The Reveille 2-23-26

LSU planning new Park & Geaux mobility hub. Here’s what to know.

Here’s how transfer Trent Caraway has earned his spot in the lineup.

LSU School of Music to complete $3.5 million renovations to the Recital Hall.

RECITAL REVAMP

LSU School of Music will reopen its Recital Hall after renovations

BY SAVANNAH BOYNES Staff Writer

Opened originally in 1984, the LSU School of Music Recital Hall closed its doors in the 2025 fall semester to sanction its official renovations. With the space usually holding a wide variety of concerts and recitals, it is fitting for it to receive a complete modernization with a cost of an estimated $3.5 million.

Serving as an ode to LSU’s musical students and faculty, the renovations being done in the Recital Hall will ensure concerts and recitals are executed to the highest forms within all production details. From auditory improvements to visual enhancements, the space beckons all patrons to come forward to witness musical magnificence.

The renovations’ costs are credited to donors John Turner and Jerry Fisher, and the venue will be renamed to the John Turner and Jerry Fisher Recital Hall as a thanks to their generosity.

Dean of the College of Music and Dramatic Arts Eric Lau explained how construction of the hall involves gutting the entire space.

“We’re starting over with a blank slate inside,” Lau said. “The purpose of the renovation is to focus primarily on improving the acoustics of the space.”

To accomplish this, the official renovation plans involve removing the structural walls and structural ceiling, the interior ceiling, recording studio space and storage

space. The various removals capture a wider volume range, allowing for an increase in acoustical options for performances held in the hall.

Variable acoustic treatments, such as curtains and banners that are able to fully extend and retract, are also being added. Lau said that this is most ideal for the different kinds of instruments played, as acoustics can now be adjusted to

best fit the performance.

As it is a modernization, the renovations improve not only the acoustics but also the functionality. The space will have new lighting and seating, as well as a new platform for performers to stand on. Other additions include the capacity to livestream performances, speakers for sound reinforcement and a projector.

The number of seats will re -

main at 200, and the stage will be able to hold about 10 musicians at a time.

Since renovations aren’t set to finish until July 2026, students and faculty have had to utilize other performance spaces on campus. Some of those include rehearsal rooms, the Hans & Donna Sternberg Salon in the French House, and even St. Alban’s Chapel. However, Lau emphasized renovations will be completed just in time to kick off the fall 2026 semester.

Performances held in the hall take many different forms in terms of their performers. Most students’ degree requirements involve multiple recitals they must perform in, and LSU faculty host a fair share of their own as well. Guest artists even come through and perform their own concerts.

“A solo violin, chamber ensembles of woodwind quintets or brass quintets, jazz combos; that’s the nature of the size of things that can happen in there,” Lau said.

With nearly 300 events a year, the School of Music’s biggest hope for the renovations is for guests to come and check them out. Lau said that the events are almost always free, and they are always open to the public.

“When this recital hall reopens, we will have a world-class space for our students to perform in, and our faculty and any guests we bring in,” Lau said. “We’re matching up the space to the talent of the people that will be performing there and giving them the absolute best venue that they can have to do their art.”

Baseball transfer stands out in star-studded lineup

BY RAMI BURKS Staff Writer

LSU baseball has been piling on runs no matter the opponent so far this season, and while the Tigers’ right fielder Jake Brown is getting most of the offensive attention so far, there is one batter flying under the radar early in his junior campaign.

Oregon State transfer Trent Caraway has quickly made a name for himself as a utility player in purple and gold. He’s taken over third base this season after senior Michael Braswell III graduated as a national champion last year.

Yet, Caraway has truly locked his spot in the lineup with a clutch bat in the first few games of the season.

He is batting .346 through eight games, but it’s not the numbers that make his story interesting. Once he touched ground in Baton Rouge, Caraway said he completely changed his batting stance.

“I kind of made a swing adjustment, kind of just calming things down and not having as much movement in my swing,” Caraway said in

a preseason press conference. “I’ve always toe tapped, and now I’m kind of doing a normal stride. Keeping my head still is helping me see pitches better.”

He has definitely seen pitches well so far this season. He’s had nine hits in 26 at-bats so far this season, but he’s done more than what the numbers suggest.

He started a huge third-inning rally in Game 3 versus Milwaukee during opening weekend, and he went yard against Nicholls State to give the Tigers a lead in the first inning. His home run wasn’t just a solo shot; he clutched up with the bases loaded to garner four RBIs.

He came to LSU to play in big moments, and he’s done that so far. Caraway hasn’t been scared of highpressure moments, keeping his composure when there are runners on base. He’s been an RBI machine so far this season, putting up 12.

He also came to LSU for the resources to allow him to succeed at the next level, and he’s shown how prepared he is for the current level throughout the eight games this season.

He hit a bases-loaded triple as well as a grand slam on Wednesday, and he said after the game that he felt like he was due.

B-16 Hodges Hall

Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, La. 70803 LSUReveille.com

ADVERTISING (225) 578-6090

Layout/Ad Design ASHLEY KENNEDY

Layout/Ad Design REESE PELLEGRIN

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

One of the team’s most successful aspects so far has been its depth.

STANDOUT, page 10

“I was kind of thinking about it like, ‘Shoot, everyone is hitting homers, I need to homer,’” Caraway said postgame. “It’s all good, especially having the bases loaded in the first inning, and just kind of knocking them out. That felt really good.”

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 MOBILITY HUB

Future Park & Geaux waiting station could improve transit experience

BY ALAYNA FORD Staff Writer

Students who use the Park & Geaux transportation system could soon spend less time waiting for buses and more time getting to class. The university plans to build a mobility hub designed to shorten shuttle loop times and improve students’ commute experiences.

LSU is building a Park & Geaux mobility hub on the west side of campus as a part of its long-term campus master and mobility plans. The plans aim to move parking away from the core parts of campus while major construction projects continue to expand.

The hub is expected to open this fall and will serve as a centralized waiting and dispatch space for riders. It is also designed to reduce shuttle turnaround times from 15-20 minutes to closer to 10.

“We have a large amount of parking on the west side of campus, near River Road and the levee, but it’s just not right next to where people want them to be,” said Kaylee Aulds, the interim director of Parking & Transportation Services. “Outside of Park & Geaux users, that area really wasn’t being utilized, and that’s part of why it made sense for the hub.”

The mobility hub is set to have all things students need to accommodate a short yet comfortable wait.

Some of those features include air conditioning, bathrooms, TVs, charg-

RESEARCH

ing stations and vending machines.

“We’re going from hard benches and an awning to a space with established seating, air conditioning and protection from the weather — whether it’s a cold day or a hot Louisiana day,” said Broty Stelly, a parking communications specialist.

Many students use the TransLoc app to track when the buses are coming to the stops. One new feature will include a live-tracking screen to see how and where buses are on campus. The hub will also have a front desk with connection to dispatch in case students have questions.

Another feature will be an additional drop-off and pick-up lane

for students who take other forms of transportation such as Uber, Lyft and carpooling. The hub will also include a lost and found section to help reduce the hassle of tracking down buses if students accidentally leave any of their belongings.

This project is still in its earliest phases, and those involved in planning noted that construction is far from being completed.

“This will help bring the Park & Geaux stop up to the same level as other established areas on campus like the Student Union or Patrick F. Taylor Hall,” Stelly said.

Parking and Transportation said it’s being careful to ensure that the hub is compatible with student safe-

ty, deciding that the hub would only be closed between the hours of 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. LSU police officers will also patrol the hub to ensure maximum security.

“There will be lighting, security around the building and an officer available during the evening,” Aulds said.

The LSU master plan for the future of campus aims to make it more pedestrian friendly.

“We’re trying to shift the mindset from parking next to your building to parking in the exterior lots and taking a bus in,” Aulds said. “This mobility hub is really the first phase of pushing that change forward.”

Though many students would say a parking garage would be the simplest way to fix things, Aulds explained that this is not feasible.

“To pave the entire lot, we estimated it could cost somewhere between $7 and 10 million, which just isn’t feasible in this phase,” she said. “We’re an auxiliary service, but we don’t get as much funding as people would assume.”

For students who rely on Park & Geaux to get to class, the mobility hub represents more than just a new building: it’s an attempt to make commuting faster, safer and more comfortable. With improved wait times and upgraded features, the hub may help reshape how students experience transportation at LSU as the university looks toward the future.

Upgrades to scanning electron microscope make deeper geological research on campus possible

BY DREW SARHAN Staff Writer

Two LSU researchers applied two major software upgrades to the school’s scanning electron microscope, opening the doors to further geological research and information.

Brandon Shuck and Erini Poulaki are the two researchers who helped gather the $26,000 for the upgraded AZtec software, a program that improved the microscope’s ability to collect energydispersive X-ray spectroscopy data and electron backscatter diffraction data. Both Shuck and Poulaki are researchers in the geology department at LSU.

EDS is a term for elemental analysis that fires a beam of electrons, causing the elements to emit characteristic X-rays, while EBSD analyzes the internal crystal structure of grains of elements.

“Electrons hit the sample, and then the electrons are reflected on the sample and onto the EBSD

detector,” Poulaki said. “Then these scatter the electrons, hitting the sample and reading it by the plate on the detector. They have very specific patterns. They have a funny name: they’re called Kikuchi Bands.”

The researchers are able to extrapolate how mineral crystals are oriented in the samples, telling them how a sample could be misaligned or possibly even deformed.

Poulaki said they’ll be happy to be able to use the microscope for their research and to share usage with the engineering departments.

“The microscope, so far, was used mostly by engineers,” Poulaki said. “They only look at metals that are very homogenous… For our materials, because we look at very heterogeneous rocks that have a lot of different minerals and their spatial extent within it is really important for us, we needed a way to collect this data, these elemental and deformation data on a very large area.”

The machinery itself hasn’t

changed. The upgrades are purely software-based, and now the geology department can have a better understanding of what elements are in each of their samples. The researchers said it was a muchneeded upgrade.

“It sounds trivial,” Shuck said.

Law school hosts panel with prisoners

BY MADDY SNYDER Staff Writer

LSU Parole Assistance and Reentry Clinic partnered with the Parole Project and The Visiting Room Project to give students the opportunity to hear from people formerly incarcerated under life-sentences.

On Thursday, law students and professors gathered in the McKernan Auditorium to learn more about what life is truly like for prisoners serving a life sentence and the challenges they face upon reentry.

Robert Lancaster, who teaches the Parole and Re-entry Clinic at LSU, opened the presentation with a discussion of Louisiana’s increasing number of incarcerated individuals.

Louisiana leads the nation in incarceration with almost 30,000 incarcerated as of 2023, and these numbers are expected to increase in the coming years.

Gov. Jeff Landry, who is heavily opposed to early release programs, proposed a new budget in January that would give $82 million in state funding to corrections systems. This would increase the number of incarcerated individuals in prisons by providing the state with the resources to house more inmates and keep them for a longer period of time.

Lancaster said that Landry’s proposal overlooks one fundamental truth: People have the ability to change. He said many inmates, with the proper support, can learn how to regulate their emotions and eventually return to society.

Marcus Kondkar, the founder of The Visiting Room Project, followed Lancaster with a video presentation, featuring three inmates all serving life sentences — Donahue Smith, Jeffrey Dale Hilburn and Sammie Robinson.

They each shared their own stories, reflecting on their old lives, families, dreams and ambitions. None of them ever expected to be serving for such a long time. They all thought they would get out on parole after ten years, but that has not been the case.

Both Smith and Hilburn have served for over 20 years so far. Robinson served for 66 years from 1953 until his death in 2019. He died in Angola Prison at age 83.

“Like, ‘Oh, it’s just software. But this is, the software that’s running, the acquisition, collecting the data and processing it, I mean, it was a very expensive piece of software. It’s not like you just need to down-

Following the video, Kondkar introduced the four panelists: Stephanie King, Sabrina Monaco, Everett “Buff” Offray and Kerry Myers.

Myers is the co-founder of the Parole Project and served 27 years himself after a wrongful conviction.

LEGISLATION

LSU community weighs in on bill that would allow guns on campus

BY MADELYN LONG Staff Writer

LSU faculty, parents and the Student Senate have aired their thoughts on the proposed bill to legalize the carrying of firearms on college campuses.

The bill, H.B. 99, was introduced by Rep. Danny McCormick, R-Oil City, and would allow anyone lawfully permitted to carry a firearm to also carry on public or private campuses that receive state funding.

Firearms would still be prohibited in areas restricted by federal law, such as disciplinary or administrative hearings, university-operated medical or mental health treatment centers and events with security screening or controlled access, like athletic events.

The bill also includes text that would allow private facilities and classrooms to restrict the carrying of firearms, but that “no student, faculty member, staff member or visitor shall be subject to discipline, penalty or retaliation solely for carrying a firearm” under the proposed law.

Under current Louisiana statute, the possession of a firearm on any school premises, including college or university campuses, is prohibited.

The proposed bill has been met with mixed opinions by the LSU community. Some parents and students believe that allowing firearms on campus would promote safety against offenders who ignore that the campus is currently a firearmfree zone.

“The Second Amendment does not specify certain places to bear arms,” said Joshua Farrell, an LSU parent.

But many are concerned with what this bill may mean for campus. Jonathan Snow, a geology and geophysics professor, shared how this legislation is part of a bigger political issue that he feels the nation is facing now.

“This bill is not being introduced

MICROSCOPE, from page 3

load some tiny upgrade or something.”

At first, they reached out to the company who owns AZtec, Oxford Instruments, thinking that acquiring the software would only cost a few thousand dollars. But learning all the data collection and processing it does, the researchers quickly learned that the upgrades would come at a hefty price.

The microscope can now create a clean processed map of a large area of a heterogeneous mineral, a task that would have been impossible before the upgrades.

“If we didn’t have this software upgrade, you would have to sit there the entire 24 hours manually, basically move it yourself, you collect it and then you would have to stitch it together, which pretty much wouldn’t work,” Shuck said.

In order to get funding for these

with any concern for campus safety in mind, but rather to try to embroil LSU once again in a culture war’s hot button issue,” Snow said. “That’s how it’s been in every state where the ALEC legislation has been proposed thus far.”

McCormick maintains that the Second Amendment extends onto university campuses like LSU, and restricting the right to bear arms on campus would be an infringement of rights.

“ ... Recognizing that law-abiding citizens do not lose their rights when they step onto a campus that receives public funds,” the bill reads.

The LSU Student Government has also been involved in arguing against the passing of this bill.

Senators Jack Appleton, Alicia Cerquone, Calvin Feldt and Ava Ryder are authoring a bill in the Student Senate to urge the Louisiana House Committee to deny the passage of the bill.

“We are currently working to try and get as broad a spectrum of student thoughts on the issue as we can, but we feel that this presents a grave safety concern for students

upgrades, Shuck had to write a proposal to the LSU Board of Regents. He asked for the Board to siphon money from the equipment repair fund, which covered a bulk of the cost of the software, along with a generous number of funds from both the geology and geophysics departments.

The electron microscope has gone from a specialty piece of equipment with very few practical applications to being able to process, study and collect data every day.

“For the geoscience department, it was basically a fancy piece of equipment that we couldn’t really use for our research applications,” Shuck said. “Now with this investment, it unlocks a lot of cool research potential. So yeah, I guess it’s just cool to highlight that LSU is investing in these sorts of things and is able to help us in the research programs succeed.”

HEALTH

Student group gives out Narcan to limit overdoses

BY MADDY SNYDER Staff Writer

End Overdose LSU is an organization dedicated to educating students about drug overdoses and providing them with the knowledge and materials needed to respond to such situations.

The organization is just one chapter of a much larger, nationwide initiative to end drug-related overdose deaths through education, medical intervention and public awareness. The national headquarters is in Los Angeles, Calif.

The chapter at LSU receives pamphlets, fentanyl testing strips and Narcan — a medication that can reverse the effects of fentanyl–from the national headquarters. Then, the members distribute the materials at a table in Free Speech Alley and offer five-minute training sessions to interested students.

and campuses,” Appleton said.

With the influx of shootings on LSU’s campus during the fall semester, Cerquone feels even more compelled to use her position to urge the House to fail the bill.

“We already have a school shooting problem at LSU, no doubt aided by Louisiana becoming a permit-less concealed carry state in 2024,” Cerquone said. “By asking the House to strike down the bill, we are asking for the bare minimum in a state with some of the most lax gun laws in the country.”

The final resolution will be sent to the LSU Senate floor for debate on Wednesday, where the authors will discuss their legislation and the issue further. If passed, the legislation will be sent to the Louisiana House Committee.

The Louisiana House Committee will begin its 2026 regular session on March 9 and will decide whether to allow the proposed firearm bill to be entered into the state house for debate and voting.

“Let’s not invite more gun violence onto our college campuses,” Cerquone said.

PANEL, from page 3

Parole Project offers a safe space for former life-sentencers, providing them with transitional housing, post-transitional housing, employment, mental health therapies and banking assistance.

Myers and his business partner, Andrew Hudley, are dedicated to working with formerly incarcerated individuals to help them integrate into society as smoothly as possible. They have helped over 670 people return to society with a recidivism rate of less than 3%.

“We have to overcome those stigmas until we prove they are more than the worst thing they’ve ever done,” Myers said.

The three other panelists all worked with Parole Project to get out on parole.

Stephanie King, who served for 27 years, got her degree while in prison and now works at the Ba-

Mia Stocker, a freshman biology major and fundraising coordinator, explained how her uncle was prescribed opioids for a back injury even though he had a history of substance abuse. He eventually became addicted and suffered an overdose.

“I think it really changed my opinion on what gives a doctor the right to prescribe something to someone,” Stocker said. “I feel like they should be looking into family history … They should be looking into mental health and patterns within this person.”

Stocker emphasized how dangerous and addictive drugs such as fentanyl can be. A common misconception is that any amount of fentanyl will kill you, but Stocker explained that many people take fentanyl with medical prescriptions, just like her uncle did.

“[The goal] is just to get people educated on how to use Narcan so we can prevent more lives lost,” said Melina Vicente, a senior psychology major and the outreach coordinator for the organization.

Vicente manages the club’s social media and oversees tabling outside of the Student Union to get the information out to students.

She is passionate about substance abuse issues because her brother passed away from an overdose in 2022. She said she never wants anyone to experience what she and her family went through four years ago, which is why she works hard to spread awareness and educate as many students as she can.

“If I could give the training to 20 people and give 20 people Narcan, if they see someone [overdosing], that could be max 20 lives saved,” Vicente said. “That could be 20 families that don’t have to go through what my family went through.”

Many of the members, like Vicente, have personal experiences with drug-related overdose deaths.

ton Rouge public defender’s office. She said she never thought there would be hope for her release until she heard of Parole Project. She was represented by Lancaster and released in 2023.

Everett “Buff” Offray, who served for 28 years, also got his degree in prison. He now works at the public defender’s office in New Orleans to help others who are in the same position he was.

Offray emphasized how important it is for everyday citizens to educate themselves on Louisiana’s “sentencing schemes,” referring to the recent laws that increase incarceration times and limit early release.

He urges people to use their votes and voices to make an impact, encouraging them to get into contact with their representatives and research who they are voting for in the future.

The final panelist, Sabrina Mo-

Taking “hard drugs” like this increases the risk of becoming addicted. That is why Stocker believes there should be more regulations on who has access to opioids such as fentanyl.

Addiction to certain drugs can motivate users to buy illegally, which is dangerous because illegal drugs are unregulated. Situations like these can lead to overdoses because users accidentally consume a lethal dosage.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration reports that on average two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal depending on the person’s body size, tolerance and past usage.

End Overdose LSU urges students to make sure they are confident what they are taking is safe. They recognize that students may take drugs regardless of warnings not to, but stress the importance of being safe no matter what.

“I’m not going to sit here and be like, ‘Oh don’t do it, don’t do it,’ because they’re their own people. But if you’re going to do it, just be smart about it,” Vicente said. “At least test for your own safety.”

naco, spoke on the misjudgements that many formerly incarcerated people receive.

Monaco, who served 42 years and now lives with her family, said she had a hard time accepting that she was worthy of love and forgiveness. That is until she found God while experiencing a Kairos retreat, where Christian volunteers shared the teachings of Christ with her.

“I looked at [the volunteer] and I said, ‘I’m a sinner,’ and she said, ‘God loves you,’” said Monaco. Since then, she said she has not defined herself by her past actions, only by the person she is today. She and her fellow panelists believe that change is possible and you can live a happy, fulfilling life even after incarceration.

“You make a mistake and you pay for it,” said Monaco, “But it doesn’t mean you’re a horrible person. It just means you made a horrible mistake.”

ENTERTAINMENT

Club advocates for representation for Black women in film industry

BY SARAH WALTON Staff Writer

In the world of film, and media in general, it can be hard to be seen — there are so many talented people and stories to be told. One group of people is often the last to receive representation and accolades in the entertainment industry, and that is Black women.

The Oscars have been around for 98 years, and in that time, only one Black woman has won a Best Actress Award. Ten have won for supporting actress, one for costumes, two for makeup and hairstyling, two for original song and one for production design. That’s all. With 24 award categories, it begs the question, why do Black women in film go so unnoticed?

According to UCLA’s Hollywood Diversity Report, 25% leads in film are people of color, and even less are Black women. 20% of directors are people of color, and only 15% of directors are women. With a lack of representation behind and in front of the camera, the task of having your story heard seems insurmountable.

One of the newest clubs on campus, the Black Women in Film and Media club, is forming a home for students to grow and thrive as filmmakers and creatives. On Feb. 11, the club had its first meeting, introduced itself to the world and started creating movie ideas.

Abigail Anderson is a sophomore mass communication major and was one of the attendees at the meeting. She said the thing that stood out the most to her was the friendship that blos -

somed between all of the women there.

“It was like we had been collaborators for so long, and we all just kind of locked in on the same wavelength,” Anderson said.

Instead of having occasional meetings and maybe doing an event or two a semester like the average club, the Black Women in Film and Media club has a larger vision: helping women to grow in their understanding and talents and giving them access to the resources needed to become great filmmakers.

“I find that many of the student filmmakers’ biases guide them, in their casting decisions at least,” Anderson said. “They’ve only seen a certain kind of aesthetic portrayed in the media, and so they kind of go with what’s comfortable instead of maybe taking a risk.”

Though it’s sometimes challenging to be a person of color in the film world, Anderson has also found her home with other film students of color at LSU.

“I’m glad that we’re now getting a space for Black women to learn these things without being ridiculed or faulted or undermined or felt belittled because they didn’t know something,” Anderson said.

Jada Jinnel, a junior screen arts and psychology major, is the founder and president of the club. She had been thinking about starting a club like this for a while, but this winter was when Jinnel knew she had to make it a reality.

Part of the reason why creating a club like this is so important for her is because it is filling a space and a need for many students. At the moment, the club is

in what Jinnel calls the learning stage — teaching members about acting, screenwriting, directing and producing.

As the club grows, Jinnel hopes that it becomes a space where these women can reach out, ask for help and create with one another.

When talking about Black filmmakers and artists, Jinnel talked about director Ryan Coogler and his most recent movie “Sinners.”

“That movie was phenomenal, and I started reading the screenplay and I’m like, ‘how do you think of this? How do you literally think of that?’” Jinnel said. “[‘Sinners’] stuck out to me because it’s an original film and it’s just incredible.”

Jinnel mentioned the difference between the LSU film and television program and the screen arts program; while with the College of Music & Dramatic Arts and the other is with the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the chief difference is that the screen arts degree offers less hands-on opportunities, Jinnel said.

“My concentration is production, but it is more like, ‘You’ve got to go out and do it,’” Jinnel said. “You have to be very selfmotivated.”

Jinnel hopes that the club will expand to reach more students who resonate with the group’s mission of creating a space for Black women in film.

Currently, the Black Women in Film and Media Club is planning out more meetings and workshops for the future. To find more information and announcements, check out the club’s Instagram.

SOFTBALL STRIKES AGAIN

Softball beats out Michigan State 5-4 on Feb. 21 at Tiger Park.

This Year of the Fire Horse, it’s time to take life by the reins

BY MIA HATTAWAY Staff Writer

Don’t put the cart before the horse; this Lunar New Year is bound to be one that requires preparation and forethought if you don’t want to get lost in the stampede of the Year of the Fire Horse.

Sheng Xiao, known in Western terms as the Chinese zodiac, is a lunar calendar in a 12-year cycle. Each new year is represented by a new animal, ranging from a dragon to a rat, and every two years is represented by a new element, including metal, water, wood, fire and earth. Unlike the Western zodiac, the personal Chinese zodiac is assigned by the lunar year.

This year is the Year of the Fire Horse, which promises passion, energy and large-scale change. For Horse zodiacs, which includes people born in 1990, 2002 and 2014, this year could be especially hectic, so it’s important to lead with intentionality. Though the Horse zodiac already has dynamism, the fire element amplifies the intensity.

1966 marked the last Year of the Fire Horse and proves to be a significant part of East Asian folklore. Superstitions about Fire Horse women being headstrong, unlucky and loveless influenced many families in Japan to hold off on having children that year, contributing to the country’s birth rate dropping by around 25%. In China, the Year of the Fire Horse also marked the beginning of the Cultural

Revolution, which spurred mass sociopolitical change for the next decade.

All this to say, the Fire Horse is not historically casual.

This isn’t anything to be scared of, though. While rapid transformation seems to be inevitable this year, it presents a unique opportunity to harness this energy to your benefit — and in Baton Rouge, which is certainly not a one-horse town, there are plenty of opportunities to do so.

Most notably, the Horse represents all things physical power and mobility, which means that honing in on your health will be very intuitive.

If you’re looking to switch up your routine, try out Hype Haus Fitness on Corporate Boulevard

for a variety of group classes to spend time with your herd. For those wanting to invest their time into an event, there is still enough time to train for the 5k Shamrock Run on March 14.

On a habitual level, this is the time to take your goals by the reins.

Incorporating workouts that focus on strengthening your horsepower, such as weightlifting and sprinting, will align well with the formidable momentum of the next 12 months. Don’t let yourself burn out, though; flames are more than just heat — a strong fire needs kindling and oxygen. Make sure that your goals are not only beneficial, but also attainable.

Before you get lost in the exuberance of the year, hold

your horses. While movement is at the core of the horse, so is stability. In this chaotic year, it will be crucial to stay grounded and level-headed.

Visiting the Keeping Room on Perkins Road to stock up on stationary or planner supplies may be helpful in guiding you through the next few months.

Letting this energy also flow into your academic life will bring the lock-in of the century.

Starting a study group to blend your school obligations with social activities is a good idea for those who work well in teams. Let the aura of the wild horse guide your scholarly commitments. Though many feel tied down by college, remembering that you have autonomy over your life is important when

finding whimsy.

Mental clarity and endurance is also key to mastering this year. According to experts on the Chinese zodiac, the Fire Horse will bring about intense change, so it’s important to ensure your lifestyle aligns with your goals.

To some, this could mean heading to TBR Books & Tea to pick up reads like “Everything Is Tuberculosis” by John Green or “Atlas of the Heart” by Brené Brown. For a more social way to strengthen your intelligence, visit Suspense Games on Instagram for weekly trivia nights around Baton Rouge.

Looking for a more solitary way to embrace the Horse? Pick up a hobby you’ve always been interested in but could never find the time for. Taking up chess, trying out meditation, learning how to code or playing an instrument are all ways to be your most audacious, intelligent self this year.

If you want to have a horse in this race of a hectic year, these approaches may just keep you grounded.

The Year of the Fire Horse may carry a reputation for upheaval, but chaos doesn’t beget destruction; this year, it can be directional. In a city with as much opportunity as Baton Rouge, the difference will come down to preparation and ambition.

Whether you’re wanting to fuel your body, sharpen your mind or finally set your sights on a life-long goal, this is the year to put your boots on the ground and make things work.

Campus thrift pop-up makes sustainable fashion more accessible

BY LILY CENTOLA Staff Writer

Looking to get into thrifting but unsure of where to start?

It can be hard to sift through the countless clothes at a thrift store if you do not have the eye for a good find, but Jada Bare’s Thriftin’ For Dummies has you covered.

Jada Bare, 20, is a Baton Rouge native who over the past four years has found herself interested in thrifting and fashion.

“I really got into thrifting for myself and into fashion,” Bare said.

However, Bare’s eye for good thrift finds sparked a business idea for her.

“What if I can just start selling thrift clothes to other people and help them build their closet too?” Bare said.

A little over a month ago, Bare decided to start her own business, Thriftin’ For Dummies, where she curates thrift finds and sells them at pop-ups around Baton Rouge. She visits LSU often and sets up shop in

Free Speech Alley.

Bare typically finds herself selling more women’s clothes; however, she is currently trying to build up her men’s collection.

“When I’m shopping for women, I try to do Y2K or things that came out in the 2000s. Clothes that you can’t find everywhere,” she said.

Bare sources her clothing from a variety of places. She has shopped at various Goodwills and thrift stores on Burbank Drive, and she has recently found herself sourcing from New Orleans as well. This way, she is able to find many different clothing pieces to sell to the public.

“I can say that each [pop-up] I’ve done has truly gotten better, but I noticed that coming to LSU, [the turnout] is my best,” Bare said.

Bare runs her company all on her own and has really appreciated the experiences it has given her so far. Her goal is to have at least 100 pieces in her inventory for future pop-ups.

Bare’s mission is to make affordable and sustainable cloth-

ing more accessible to her customers, but what really makes her business so fulfilling is getting to meet new people at her pop-ups.

“The best part to me is meeting them, and then they start conversations and tell me about where they’re from,” Bare said. “That’s the most exciting part to me. So I really look forward to doing the pop-ups to meet everybody.”

She aims to keep her clothing affordable. Her trending Y2K pieces are priced at $15 to $25, while her vintage name brand finds range from $45 to $60.

“I love to thrift, and I hate when prices are too crazy,” Bare said.

Bare’s next pop-up will be at a thrift market called Thrift Yard on Saturday in downtown Baton Rouge. The market will take place from 6 p.m. to midnight. She also is planning on returning to LSU quite often in the future.

Follow @thriftinfordummies on Instagram to see where Bare is going to pop up in the future.

SPORTS RELENTLESS

Women’s basketball dismantles Missouri with dominant rebounding

BY ISABELLE CALLAHAN Staff Writer

LSU women’s basketball took on Missouri on Sunday and dominated the court to a final score of 108-55 on Sunday afternoon. The Tigers scored over 100 points for the 13th time this season.

The match quickly turned into a fast-paced game of small ball, which played into the LSU defense’s strengths.

Even though the score and stat sheet show an easy win, Missouri junior Grace Slaughter was one player whom LSU needed to watch for. She reached double digits early in the game.

Milaysia Fulwiley was LSU’s leader on the court versus Missouri. In the previous game against Ole Miss, Fulwiley found her stride by scoring in transition, but against Missouri, she lit up the scoreboard from the 3-point line.

On the stat sheet, Fulwiley filled the page with 22 points and 11 rebounds as she went a careerhigh 6-for-9 from the 3-point line. Her athleticism is not something to be messed with, and Missouri just couldn’t compete with it or stop her.

LSU came back from down 13 for a win in its last game versus Ole Miss that got it back on track from its heartbreaking loss to South Carolina. It carried on that momentum on Sunday.

“The comeback meant a lot to us,” Fulwiley said. “We just got to win, and we did whatever it took to win.”

Despite the high scoring total, it

took time for LSU to settle into the game.

It took nearly seven minutes for the Tigers to gain the lead for the first time. It came after two successful free throws from Mikaylah Williams, who had yet another standout game.

As the clock continued to tick, though, LSU had knocked off the rust.

One major separation between LSU and Missouri was the quickness with which the teams were comfortable playing. Just 20 minutes into the game, Missouri began to struggle in keeping up and started foul-

ing more, giving LSU free points.

As the points kept coming, the confidence of not only the starters but also the bench players was growing, evident on the sidelines. After overcoming an 11-point deficit on Thursday, the Tigers needed a game that showed complete dominance on the court, and that was delivered.

LSU finished the game with 72 rebounds, emphasizing growth in a part of the game that head coach Kim Mulkey holds as important.

“I think you have to look at [Missouri], they’ve had injuries. I’m sure losing players has affected their per-

formances,” Mulkey said. “You never think you’re going to win by that much. You never think you’re going to rebound like that, but it just unfolded today that it happened.”

Freshman ZaKiyah Johnson grabbed a double-double early in the second half, tallying 17 points, 13 rebounds and a perfect record from the free-throw line.

With this dominating win in the books, the Tigers now look forward to Thursday night’s penultimate regular season matchup against Tennessee as they look to carry a win streak and momentum heading into March.

CLUB SPORTS

Is it time to bring lacrosse to the SEC?

BY MARISSA REISS Staff Writer

The topic of sports programs between SEC and Big Ten schools has always been one where people can’t agree on which is better. Naturally, anyone from an SEC university is going to have bias. They’ll contend conference football and baseball programs have been the foundation of collegiate athletics.

If you ask anyone who attends a Big Ten university, the answer will be the opposite.

However, a key advantage for the Big Ten comes down to a single sport: lacrosse.

Lacrosse, historically, has been a predominantly northern sport that is heavily funded at Big Ten and Big 12 universities. Duke, Notre Dame and the University of Maryland maintain three of the highest college lacrosse budgets. Maryland, for example, spends just over $2 million annually for its program.

In college athletics today, where an SEC football program spends about $100 million on average for operational expenses and gains double that back in revenue, these numbers for lacrosse are nothing.

Even with much smaller funds, Big Ten schools still find a way to produce numerous nation-

Despite two 10s, gymnastics can’t dethrone No. 1 Oklahoma

BY DELANEY POTTHAST Staff Writer

The nation’s top two teams met in Norman, Oklahoma, for a Friday late-night showdown that ended with No. 2 LSU gymnastics falling just short of No. 1 Oklahoma in a 197.925-198.125 loss.

A rematch that had been weeks in the making still saw one of LSU’s most consistent performances as it battled the reigning national champions throughout the competition.

It was an electric start for the Sooners on vault, but the Tigers quickly matched the energy with Lexi Zeiss in the leadoff spot.

Zeiss has quickly harnessed her leadoff role appearances on both the vault and bars events, showing consistency each week. It was the same story tonight as the sophomore also produced matching 9.850s on both events

for the Tigers. Mid-rotation momentum carried the Tigers through the lineup with scores in the 9.900s, keeping them closely trailing Oklahoma.

After junior Konnor McClain suffered forearm discomfort from a slight mishap in warmups, fifth-year senior Alexis Jeffery took her place as the anchor of the bar lineup.

A redeeming 9.850 following her lower score against Auburn helped to keep the Tigers within a 0.150 deficit behind the Sooners following the end of the first event.

The momentous yet calm bar rotation was similar to the story on the floor exercise. Though the Tigers filled the event with exciting routines, the scoreboard was relatively consistent for the team’s No. 1 floor ranking.

Once again, leading off was Emily Innes, who found a strong

9.850 that was matched by Nina Ballou. Big scores followed from the floor lineup; however, the heavy hitters came from the second half of the lineup.

Kailin Chio saw her first perfect score on floor last week against Auburn to help set a season high score on floor for the Tigers. Tonight, the momentum continued as the sophomore earned a 9.925, which was matched by Amari Drayton.

Zeiss closed out the rotation with her season debut on floor, and her first career anchor performance after replacing Kaliya Lincoln, who was taken out of the lineup for precautionarily Achilles tightness.

Nevertheless, Zeiss found another 9.925 for the rotation to round out her night, keeping the Tigers just 0.300 behind the Sooners following the floor ex-

BASEBALL

Baseball closes weekend away with mercy rule over UCF

BY RAMI BURKS Staff Writer

The windy conditions in Jacksonville, Florida, didn’t affect LSU baseball as it topped UCF 11-0 to close out the Jax Baseball Classic in seven innings.

It’s no secret that the wind plays a big factor in the Tigers’ homefield advantage at Alex Box Stadium, but it also prepared LSU for the strong Atlantic Coast winds on Sunday. First baseman Zach Yorke said in a preseason press conference that Tigers’ head coach Jay Johnson put emphasis on being able to play everywhere during practice.

“[Johnson] says all the time, we need to be a team that can win in any type of game in any type of stadium,” Yorke said. “I think he

LACROSSE, from page 9

al championship teams with the strict budget it have allocates to the sport. So, it’s possible for the SEC to do the same. Some might argue they could do it better.

Is it finally time for the SEC to adopt lacrosse as an official Division I program?

The SEC certainly has the resources and the money to do so, so what’s stopping it?

The biggest issue could be the lack of the sport’s popularity in the South.

Since lacrosse is primarily popular in the northeast part of the U.S., the little interest in the sport in the South might just be the reason there aren’t huge SEC programs currently.

While most SEC universities, like LSU, have club lacrosse teams that travel and face other schools’ club rosters, the usual intense training, daily schedule and official Division I title aren’t the same.

With this in mind, recruiting efforts also have to be taken into consideration.

With most southern high schools not having lacrosse programs to pile on top of the lack of interest, it makes the recruitment factor even trickier when thinking local. If the SEC were to attempt to recruit from the North

TOP TWO, from page 9 ercise.

Even with solid performances on bars and floor, the biggest events of the night for LSU were the vault and beam rotations.

Despite being ranked No. 2 and No. 5 on each event, respectively, the Tigers had their work cut out for them to try to overcome the team ranked No. 1 on each of these events.

Zeiss’ strong start set the tone for the LSU lineup to build a powerful rotation around. Keeping in the 9.800’s for a majority of the rotation, the difference makers in this second rotation were the vaults seen from Lincoln and Chio.

does a really good job of getting us ready for that, so it doesn’t really matter where we play or who. We’re going to play our brand of ball.”

Using the ground was significant in the contest versus the Knights, and the Tigers did just that to push across some insurance runs late, but it was sophomore catcher Cade Arrambide who showed how familiar LSU is with wind patterns. In the big fifth inning, he crushed a home run through the wind in left field.

Textbook baseball was a part of this fifth inning, and it showed LSU’s versatility. It took walks and hit-by-pitches, and the team made UCF regret little mistakes by utilizing bunts and sacrifice fly balls to run up the RBI totals.

True freshman Mason Braun

— if that would be the solution — most high school athletes already know where they want to play, and it’s not in the South.

That doesn’t mean that this would be impossible for the SEC to accomplish.

The overall popularity of lacrosse has been on the rise for decades, even after a short span of limitations in the early 2020s. All the SEC has to do is play its cards right.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, lacrosse was regarded as the fastest-growing collegiate sport by the NCAA. In terms of attendance, the highest college lacrosse game attendance was just over 52,000. That came during the 2007 semifinals in Baltimore when John Hopkins faced Delaware, and Duke faced Cornell.

While viewership has slightly decreased since then, lacrosse programs have only expanded.

As of 2026, there are 78 universities with DI men’s lacrosse programs and over 130 with women’s teams.

A notable recognition in the growth of lacrosse will be the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. After a 120-year hiatus, lacrosse will be played again, giving the sport an opportunity for visibility on an international scale, with women’s lacrosse making its Olympic debut.

Matching her season high with a 9.950 was Lincoln in the fourth spot of the event lineup, and after sticking yet another vault, Chio finally found a perfect 10 to cap off the first half of the meet.

Chio’s 10 marked her third perfect score of the season and her second career 10 on vault.

Though keeping the Tigers in the fight for the win, a composite of 49.475 on both vault and floor set the tone for an exciting beam rotation that would close out the meet.

The first three beam performances saw consistent scores for the Tigers, but the wheels started to turn for LSU following a 9.925 from Lincoln.

put a bunt down to move two runners over in the fifth inning. The runners eventually came home to score on a sac fly and a base hit.

Runs were hard to come by early in the game, so being able to pivot when the bats aren’t hot is going to be a big factor in whether this team can succeed late.

The bats got hot as the game went on, but in a game where hits are contagious, the rally in the fifth set the tone for the late runrule scenario. The runs weren’t scored on crushed fly balls. They were scored on textbook doubles, showing the versatility of LSU’s bats to put this game away in seven innings.

A big focus for this team has been depth, with several people who can play each position on the field, and having games that

Focusing on women’s lacrosse, the growth of the sport for female athletes in particular can help the commercialization and attentiveness of the sport as a whole, according to World Lacrosse CEO Jim Scherr.

“Women’s collegiate lacrosse is thriving, which will be a major factor in the further growth of the sport,” Scherr said to the National Lacrosse League in 2023. “It all points to providing opportunity. Women have the same interest in sports and lacrosse as men. You provide the opportunities, and the numbers will be there.”

At the end of the day, maybe the issue comes down to how professional lacrosse doesn’t sound as appealing as playing in the NFL or the MLB.

The National Lacrosse League often doesn’t get the recognition it deserves when it comes to sports at the professional level. In fact, most college lacrosse athletes don’t see themselves playing pro once their collegiate tenure concludes.

Despite this, the pure passion and dedication for the sport itself will never be an issue when it comes to popularity. Lacrosse certainly has the potential to grow across the entire U.S., and not just in the North.

With the right funding and recruitment, SEC lacrosse could ab -

Chio mounted the beam, looking to cut Oklahoma’s lead, appearing once again in the Tigers’ fifth spot of the lineup. With a breathtaking performance in front of the rival crowd, Chio found a second perfect 10 of the night, marking her second 10 on the balance beam this season.

Giving the Tigers one last push, Denver transfer Madison Ulrich found herself anchoring the beam rotation with a 9.825 to close out the night.

While the competition may not have ended with the Tigers on top, the consistent performance gives the team a positive mindset to take back to Baton Rouge.

test each starter’s adaptability will be huge once conference play begins.

LSU’s bench was highlighted in the offseason, and if the starters can’t deliver, Johnson has plenty of options in the dugout. Yet, these early tests show a promising run for the Tigers early in the season.

“I think it’s a versatile team,” Johnson said after LSU’s 21-7 win over Milwaukee last weekend.

“There are a lot of ways to attack things and skin a cat. Things we’ve been looking at during practice time, in practice settings, that give us a little more versatility.”

Pitching was a standout for LSU on Sunday as well. William Schmidt got the start on the bump, and he held the Knights to three

hits through five innings. Schmidt gave way to Mavrick Rizy for the sixth and seventh innings.

The staff totaled eight strikeouts and allowed three hits in the contest.

Johnson said that he’s been using these high-scoring games to get his pitchers’ feet wet, but on Sunday, this game was played textbook: starter to closer.

“[Schmidt] can be as good as anybody in the country, and as good as he wants to be,” Johnson said postgame. “Learning how to prepare, how to execute, navigate small adversity well, it’s a great performance tonight.”

The Tigers will take on McNeese on Tuesday night to kick off another baseball-filled week in Alex Box Stadium. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.

solutely contribute to the highly known SEC championship atmosphere.

While a slight budget cut to other programs might be necessary in order to accomplish this, the right athletes and fan attendance would certainly produce the revenue back into the school.

For LSU, the addition of lacrosse would be another commanding program with the means to compete for a national title. An LSU men’s team versus the current No. 1 team, Maryland, or a

STANDOUT, from page 2

In several games, the entire field has moved around in different positions to get some in-game reps. Caraway’s versatility on the field has given him a start in each game, even when head coach Jay Johnson shook the entire infield up against Milwaukee on Feb. 15. Caraway started at second base, played third base when Seth Dardar came in to pinch hit and then played shortstop when the entire infield was subbed out. He only came out of the game so another player could pinch hit when the Tigers were up by over 15 runs.

He said his appearance at second base in that game was the first

women’s team versus No. 1 North Carolina, would no doubt be a thriller to draw engagement to the sport.

In any case, a trophy brought back to Baton Rouge is something that fans can always get behind, no matter the sport. If one thing’s for sure about LSU fans, they’ll show up for any athletic program that features players in purple and gold.

After all, the Tigers are “just different.” An official addition of lacrosse would be no exception.

time he ever played that position.

Caraway has always wanted to play in the Bigs, and he’s putting on an encore performance in what is potentially his last stop before pro-ball with everything he’s shown off so far this season.

He might be slightly overshadowed by the noise Jake Brown is making right now, but his consistency will make him stand out when the bat gets passed to him in the big moments. It’s why he came to LSU, and that’s what drives him to success.

“My dream is to be a major league baseball player,” Caraway said. “It’s something I had to do: Come out to Louisiana and prove it to myself and win a national championship.”

OPINION

Eat well and cheap. An ode to the budget bites of

CRAWFORD’S CORNER

GORDON

CRAWFORD

Columnist

Around a year ago, a local institution, Caruso’s Grocery, was victim to an electrical fire. The building was a total loss.

The loss hurt. For many, it was a part of their regular routine, providing a hearty meal for a relatively cheap price. I had just discovered it a week or two before the fire, and for less than $10, I easily got a pound and a half of food.

It wasn’t flashy, it wasn’t gourmet, but it was nice to get something that at least resembled home cooking for a price my fast-food worker budget could handle.

But then the building disappeared, and now few traces of it remain, even digitally.

Often, when discussing places to eat at with my friends, we end up venturing to some new trendy place to get a $15 burger and some “shareables” or just caving to how overwhelmed we are and falling

back on the old reliables.

However, those old reliables are becoming less viable as postCOVID corporate price gouging has overtaken the market. Cane’s has halved in size and almost doubled in price, and that goes for most of the fast-food market here.

The poor public transportation network and underdeveloped infrastructure creates a disconnect between the campus community and downtown and northern Baton Rouge. This funnels most campus business to new developments south of campus, which is also where a significant portion of student housing is located.

These new fast-casual spots, while often tasty, are frequently expensive relative to the amount of food you receive. At most places, you’ll be spending at least $15 for a single meal, a poor cost proposition for a college student.

However, because most of the long-time community institutions lie out of easily accessible reach of campus, students unfamiliar with the area easily miss them whilst in the city. Frequent bouts of pocketbook anxiety have led me to a few steady favorites.

My number one mainstay has been the Save More Market, just a short four blocks from the northwestern campus entrance. For a dollar or two more than a Big Mac, you can get a po-boy that easily makes for two meals.

The roast beef is usually my go to. It’s tender, with a very flavorful marinade that almost makes the beef taste like steak. The red beans and rice are a good value as well. The large is $5, and it is larger than the equivalent size at Popeyes, which goes for a dollar more.

If you venture a bit farther, there are a number of excellent and affordable dining options that you may not see in the 225. A favorite of mine is Taqueria Acapulco, a quaint lime green food truck parked in front of Los Pinedas, a local Latin market.

The birria tacos are the highlight of the menu. Incredibly juicy, loaded with cheese and again a portion size that provides for two meals if necessary. Be aware that the truck only accepts cash payments, however.

Of course, no discussion of cheap eats in Baton Rouge can go

Baton Rouge

without mention of the Chicken Shack. Open since 1935, it’s the oldest restaurant in Baton Rouge and has maintained its presence in the highly competitive market by staying true to its original recipe while keeping prices low. While a Caniac Combo, with six tenders, costs about $16, a 10-piece from Chicken Shack costs $13, around half the price per tender.

It’s an authentic, classic soul food plate with the most important ingredients: the genuine love and passion of a small local business.

If I were to list every excellent budget food option in Baton Rouge, this article would have no end. That’s just it: the options are vast if you’re willing to explore the rougher roads of the city.

Every newly-paved highway I turn down in Baton Rouge has a new swath of trendy fast-casual restaurants popping up. My feed is chock-full of social media influencers pushing this new chain and that, with foods that all look carefully manicured to meet a certain aesthetic.

These local options stand in the face of that. Their food may

not always look consistently perfect, but you will never leave feeling cheated out of your money. Instead of shelling out a quarter of your paycheck for an overpriced burrito or some soggy chicken, take a turn down the road with a handful of potholes. It’s worth it, both fiscally and culinarily, to make the journey to Baton Rouge’s hidden gems.

Gordon Crawford is a 20-yearold political science major from Gonzales, La.

As we reheat from the winter, spring into self-betterment

RILEY’S REVIEW

RILEY SANDERS

Columnist

As the days get warmer and the frigid air melts into a sticky Louisiana springtime, I’ve been thinking a lot about what I want my springtime to look like this year. I’ve always found that January is not far enough removed from the year before to affect any real change in my life.

It’s too cold, and I’m too tired and too focused on recovering from a spectacularly busy December.

February and March, however, are when the old begins to separate from the new — winter’s gray chill begins to give way to warmer, sunnier skies and the flowers begin to bloom en masse. But so do thistles, the recurring struggles of the yesteryear.

Metaphorical so I think there is great importance on cleaning one’s house as spring begins, in setting new boundaries and creating new habits in the early stages of the year — pruning season, if you will.

Humans are naturally meant to live by the seasons, and as the earth becomes more beautiful, I see an opportunity to beautify our lives as well.

I’ve found quite a lot of meaning in the common saying “touch grass” lately, as I’ve become hyperfixated on when certain people text and call me back, what they think of me and how they perceive me and overall just myself in relation to the world. It’s been a lot of living in my phone and lots of attempts to control things out of my control.

I do need to touch grass, honestly.

Thus, I’ve created more quiet time for prayer, reflection and writing — more time to under-

stand myself and to release control of things I have no business controlling. I’m realizing that I’ve allowed my happiness to be overly dependent on others, which is notoriously unhealthy and certainly does not serve anyone.

I’ve also found that my anxiety is worse when I am idle or unproductive. My emotions need somewhere to go, and an empty schedule has proven no good for me. I always found that I was most at peace while on a run or working out, something that I wasn’t able to do while struggling with my sleep over the last few months. Now that I’m able to sleep a little more while in recovery from my insomnia, I’m back at it.

I’ve since pruned away these two detriments to my life, and in short order, I’ve achieved newfound peace. Prior to changing these habits, I spent so much time wondering what would happen if I cut certain things out and how

I would change. I think we get so easily lost in the “what if,” but the truth is that sometimes we need to look at removing things in our lives as opportunities to grow further into ourselves and not as risking losing ourselves.

That said, the pruning season is about more than just cutting things out. It’s about creating space for new growth in your life as well.

For example, I’ve been really itching to become more engaged with poetry I’ve not read before, and in addition, I’ve really been wanting to write more as well. So I went to the library and checked out the collected poems of Pablo Neruda and Sylvia Plath; I’ve also set aside time every night to write my own poetry.

Unlike New Year’s resolutions, these life changes aren’t clouded by the blurriness of the previous year or the fear of expectation in the new year. They are fresh and personal, and free

of outside expectation; moreover, they don’t exist for the sake of having a resolution. Over the last few weeks, these new habits have truly been a godsend in my life and have rejuvenated me in a way that has made me feel quite aligned with the springtime.

In trying to find the proper words to describe the potential of spring as a means of restoring and reinvigorating our lives, I’m reminded of a verse from Sylvia Plath’s “Prologue to Spring” in which she writes, “Cheers for spring; for life; for a growing soul.”

This is exactly the encouragement I wish for everyone this springtime, in the spirit of pruning season, that you would allow yourself to grow by cutting off old dead weight and making room for new blooms.

Riley Sanders is a 19-year-old biology major from Denham Springs, La.

Red Stick Pravda: A satirical report on our state’s subversives

BERGERON’S BRIEFINGS

THOMAS BERGERON Columnist

Editor’s note: The following column is satire.

American values under attack

Greetings, comrades. We live in very tumultuous times, as our very way of life is under assault by the forces of degeneration, but our bravery and ideological purity will see us through.

Our glorious leaders will see fit that our democratic integrity is preserved, and new forces of pride will swell within the heart of every hard-working patriot.

Poisoning of America’s game

In the recent 60th All-Union Final of the American Football Championship, dangerous counter-revolutionary “entertainers” promoted a host of subversive messages in our beloved Republic’s sacred game.

First, the radical anarchist group “Green Day” attempted to spread a message of disunity and anti-intellectualism in their squall called “American Idiot.”

Most egregiously, enemy of American purity “Bad Bunny” occupied the glorious field of champions during the traditional Proletariat’s Rest, desecrating

EDITORIAL BOARD

Jason Willis Editor in Chief

Managing Editor Courtney Bell

Kaley Melancon News Editor

Sports Editor

our beautiful American tongue with his dreadful, foreign drivel. This evil rabbit’s 13-minute symphony of discord sought to spread perverse messages of bourgeois decadence such as “tolerance” and “celebration of self-identity.”

Our Dear Leader, Comrade General Secretary of the American People’s Republican Party Donald Trump, declared this spectacle of absurdity as objectively terrible and dangerous to the minds of the youth. He affirmed that these acts of cultural warfare are not aligned with the values of our great Union, and those supportive of these aforementioned actions must have their patriotic activity examined, administering re-education as necessary.

Fortunately, the model patriotic organization Tribunal of Patriotism, Unity and State Affairs (TPUSA) operated their own sanctioned cultural event, The Pan-American Display of Good Citizenship, as a safe space of democratic and familial values.

New Commissar integrated into LSU athletics committee

As enemy of the state Brian Kelly has been arrested and banished to an eternity of hard labor for his traitorous spirit, the talented and capable football coach, Comrade Lane Kiffin, has been placed in command of the

Louisiana State University football team.

Comrade Kiffin has always been an important and highly adored individual to the people of our homeland, as Comrade Kiffin has always been a deeply cherished ally, never once having demonstrated any hostile intent towards the revered purple and gold.

Comrade Kiffin will surely lead our glorious Fighting Tigers to absolute victory in the coming season of athletic competition, with nothing short of obtaining a championship trophy deemed acceptable. Comrade First Secretary Jeff Landry has ensured that adequate resources have been provided for this great leap forward.

Comrade Landry showed democratic value

Ever since our Dear Leader has bestowed the title of special envoy to Comrade Secretary Landry to assist the cause of liberating the island of Greenland, some bourgeois infiltrators inside the Central Committee of the People’s Party of Louisiana have claimed First Secretary Landry to be absent from his duties to the state.

However, this claim is quite preposterous, as Comrade Landry has instead demonstrated that the Revolution is as strong as ever, allowing the state to function near-autonomously, with his guiding hands ever present.

Comrade Landry places great

trust in the Central Committee’s ability to service the great citizen-workers of Louisiana, as he fosters goodwill amongst the National Assembly in Washington, D.C. His meetings in the ballrooms of the capital city help to cultivate his democratic prowess and are only indicative of the mutual affection between our great First Secretary and his ever loyal patriots.

Instances of illicit enjoyment or disruptive cognition will be treated as counter-revolutionary sentiment, punishable by collectivist purification at the Huey P. Long Ideological Institute.

Thomas Bergeron is a 26-yearold graduate student from Baton Rouge.

Editorial Policies and Procedures Quote of the Week

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.

“The time is always right to do what is right.”

Dr. Martin Luther King