setting the safety up for a long career in the pros. “He hasn’t had a mental error to my recollection,” Colts Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said. “So he keeps that up, and that’ll be good for him in his field … Out here he’s done well. That doesn’t mean he’s played perfect, but he’s been in the right spot.” Colts head coach Shane Steichen has also praised Haulcy a lot this season. “He’s a smart guy for a young guy,” Steichen said. “I thought he was in position for a lot of plays … I think he’s got really good instincts. He’s always around the ball, and you need that at that position.” Perkins also looks to be a lateround steal through his first few performances on the Atlanta Falcons. Perkins was a baller through his first two years at LSU, racking
up 146 tackles and 13 sacks. 7.5 of those sacks came in Perkins’ freshman year, the most by a freshman in LSU history, earning the linebacker Freshman All-American and All-SEC honors. Unfortunately, Perkins’ draft stock dropped drastically after he tore his ACL in his final season with the Tigers, leading to him being downgraded from a top-tworound prospect into a sixth. This season, though, Perkins is proving the doubters wrong. Despite only recording 2 tackles in his first two pro appearances, Perkins saw a rise in playtime against the Green Bay Packers, where he doubled his season total with 4 tackles. In the following week, Perkins returned to the state where he played collegiate football to face the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football. There, Perkins broke out, co-leading the Falcons in tackles with 10, while also recording half a sack and a defended pass. This performance also led to a 45-24 win over New Orleans. “I thought Perk was outstanding,” Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski said of the New Orleans native after the week four win. “Really excited for Perk coming home. I thought he was really good.” After Week 4, Perkins surprisingly led all rookies for the highest-graded defender, beating out top picks like Arvell Reece and Sonny Styles. Now, Perkins looks likely to have a spot in the Falcons defense locked up, as the team still looks to replace Kaden Ellis, who signed with the Saints over the offseason. Brown and Thomas may not have filled up their stat sheets so
far, but have earned solid roles where they were drafted. Brown has overachieved what most expected for the sixth-round speedster wide receiver, as he’s taken on a major role as the Saints’ starting kick and punt returner. In Brown’s time at LSU, he led the Tigers with 532 receiving yards and a touchdown. Brown was a bigger threat in the return game, though, as he set an SEC career record for the most return touchdowns, leading to the Saints picking him to improve their special teams. This year Brown has returned 13 kickoffs for 326 yards, with his longest return being for 53 yards. Brown hasn’t found the same success yet on punt returns, as the return specialist has only recorded 36 yards on 7 returns. Brown will likely continue to serve as the main returner for the Saints, and possibly help with receiver depth as more injuries come throughout the year. Thomas was drafted in the third round by the Chicago Bears, adding the receiver to an already stacked offense, loaded with weapons. Thomas has had to sit behind Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, and Kalif Raymond, while also losing receiving volume to tight ends like Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet. This has made it difficult for him to break through early in the season. Everything got even harder for Thomas after Caleb Williams injured his hamstring, leading to three weeks of poor backup quarterback play. In this time, Thomas has only caught two balls for 12 yards.
OPINION
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Greek life deserves recognition just as it does accountability WAINER’S WORLD JACK WAINER Columnist Editor’s note: Reveille Opinion Columnist Jack Wainer is a current member of LSU’s chapter of the Delta Chi Fraternity. Greek life chapters associated with the National Panhellenic Conference have a reputation problem. One fraternity gets caught doing something detestable, the whole Greek community is suddenly the target as though every chapter is somehow responsible. It sometimes seems that only the bad moments pull rank in headlines, while the reality of what makes Greek life great is often overlooked. Greek life is not perfect. When a chapter does something wrong, there should be consequences; however, that doesn’t make it right for the media to give a bad reputation to Greek life as a whole when it’s one group that creates a problem. Yes, recent Greek incidents have raised serious concerns nationwide. LSU’s hazing investigations into Phi Gamma Delta and Delta Kappa Epsilon deserve attention and shouldn’t be dismissed. The case at Cornell has also put Greek life under national scrutiny, with rape allegations involving Chi Phi members raising questions about how universities handle misconduct within fraternities. Rape
and sexual assault are unacceptable and students involved should face consequences. It’s perhaps worth noting that many of the above actions taken by certain Greek life members come alongside a fringe-faction’s subconscious feeling of being untouchable, whether by nature of sheer involvement in Greek life or by consideration of resources. It’s more reasonable to say there are simply a few bad apples in the bunch, and that it is not a systemic issue. That said, one chapter’s actions shouldn’t become everyone’s burden or shape the perception of national or local Greek life as a whole. Greek Life has a significant presence at LSU. The university has over 7,000 Greek members among 42 chapters, raising more than $1.37 million for nonprofits and contributing nearly 75,000 hours of community service. These efforts support causes ranging from children’s healthcare Children Miracle Network Hospitals to childhood cancer research through St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Those numbers reflect thousands of students putting their time and money toward causes outside of themselves. Looking at individual chapters, contributions become even more noticeable. Sigma Chi raised $65,000, primarily for the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center in Baton Rouge, and completed 2,283 service hours. Delta Chi raised $88,000 for the V Foundation for Cancer Research
and completed 174 service hours. Alpha Phi raised $40,703, primarily for their national chapter foundation that supports women’s health and education, and completed 2,570 service hours. Chi Omega raised $89,500, primarily for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and completed 5,185 service hours. These figures show students turning involvement into significant contributions to communities and organizations beyond LSU. I’m also writing this as someone who is a member of Delta Chi here at LSU and knows that its worst moments don’t tell the whole story. Greek life has provided me with a sense of community through friendship, campus involvement and shared experiences. It’s easy to overlook that level of involvement when the people behind it are 18-to 21-year-old students. These are young adults raising thousands of dollars, dedicating their time and effort toward causes that extend beyond their own organizations. That kind of impact is difficult to find among other student organizations. Greek life certainly has its flaws, but the positive impact they create shouldn’t be overlooked. Why shut the door on students who have the motivation to do something constructive? That impact goes beyond LSU. The North American Interfraternity Conference reports that fraternities emphasize the importance of civic engagement, stating that “nation-
wide, fraternity chapters raise more than $20 million annually and provide more than 3.8 million hours of service in their local communities.” This doesn’t mean Greek life is perfect by any stretch — it is not — but they give thousands of students an opportunity to contribute to their communities and those in need. The problem is that those parts of Greek life rarely make headlines. Negative stories are more likely to attract attention and repeated portrayals can shape how an entire group is perceived. Bryant University found that “negative media portrayals of Greek life lead to the formulation of stereotypes about college students’ affiliated with fraternities and sororities nationwide.” revealing that these portrayals can affect student’s perceptions of Greek life. A research study in the Journal of Sorority and Fraternity Research and Practice examined 100-fraternity-related stories and found that “12% of fraternity-related publications are positive in nature and tone.” suggesting that positive portrayals of fraternities are uncommon in news coverage. These findings can reinforce negative stereotypes and ignore the positive experiences that also shape Greek Life. That doesn’t mean that the media shouldn’t ignore misconduct. If a chapter violates a university policy or breaks the law, it deserves coverage. They deserve to be held
accountable. That said, accountability should be directed at those responsible. Condemn the behavior. Hold them accountable when warranted, but don’t let the actions of some members define the whole Greek system. LSU provides a way to hold Greeks accountable. The Greek life community scorecard provides public information about each chapter including philanthropy, academics, service, health and safety violations. Each profile is updated every semester, allowing students and the public to see both accomplishments and violations of each chapter. Accountability matters, but it shouldn’t be the only thing that defines Greek Life Greek life is more than its worst headlines. If the media only shows its lowlights, it’s not telling the whole story. There is a reason so many students rush every year — philanthropy events, community service, campus involvement, leadership positions, late nights with friends and fond memories that students will carry long after they graduate. Not everyone involved is perfect, but one person’s mistake shouldn’t define an entire organization. Greek life deserves accountability for its members’ wrongdoing just as much as it deserves recognition for its positive impacts in the community. Jack Wainer is a 20-year-old journalism major from Dallas.
Acknowledgement of LSU’s military roots is a win for the ROTC BULLION’S BRIEF AVA BULLION Columnist On Sept. 30, LSU was federally recognized as a Distinguished Military College, which lays the groundwork for the school to continue expanding the Corps of Cadets and providing more opportunities for future cadets. LSU started out as a military school in the mid-1800s. The university not only educated young collegiates but also trained them to become military officers if called upon. While LSU has continued to involve voluntary military training in keeping with university tradition, the Corps of Cadets was deactivated in 1969 when military involvement
at LSU became optional before the Vietnam War. As time progressed, the school slowly shied away from its strong military roots. Programs such as the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, or ROTC, have remained a part of the university for students pursuing military careers, but the opportunities and prestige are not on the same level as the Corps of Cadets. The Corps of Cadets would give LSU cadets noteworthy military experiences and prospects. The LSU ROTC program is still influential, but it comes with its limitations. ROTC programs are designed to specifically prepare cadets for commissioning as officers. The Corps of Cadets will give cadets a more structured military experience with specialized military paths, rather than just taking basic military classes through the
university. Bringing back the Corps of Cadets will provide enhanced opportunities for students who choose to go down the military track. Senior military colleges with prestigious Corps of Cadets programs such as Texas A&M, Virginia Tech and Norwich grant cadets the opportunity to apply for specialized scholarships. I believe the program should be seen as any other LSU senior college, such as the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Agriculture, Science, the Manship School of Mass Communication and more. Its functionality provides regular course requirements, along with different tracks depending on prospective decisions to commission into a specific branch, or the choice not to commission. At LSU, most majors have con-
centration options for students who aim to go into a specific field. The Corps of Cadets offers a stronger opportunity for students to explore their options with two tracks — a military commissioning track for cadets who wish to participate in the military post-graduate, and civilian leadership track for students who do not want to join the military. The combination of LSU’s Corps of Cadets and ROTC programs also provides the opportunity for the school to be established as a Senior Military College. LSU already has a strong ROTC program, which will give the Corps of Cadets a tremendous advantage for recruitment of new cadets. LSU revisiting and restoring its roots as a military school through the Corps of Cadets can also be seen as a strategic initiative to lay a foundation for a potential transition
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The Reveille (USPS 145-800) is written, edited and produced solely by students of Louisiana State University. The Reveille is an independent entity of the Office of Student Media within the Manship School of Mass Communication. Signed opinions are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the editor, The Reveille or the university. Letters submitted for publication should be sent via e-mail to editor@lsu.edu or delivered to B-39 Hodges Hall. They must be 400 words or less. Letters must provide a contact phone number for verification purposes, which will not be printed. The Reveille reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for space consideration while preserving the original intent. The Reveille also reserves the right to reject any letter without notification of the author. Writers must include their full names and phone numbers. The Reveille’s editor in chief, hired every semester by the LSU Student Media Board, has final authority on all editorial decisions.
into reaching Senior Military College status. While some may argue that LSU simply wanted to add more stature to its military program, I believe that it is larger than just the ROTC and the Corps. It appears that LSU will continue strengthening its military curricula, and as it gains more attention nationally, the university will inherently catch the eye of potential students. Senior Military College status would continue to build the initiative for students considering enrollment in the military to choose LSU. Offering cadets a more involved training experience in college is certainly a great opportunity for the university. Ava Bullion is a 19-year-old political science and criminology double major from Baton Rouge.
Quote of the Week “It’s never too late to be what you might have been.” Mary Ann Evans English poet and author 1819 — 1880
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