The Reveille 4-13-26

by Alexis Persicke

Miss LSU winner Kira Ekukpe reflects on pageant journey.

Read on page 2

PATH TO PAGEANTRY

Miss LSU 2026’s key to the crown was staying true to herself

BY CHARLOTTE TRENTALANGE Staff Writer

One year after competing in Miss LSU for the first time, Kira Ekukpe stood on the same stage again, this time hearing her name called as the winner.

Her path toward the crown was not easy, she said. It started with tackling her insecurities and finding the confidence to be herself.

“I did it to get out of my comfort zone,” Ekukpe said. “I was very insecure all the time. I thought, ‘What better way to push my insecurities than by directly confronting them?’”

Ekukpe competed last year, placing third in what she called a transformative experience. Determined to continue, she entered this year’s competition with a shift in mindset.

“Last year, I was trying to be perfect,” Ekukpe said. “This year, I was just focused on being myself.”

This new outlook is what she credits her win to. During her introduction statement, Ekukpe stuttered on stage, a moment that rattled her. She said she came off the stage and briefly freaked out, but told herself, “You haven’t lost this yet. Keep going.”

Later in the pageant when participants were asked what makes an effective leader, she took the moment and turned it into a message.

“You have to be able to make mistakes and recover from them,” she said. “That was my whole pageant experience.”

The win brought a sense of fulfillment. Instead of surprise, she

said she felt relief.

“It was almost like I prepared my body and mindset that I was already going to be Miss LSU before I won. Not in a conceited way — I just knew I’d be good in the role,” she said. “It wasn’t that crazy of an adjustment I had been wanting it for two years.”

Since that night, her schedule has quickly filled with new opportunities. During a recent tour of the football facility, Ekukpe was offered a role assisting with recruiting efforts, something that has never

before been extended to Miss LSU.

“Some of the coaching staff recognized me from my job as a bartender and said they liked my energy,” she said.

Through that opportunity, she learned the importance of carrying herself as if she was wearing her crown at all times.

Ekukpe feels a strong connection to instilling confidence in people and plans to build her platform around that purpose.

Ekukpe said. “The only thing you should fear is not trying.”

In her role, she also hopes to expand the reach of Miss LSU by building stronger connections across campus communities.

“One thing I noticed is there can be a lot of separation,” she said. “I want to bring people together, like different organizations and cultures, and just be a friend to everyone.”

She said one way to do this is working with a range of student groups, including multicultural organizations like the Divine Nine and the African Student Organization.

Beyond campus, she plans to launch an initiative called Little Miss Confidence that aims to provide young girls in underserved communities access to pageantry without financial barriers.

She said it can be an expensive process, but the lessons learned through pageantry are vital, especially for little girls. Confidence, public speaking, learning how to believe in yourself and communication are all things Ekukpe gained through pageantry.

Ekukpe said she was once scared of public speaking, but she now considers it one of her strengths.

Originally from Texas, Ekukpe said representing LSU deepened her appreciation for Louisiana culture and community.

“It’s such a strong, connected environment. Even though I’m not from here, I feel like I’ve become a

“I want people to understand that you can create your own path,” see MISS LSU, page 5

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NEWS PROMOTING WELLNESS

The Student Health Center hosts fair to highlight health resources

BY GAVIN MCMANUS Staff Writer

Tables lined Tower Drive on Friday as students gathered for LSU Student Health Center’s Dimensions of Wellness Fair.

Multiple organizations from both on and off campus came together to set up displays for students, each representing a segment of the SHC’s Dimensions of Wellness wheel.

The wheel is designed to showcase the most important components of health and wellbeing. The different sections include spiritual, physical, cultural, social, financial, environmental, intellectual, emotional, sexual and occupational wellness.

Kayla Laveau, a representative of LSU Mental Health Services, said her table focused on emotional wellness.

“A student isn’t only one thing. They’re a multidimensional person,” she said. “There’s a lot of different needs that different students have.”

Laveau added that she hopes students learn that they are not alone in their struggles with mental health and that they leave the fair knowing about of

the resources available to them on campus.

Other organizations approached wellness from different angles. K.J. O’Neill, representing the UREC, described how their facility contributes to several dimensions of wellness at once, including physical activity, social interaction and relaxation.

“We have something for ev-

erybody,” O’Neill said, pointing to options ranging from workout spaces to spaces designed for relaxation and focus.

O’Neill emphasized that wellness often comes down to managing stress and maintaining mental health while managing class workloads. He encouraged students to explore available resources before graduating, not-

ing that many may not realize what is offered to them during their time on campus.

Some other organizations set up tables, including the Global Community Center, Study Abroad and the Center for Academic Success. Spiritual organizations, financial institutions, LSUPD and many others also set up tables to show how they can

help with student wellness.

Students attending the fair expressed a mix of curiosity and general interest. Sophomore Stephaija Toliver said she came primarily to socialize and explore opportunities, while Tristan Elmore, a senior psychology major, attended after hearing about the event from a peer.

The event took place on Tower Drive, a busy part of campus. Many students had been passing through in between classes and stopped in to see what was going on. Many of these students walked away with knowledge on how they can improve their wellbeing on campus.

Some students pointed to specific things they learned while walking through the fair. Elmore mentioned learning about financial policies, while others described wellness in more general terms, such as maintaining physical health or overall well-being.

The Dimensions of Wellness Fair showed students that supporting well-being is complex, requiring maintaining multiple components of health. Bringing multiple organizations together highlighted campus resources available to support students throughout their college career.

Club aims to make campus feel like home for Caribbean students

BY MADDY SYNDER Staff Writer

For many freshmen, the college experience can feel shocking, isolating and even lonely. Moving away from home with no familiar faces is hard for anyone. But it can be especially difficult for students coming from a different cultural background.

This was the case for Irva Laurore, president of the Caribbean Student Association and a sophomore kinesiology major at LSU.

Laurore’s parents are both from Haiti, but she was born and raised in Florida. She has spent most of her life in Miami, which has a large Caribbean and Latin population.

Everywhere she goes in Miami, she is able to find people who share her culture — they eat similar foods, listen to similar music, even wear similar cultural clothing. But that was not the case when Laurore arrived in Louisiana.

“If I were to bring up a reference or if I was like, ‘Oh, I love when my mom makes x, y, z,’ then there’s just like this disconnect,” Laurore said. “It was like a moment of realization [when I came to LSU] that I didn’t have that element of familiarity anymore.”

That is why Laurore decided to join the Caribbean Student Association — to find a community that she could connect with and who would share her experiences.

“I wanted to find people who understood me,” she said.

Since becoming president of the Association this semester, Laurore has worked to ensure members of CSA feel seen, heard and understood.

“I just feel like it’s important to me to make sure that people have a home here,” Laurore said. “Our mission is to bring together those small communities — the people who feel under-represented — and just make sure they have a safe space.”

Morgan Williams, a kinesiology senior and the Secretary of CSA, added that college is already a difficult time for students as they learn to be independent. The club aims to help ease some of those difficulties by providing them with a support system.

“I think we’re becoming a little more independent, and with that we need a safe space and support group that we can resonate with and connect with just to make this experience a little bit easier,” Williams said.

The club provides support to students through planned events. Last semester, they hosted a major event with the African Student Organization called “Jerk and Jollof.”

They served authentic Caribbean (Jamaican Jerk) and African (Nigerian Jollof) foods, played Caribbean music and Afrobeats, and members were able to dress in cultural clothes.

But outside of hosting events, members of the club also hang out casually. Laurore says the club allows for members to make friends with like-minded individuals because they operate on such a personal level with one another.

“Our e-board kind of operates like a family … like we’re always bonding, like, ‘Hey, we’re meet-

ing at so-and-so’s house,’ or ‘We’re grabbing food after this event, would you like to come?’” Laurore explained.

The club is also open to nonCaribbean students as well. The Executive Board encourages anyone who is interested in Caribbean culture to join because they love sharing their traditions with others.

“The main foundation of being Caribbean is community and connection. And we don’t want to stop that community just because of your ethnicity,” Laurore said. “We want to branch it out to everyone, and if you want to learn, we’d be more than happy to share that with you.”

ENTERTAINMENT

Roller Rabbit swings into campus with LSU-themed PJs pop-up

BY MIA HATTAWAY Staff Writer

By 9 a.m., the line for Roller Rabbit’s first ever Louisiana pop-up had already wrapped around Southgate Towers Apartments, filled with students sporting Greek letters, grandparents clutching coffee cups and eager shoppers deciding what to buy.

Pura Vida Coffee Bar hosted Roller Rabbit’s first stop on its Southern college tour on Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., drawing in LSU fans from all walks of life.

Nearly 200 people lined outside of Pura Vida over an hour before the pop-up opened, with the queue extending around the buildings of Southgate Towers and far into the resident parking lot.

With the coffee shop opening at 7 a.m., Pura Vida offered some reprieve to the tired crowd. When Roller Rabbit began posting clues to a miniature scavenger hunt for free pajamas, though, it was suddenly as if everyone had arrived well rested and ready for a marathon.

Campers began scrambling to find one of five Bunny Money Bills around the event.

Junior Aimee Guillory wasn’t monkeying around when she found one of the first coupons.

“I really like Roller Rabbit PJs; they’re super comfortable and the cutest thing ever to me,” Guillory said. “Now I have some for free.”

Outside of these prizes, early customers were rewarded with goodies. The first 25 guests in line were given free tumblers with the LSU exclusive logo, while the first 50 overall got free skincare products from Saint Crewe.

LSU graduate Dominique Piccolo was the one to beat on Thursday morning.

Having arrived at Pura Vida

at 4:30 a.m., she was surprised to find herself at the front of the line. With five and a half hours to kill, she decided to make the most of the time.

“I’ve just been doing work on my computer,” Piccolo said.

Interdisciplinary studies senior Nathali Guevara Reyes used the spare hours from her 6:30 a.m. arrival to lock in what items she had her eyes set on.

“I’ve been just out here scrolling, seeing what I should buy,” Reyes said. “I’m trying to get a gauge on how much money I’m spending, so I know how I can recover later on.”

Unsure what to expect from the pop-up, civil engineering freshman Addy Arcement decided to push her day back.

“I was supposed to go to work this morning at 8 [a.m.], but made a little side quest,” Arcement said. “I’m going to work at 11 [a.m.] now.”

The frenzy — though certainly heightened by the chance to win a prize — was not just about free merchandise.

Over the past few years, coordinating sets have seen a new rise in popularity, whether it be workout wear or athleisure attire. Recently, pajamas have been the freshest fad, as the lines between loungewear and streetwear continue to blur into one another.

Brands like Djerf Avenue and Roller Rabbit have dominated the trend. Both companies are known for being stylish and influential. Above all, the two have turned into status symbols in being high quality and expensive.

While Djerf Avenue is known for its simple, clean girl look, Roller Rabbit stands out for having a quaint, bohemian flair.

Despite the bunny brand, Roller Rabbit is known for its block-print sleepwear filled with monkeys.

While the brand has over

270,000 followers on Instagram, its demographic tends to be quite insular, with most of the line comprising established Roller Rabbit fans.

On March 30, Roller Rabbit began teasing another college tour with purple and gold gradients, as well as photos of Mike the Tiger popping up around the screen. It wasn’t long before Baton Rougeans knew an LSU drop was coming.

A few days later, the company sent a message to subscribers officially announcing the collaboration, along with stops at Tulane University and the University of Florida.

“I got the email and cried,” pre-veterinary freshman medicine Ashlyn McNeely said. “I’ve been waiting for this moment. I’m a dedicated Roller Rabbit lover.”

Junior sports administration senior Kelsey Draughon has similarly been anticipating the event since it was announced.

“When I saw they were doing a collaboration with my school, I knew I wanted to grab a pair,” Draughon said. “I’m a big fan.”

Thursday’s event was the unveiling of Roller Rabbit’s first collaboration with LSU, having previously obtained the licensing rights from schools like the University of Alabama, Texas Christian University and the University of Texas.

While many customers were LSU students who wanted Roller Rabbit sets in their closets, many other people waited in line to get their hands on merchandise for loved ones.

67-year-old grandmother Robin Simmons drove four hours to pick up a pair of pajamas for her granddaughter, Anna Claire.

“She lives in Missouri, and she’s coming as a freshman in the fall,” Simmons said. “I’m a good granny.”

Others, including junior civil engineering students Mark Angelette and Cole Adams, woke up bright and early to secure gifts for both of their partners.

Though some shoppers were pleasantly surprised at the line length, others were ill-prepared for the event.

Construction management major John Smith expected the trip to be a quick stop in his day, hoping to purchase pajamas for his sister, an LSU alumna.

“To be honest, I made no time for this because I thought it would be a 20-minute side quest,” Smith said.

One customer at the pop-up, who also came to buy pajamas for his granddaughter, had never heard of the brand prior to waiting in line with his wife Kathleen.

“I thought it was Roger Rabbit,” Dale Redman said.

While the prices for the LSU line are not currently listed on the Roller Rabbit website, the pajama set costs $138, while other

items like the coin purse and pencil case each cost $38.

Purchases came with a Roller Rabbit tote bag and a variety of small gifts, including keychains, phone wallets and stickers. Pura Vida also gave complimentary cookies and banana matchas with proof of purchase.

Though the morning proved to be hectic, by noon, the chaos had settled into a low hum of general excitement, with customers coming and going without the presence of a line.

“LSU definitely showed up,” Roller Rabbit store manager Elizabeth Dominguez said. “It’s been so much fun. Everyone’s been so happy to see us on campus.”

If one thing is certain at any SEC school — especially LSU — it’s campus pride. Already, many customers are looking toward sporting their merchandise at football games.

“I love bringing school spirit mixed with our brand,” Dominguez said. “I think it’s something so special and unique.”

Here’s what to expect at the 2026 New Orleans Jazz Fest

BY LILY CENTOLA Staff Writer

Festing season is near — grab your sun hats, for the sun will be shining and music will be blasting. Here is what to expect at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival this year.

According to the festival’s website, in 1970, Mahalia Jackson returned to her hometown of New Orleans to perform at Jazz Fest. While attending the Heritage Fair, she and Duke Ellington saw the Eureka Brass Band leading a second line. She joined the band and sang along. The true spirit of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival had come alive.

The website states, “This spontaneous, momentous scene

— this meeting of jazz and heritage — has stood for decades as a stirring symbol of the authenticity of the celebration that was destined to become a cultural force.”

The festival takes place over two weekends at the Fair Ground Race Course & Slots. The first weekend runs from April 23 to April 26. The next weekend runs from April 30 to May 3.

You can buy your tickets by the day starting at $109. There is also an option to buy a weekend pass starting at $459.

With logistics out of the way, here is what festival-goers can expect at this year’s Jazz Fest.

There are a lot of exciting artists playing this year. For the first weekend, Kings of Leon, Jon

Lorde, Stevie Nicks, Tyler Childers and Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit are all playing.

Widespread Panic, Lainey Wilson, Eagles and Earth Wind & Fire are playing the second weekend.

Not only does Jazz Fest showcase New Orleans heritage, but it also celebrates a new country each year. This year, the festival is showcasing Jamaica. In its tribute “CELEBRATING JAMAICA.”

This will include a Jamaican celebration under the Sandals Resorts Jamaica Cultural Exchange Pavilion. There will be many Jamaican artists selling their crafts inside the Cultural Exchange Artist Demonstration Tent. Many of these artists are from communities that were impacted by Hur-

ricane Melissa in 2025. Oxtail with rice, peas, jerk mushrooms and fish will be served at the Cultural Exchange Booth.

Jazz Fest may be known for its music and art, but it is also known for its food. The Iconic items like meat pies, mango freezes, cochon de lait po’boys, Crawfish Monica and Cuban sandwiches will be available on the grounds.

At the Fais Do-Do stage, a watermelon sacrifice takes place. This is a ritual that has been happening for years where a song is sung and a watermelon is thrown until it breaks into pieces. Afterward, the community is able to eat the watermelon.

The spirit of Jazz Fest can

also be felt beyond the festival stage. Before and after the festival, many people in the community get together to celebrate. They will often relax on their porches listening to music, and small bands will sometimes play as well, covering artists who are performing at the festival. What do you need to be prepared for the festival season? It is going to be very hot, so make sure to bring a hat and wear sunscreen. Also, do not forget to hydrate during the festival to avoid feeling sick or becoming dehydrated.

Grab your friends, head down to New Orleans and appreciate the community of people who love music and New Orleans’ culture.

TBR Books & Tea celebrates first anniversary with local businesses

BY PAIGE CHERAMIE Staff Writer

In celebration of its first anniversary, TBR Books & Tea hosted a Birthday Bash celebration featuring the Main Character Market, free birthday cake, tea and coffee and a giveaway.

The celebration took place on Saturday at 10 a.m. The market closed at 2 p.m., and all other aspects of the celebration ended when the store closed at 6 p.m.

During the Birthday Bash, many community members stopped by to show their support. For Jamie Freeman, the store’s owner of this reflected her core reason for opening the bookstore in the first place.

“The main reason that I wanted to be here is to build a community,” Freeman said. “I think that we’ve done that just by creating this space and by all of the events we put on.”

Freeman aims to not just provide books and tea to the community, but to truly bridge the gap between members and build connections that otherwise would not be made.

“One of my favorite things is when we put on events and people who don’t know each other come, and then at the end they’re exchanging phone numbers and now suddenly they’re best friends,” Freeman said. “That’s the kind of community and relationships we want to foster here.”

To build upon this pillar of TBR Books & Tea, Freeman and store manager Akira Grant worked to get local vendors involved in the fun. This segment made up the Main Character Market.

The event’s success is a reflection of the bookstore’s efforts to engage the community and create a space welcoming

for all. For Grant, this translates into a work environment she feels comfortable in.

“I personally like having a job where I can come to and enjoy being here every day,” Grant said. “It’s never a huff and puff to get here. Everybody I work with is great. The owner is fantastic. It’s really nice to work around something you love.”

One of the vendors was In a Rush Creations owner Emma Caldwell, who sells both jewelry and crocheted items. Her main focus is a charm bar, where visitors can customize a bracelet or necklace by picking out charms to be put on a chain at her booth. She also has a wide selection of earrings.

Caldwell initially applied to be a vendor to help TBR Books & Tea celebrate its anniversary, but she ended up gaining a whole new audience from her appearance.

“It’s nice because it’s a different outreach,” Caldwell said. “I’m from the other side of the river, so I don’t often do events in Baton Rouge Parish.”

Another vendor in attendance was Rhianna Hilliard, an LSU sophomore who owns Saddle & Sip Café. She sells homemade cookies, dirty sodas and dirty energy drinks, which are made with flavored syrups and specialty toppings.

For her, this event was also an opportunity to get eyes on her business.

Caldwell mainly operates her business through Instagram and Facebook pages, while Hillard operates mainly through her Facebook page.

The event attracted both repeat customers and new faces from the Baton Rouge area, creating a mix of customers who could celebrate the bookstore’s success together.

One first-time visitor was community member Abria Scott.

“I always wanted to come to TBR, so when I saw the event today on Instagram, it was like, ‘Oh, let’s come in and see the different things they have,’” Scott said. “I’m thoroughly happy with how this is set up.”

Kassie Morgan, a senior at LSU majoring in early childhood education, is a repeat customer who brought some of her friends for their first visit.

“I’ve been here before, and I saw this on Instagram,” Morgan said. “I thought it was really great that they were having a one - year celebration. I obviously want to celebrate a local business that’s been open for one year in Baton Rouge. And also, there were snow cones and tea and books. What a fun time.”

Morgan enjoys TBR Books & Tea because it’s a place she can shop while knowing she is making a positive impact in her community.

“It’s local, which is really nice,” Morgan said. “I like that they also have local vendors as well, so it’s a great outreach for the overall community. With the rise in the Barnes & Nobles on every other corner, I think it’s really good to have the local bookstores in our area.”

After a year of business, Freeman reflected on how seeing the event play out made her feel.

“Surreal,” Freeman said. “It’s really exciting, honestly. Thinking back to where I was a little over a year ago and just getting all this set up, it’s kind of unbelievable that it’s here and it’s real.”

If you missed the Birthday Bash celebration, TBR Books & Tea has many events coming up. For more information, you can visit the TBR Books & Teas Instagram page.

MISS LSU, from page 2

part of it,” she said.

This summer, she is excited to represent LSU at the Miss All American pageant before entering her senior year. After that, she may take a break from competition and make the most of her time at LSU.

“I want to grow, take up space and make an impact,” Ekukpe said. Every step of her journey toward Miss LSU — the moments she doubted her experience, woke up in the middle of the night with nerves and fumbled her words on

stage — taught her that believing in herself is more important than being perfect.

She said pageants are not for perfection — they are for building lasting friendships and networks and one’s platform for positive community outreach.

SPORTS

COMMENTARY

Column: Kiffin off to shaky spring start

LOOKING AHEAD

LSU defense looks to continue upward trend under Blake Baker

BY ROSS ABBOUD

Deputy Sports Editor

“Playing LSU every year like we did at the previous place, we had to watch the transformation defensively when Blake [Baker] got here,” Lane Kiffin said during one of his first spring practice press conferences at LSU.

And Kiffin knows better than anyone, having played LSU four times before Baker took over, including LSU’s uncharacteristically bad 2023 defense.

As Baker enters his third season as LSU’s defensive coordinator, he looks to build off of turning one of the worst defensive units in school history into a top-25 unit in just two seasons.

Kiffin was named LSU’s head coach after the 2025 season, and one of his first priorities was to retain Baker as defensive coordinator. He did just that, keeping Baker from taking a head coaching job at his alma mater, Tulane.

Baker’s “aggressive” scheme is highly effective with the defensive back talent that LSU has earned a reputation for over the last two decades.

“This is not going to be a bend-but-don’t-break defense,” Baker said. “A vertical, one-gap defense where we’re creating havoc in the backfield.”

He added that his target is a 25% havoc rate, which measures the percentage of defensive plays resulting in negative yards.

“What we always want to do is be aggressive,” Baker said. “We want to be creative. We want to have havoc in the backfield. We want to have the ability to be able to play press man coverage.”

And that style of play is not just from the safeties and corner

backs; it’s from the linebackers as well.

But historically, Baker’s defebse has had a star position. The star is a hybrid role combining the skills of a defensive back and linebacker.

The position has to be able to read blocking and contain gaps, blitz the quarterback and play coverage.

“I just think the star is so versatile,” Baker said about the position in the spring of 2025, when Harold Perkins Jr. took over the spot. “So he’s got that capability to still allow us to be flexible from a coverage standpoint. But I do think he’s a really, really good space player. I think, again, with that position you’re able to do a lot of different things with him.”

Perkins was “tailor-made for that job,” Baker said in 2025.

As a freshman, Perkins was a first-team All-SEC selection by Associated Press and named a Freshman All-American by the Football Writers Association of America, The Athletic and College Football News.

He was primarily an edge rusher who would also spy the quarterback and occasionally drop into coverage. From that position, he recorded 72 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and seven and a half sacks. His speed off the line terrorized SEC offensive lines all season long, as he amassed 14 quarterback pressures.

But he showed great versatility in his first season, also recording four forced fumbles, two pass break ups, three pass deflections and one interception.

Baker saw that versatility when he took over in 2024, and he knew Perkins would be perfect for that role.

“He can do it all,” Baker said.

“He can cover, he can blitz. He has a great range in zone.”

Baker was not wrong. Perkins was a great fit in that position, but as he prepares for the NFL, LSU needs a replacement.

The three players who have gotten work at the star position this offseason have been safeties Dashawn Spears, CJ Jimcoily and Aiden Hall.

Having three safeties in that position will change the defense, especially with Spears being expected to be the starter.

Spears is a former four-star defensive back from Denham Springs, Louisiana, who had a breakout season for LSU as a sophomore last season. His tackling has been exceptional since high school, but his coverage abilities have really grown since arriving at LSU.

Spears had two pass breakups and four pass deflections combined with two interceptions, which both came in LSU’s 20-10 win over Florida to open conference play. Spears has all the tools to play Baker’s star position to its fullest.

LSU opened its doors to the media, Louisiana high school coaches and recruits on Saturday for a nearly 90-minute, 120play scrimmage. In that, Spears took the first-team reps at star, with Jimcoily taking the second team reps.

The most impressive play from Spears in the scrimmage was a looping blitz from behind the edge rusher lined up over the right tackle to shoot the gap and record a tackle for loss on running back Dillin Jones.

Another group Baker has worked closely with is the nickel defensive backs. He mainly worked with Aidan Anding and PJ Woodland in those spots.

The expectation is the same from the corners who come in

EMILY BOUDREAUX / The Reveille

on the nickel or dime packages: be a versatile defender and be ready to read blocking and cover in both man and zone defense.

Both these corners took Saturday as an early chance to claim more playing time, with Anding snagging two interceptions — one was a stolen 50/50 ball near the goal line, and the other was a jumping play to snag the ball halfway from USC transfer Husan Longstreet to his receiver — and Woodland grabbed one himself off of Elon transfer Landen Clark.

For Woodland’s pick and one of Anding’s interceptions, they were playing on the boundaries. But for Anding’s interception where he jumped the route, he came from the nickel spot, showing his versatility on the field.

“The more position flexibility the guy gives you, the more versatile we can be on defense,” Baker had said back in the spring of 2025.

Anding definitely took advantage of Baker’s work during individual drills and has improved his game heading into his second season at LSU.

Another great part about LSU bringing Kiffin in, is his brother, Chris Kiffin, was brought in as the linebackers coach, freeing Baker of that role and letting him be more hands on at other positions — especially the star role.

“Chris coaches the linebackers, and I like that because it allows Blake to move around and coach everybody,” Kiffin said. “I think that has gone very well.”

As LSU looks to rebuild its offense after a below-average season and a major coaching change, the team will rely on the defense to provide chances for the offense.

BY BROOKE BENEDICT Columnist

When Lane Kiffin was named LSU football’s new head coach late last fall, the state of Louisiana couldn’t get enough of him. He was praised by many before even coaching a snap.

But now that Kiffin is actually running practice, reality is setting in.

After just four practices, he told the media that they had six fights during the first week.

As he is new to the program, Kiffin is starting from the beginning. The approach he is taking, as he says, is to act as if the players don’t know anything and take the time to teach them, starting with how not to fight.

He’s ultimately beginning from scratch. For this rebuild, the program has no mistakes to improve on from last year. Not yet. Kiffin and his staff are taking new approaches, ones that have yet to be implemented into the program during these spring practice sessions.

Starting at the bottom, there will be a good amount of room for errors. To be fair, Kiffin’s just getting to know his new roster.

But he isn’t the only new face on campus. His arrival brought over 50 new players from the transfer portal, high school and junior colleges to a roster that will lay the foundation for the next era of LSU football.

We’re talking about some of the most sought-after players in college football, following Kiffin to his new home with the Tigers.

That new talent, surrounded by new teammates, with new staff, are all figuring out their position in practice.

Running back Harlem Berry told the media that it gets competitive in practice, wich has led to some players getting in over their heads.

In other words, this was bound to happen. But as a coach, it’s about the next steps when problems like these occur.

Leaving behind Ole Miss during a trip to the College Football Playoff, where it boasted its first ever 11-win regular season record, Kiffin joined the Rebels’ rival team in Baton Rouge. LSU fans immediately jumped on the Lane Train and looked at the upcoming season with a glimmer

SOFTBALL

Softball takes two of three in series vs. highly-ranked Arizona

BY MARISSA REISS Staff Writer

A sixth-inning RBI double hung over No. 18 LSU softball as it dropped the final game of its series versus No. 12 Arizona 4-2.

Despite clinching the series on Saturday with another upset win over the top-15 team, LSU couldn’t hang on to an early 2-0 lead on Sunday and suddenly found itself behind the Wildcats in the final game.

This isn’t the first time LSU has dropped the final game of a series. In its conference matchup against Mizzou last weekend, the Tigers claimed the first two games to win the series overall but dropped the final game and spoiled hopes for a sweep.

“[Arizona is] one of the best offenses in the country,” head coach Beth Torina said to SEC Network during Sunday’s game. “They’ve done such a great job this year of just having a balanced group. They have speed, they have power, they hit for average, they can do it all. We gotta just keep scoring.”

Paytn Monticelli began in the circle for the Tigers in the series finale, and her first three innings pitched were flawless. Monticelli concluded the afternoon, pitching five innings with four strikeouts, only allowing one run, two hits and three walks. Monticelli would be charged for Sunday’s loss.

The third inning offense for the Tigers quickly came around to haunt Arizona starting pitcher Jenae Berry

in the circle. Ally Hutchins began the inning with a single through the left before an Avery Hodge sacrifice bunt allowed Hutchins to advance to second.

Kylee Edwards drove in an RBI single to bring Hutchins home and keep the bases loaded for LSU with only one away in the inning. Alix Franklin was then hit by a pitch, which drove in another run for the Tigers before Berry was relieved by Jalen Adams, who started in Game 2.

In the fourth, Arizona catcher Sydney Stewart clobbered a pitch by Monticelli to left field to get one on the board for the Wildcats and come within one of LSU. Luckily for Mon-

ticelli, the next two batters quickly went down in a foul out to left and a groundout right back to the senior pitcher.

LSU’s defense throughout the series had been quick to every ball hit by the opposing team, with only four defensive errors across the entire weekend matchup.

“I trust the people behind me,” junior pitcher Cece Cellura said after the team’s win Saturday. “They work so hard. I wish y’all could see them at practice. They’re working their tails off. I just know, no matter what, they’re going to get the next out.”

Sophomore ace Jayden Heavener relieved Monticelli in the sixth after

Regan Shockey reached base on a throwing error and Sydney Stewart was walked.

On Heavener’s second pitch thrown, right fielder Tele Jennings grounded out right back to her, but an attempt at a double play to get Shockey out at home was unsuccessful. The center fielder got her hand on the plate just before catcher Maei Bergeron’s tag, allowing Arizona to tie the ballgame.

Heavener then walked third baseman Jenna Sniffen before a few defensive changes were made for LSU. Bergeron, who was visibly uncomfortable after the previous play at home, was substituted for Lorenz

Baseball falls to Ole Miss in Game 3, suffers sweep

BY ALEX SHEESLEY Staff Writer

After being silenced by Ole Miss in a run-rule defeat on Saturday, LSU baseball’s offense looked to be pinned down in a similar manner on Sunday.

And yet, LSU battled back to erase an offensive disaster, scoring seven in just one inning to tie, but still eventually fell short 8-7.

The loss puts the bow on LSU being on the short end of a sweep — the first time it has failed to salvage a win from a series this season. The loss is also its fourth straight defeat.

The standard order of proceed-

ings in Games 1 and 2, a hot LSU start to yield a modest lead in the early innings, was reversed on Sunday by Ole Miss plating three runs in the first two innings of the game.

In the first, Ole Miss’ first five batters rattled off three singles and a walk. The last two, first baseman Will Furniss and center fielder Hayden Federico, each drove in a run. Those hits were enough to chase LSU starter Grant Fontenot from the game.

Gavin Guidry would come in to pitch and settle things down in the first, but he surrendered five runs: one in the second inning on a solo home run from second baseman Dom Decker, and then four in the

fourth when he allowed five hits, including a pair of long balls.

On the other side of the ball, the Tigers’ bats were entirely neutralized for the first two-thirds of the game. Ole Miss starter Taylor Rabe was brilliant through his first six innings of work, striking out five and keeping LSU out of the hit column.

The lone LSU baserunner in the first six innings was Cade Arrambide; the LSU designated hitter walked with two outs in the fourth inning.

Facing a seven-run hole and a donut in the hit and run columns, LSU found its pulse in the seventh inning. Center fielder Derek Curiel and Arrambide tagged Rabe for back-to-back home runs, prompting a change at pitcher for Ole Miss.

The new arm, Will Libbert, was not the answer to the LSU surge. Right fielder Jake Brown greeted Libbert with a homer of his own, and a pair of singles following the blast turned the LSU rally into a legitimate threat.

Facing a two-strike count with two outs, second baseman Brayden Simpson converted to score both of those runners and bring the tying run to the plate.

That run, represented by a pinch-hitting Eddie Yamin, reached base when none of the three Rebels in the infield could put away a pop-up that barely cleared the dirt

behind the plate. Maddox McKee entered the game to take over for Lorenz in left.

Designated hitter Emma Kavanagh drove in an RBI double on Heavener’s ninth pitch that gave the Tigers some trouble. Both Shockey and Sniffen safely crossed home plate to give Arizona its first lead of the entire series, now up 4-2.

Heavener was replaced by Cellura with two away, and the junior recorded a strikeout for the final out to get out of the seventh inning.

The nine, one and two hitters were due up for LSU for its last chance to get back in the game. Hodge grounded out to Adams to start the inning, then Lassiter singled to left to reach base and gave Tiger fans the momentum they hoped for. Daniel flew out to right for the second out of the inning.

Edwards was the last hope to stay alive and fell behind on the count in the first two pitches she saw. She then struck out swinging to end the game.

Despite the loss, Torina looks ahead to the program’s next matchup and is just lucky for the support at Tiger Park during the special weekend, she said.

“There’s a lot of gratitude today for this community,” Torina said. “For all those who came and supported and wore the teal. Just so many cool things about this place and this program.”

LSU will take on UL-Lafayette Tuesday in a mid-week matchup beginning at 6 p.m.

KIFFIN, from page 9

of hope.

of the batter’s circle.

A chopped single from Curiel pushed the deficit to one and advanced Yamin to third from first, a critical advancement that made it possible for him to score on a wild pitch.

The momentum swing would not put Ole Miss down for long. Shortstop Brayden Randle drove in the go-ahead run, assisted by an error that allowed Federico to advance to second after a base hit. A sacrifice bunt made it an easy trot home on the base hit.

With the bases loaded in the Ole Miss eighth, that lead seemed destined to grow. That sentiment seemed even truer when Deven Sheerin spiked a pitch, but a great recovery from catcher Omar Serna Jr. and an incredible tag from a fully sprawled Sheerin kept a run off the board and ended the inning.

However, Sheerin and Serna’s heroics did not inspire the offense to find the run it needed. LSU went down in order in the ninth, as it did in the eighth, to lose the game.

Excluding the seventh-inning flurry, the LSU offense had no hits and just one baserunner, continuing concerning offensive trends. The Tigers head back to Baton Rouge to try and find any hint of positive momentum against midweek foe Northwestern State, a team that defeated LSU last season, before hosting Texas A&M next weekend.

He was all set up with a new athletic director, an upcoming transfer portal window and the entire state of Louisiana on his side. And, not to mention, a contract of $91 million over the next seven years.

But that only sets the stage. It doesn’t determine what will happen on Saturday nights in Death Valley.

Kiffin has a clean slate. He has the chance to start over and make history, this time in purple and gold. And early on, when mistakes happen, Kiffin and his staff can take those opportunities to slowly gain control and teach discipline to their players.

Later on in the fall, he will show the control his team built over the spring. From the small arguments to the scoreboard, Kiffin isn’t just the name behind the team, but the ultimate control of the team’s mindset and demeanor.

As Kiffin decided against a traditional spring game to keep athletes healthy, his debut with the Tigers will take place at home on Sept. 5 against Clemson. Heading into the season opener, LSU could be ranked when the other Tigers from the East Coast Death Valley arrive.

Now, the ball is in his court. It’s up to Kiffin to build his team from the ground up and shape it into a championship contender.

OPINION

During dark times, don’t forget that not all art is a critique

RILEY’S REVIEW

RILEY SANDERS Columnist

There’s a lot to despair about in the U.S. lately — an extremely disappointing administration, war with Iran, artificial intelligence creeping into a multitude of industries, ongoing struggles with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and so much more.

The news cycles as of late are, to say the least, increasingly devastating, and pop culture over the last few years has responded in kind.

The entertainment industry has expanded the pre-existing bubble of realist content into quite the looming entity, particularly when it comes to the silver screen and the music industry. For instance, the film “One Battle After Another,” fantastical and yet somehow quite on the nose for American culture, is a film about simmering civilian dissatisfaction with the government and the revolution of the common man.

Or take “Sinners,” a film following Black World War I veterans who

return to the Jim Crow-era south and that includes particularly poignant themes of resilience in the face of discrimination. The film draws many parallels to the discriminatory practices of the current administration and ICE amidst the struggle against racism throughout American history.

Beyond theaters, a large deal of the content coming out of the music industry since 2020 has been particularly morose and reflective of the times. In particular, Billie Eilish’s 2022 EP “Guitar Songs,” is a hallmark of the beginning of this disconcerting decade. The first track “TV,” is a song about current events with single hard-hitting lines like:

“I’ll put on ‘Survivor’ just to watch somebody suffer,”

“The internet’s gone wild watching movie stars on trial while they’re overturning Roe v. Wade” or “I don’t wanna talk right now. I just wanna watch TV.”

Regardless of your feelings about the sentiments of the above events or emotions, it’s a set of lines that sticks with you. It’s a hard listen for such an incredible song if only because of the devas -

tating realism and relatability of the lyrics to current events.

Another instance of realism in music is Beyonce’s “AMERIICAN REQUIEM,” which is a comment on the state of our union and contains incredibly powerful yet difficult lines like, “Can we stand for something? Now is the time to face the wind. Now ain’t the time to pretend” or “They don’t, don’t know how hard I had to fight for this when I sing my song.”

Let me say now that the above films and songs are vital to the arts and our survival. Infusing realism into our culture to raise awareness, to remind and to encourage critical conversations of life and culture among the people are incredibly important. Realism can be beautiful and is necessary.

That said, the realist bubble has to exist alongside an outlet of escapism in the arts. Reality is often dark and quite the drag, and while acknowledgement and response to the world are important, means of escape are important methods to foster joy and resilience to the darkness of life.

I know for certain that I’ve found very few escapist experienc-

es as of late.

In the last five years, there have been very few movies and very few songs that have had me leaving a theater or pulling off my headphones that resulted in me thinking about the wonder and joy that can be found in the human experience. I actually spent an hour searching for something to watch the other night that wouldn’t make me upset or disturbed, and I ended up settling on the two-decade-old film, “Practical Magic,” which has a million nonsensical plot holes and yet still wraps itself up in a beautiful, joyful little bow.

As for recent joyful mediums, I struggle to conjure up more than a handful of creations, but I will name a few:

“Barbie” was a particularly gorgeous comment on the human experience, and even as a man, the depiction of Barbie as a reflection of women’s experiences was so compelling and eye-opening to me. I genuinely cried tears of joy during my screening. I left the film feeling grateful to be alive.

Dare I say that Taylor Swift’s “The Life of a Showgirl” brought me a great deal of joy? It really

did. So many people considered it surface-level music, not really to be considered art, though I would argue that it is a largely joyful and fun record. Joy and “meaningless” fun are extremely important to the human experience and have a different kind of depth than the selfexcavating and self-deprecating corners of humanity.

I’d even say that Harry Styles’ new record, “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally,”was a fun listen that made me want to dance and sing without having me sit down for half of its runtime wanting to ponder the sadness of my being.

That’s a short list, wouldn’t you say?

Everyone has different tastes and different things that bring them joy, even the more sad expressions in art being a source of joy; that said, I feel there is a serious dearth of feel-good, “lighthearted” content in pop culture. I don’t know about y’all, but I think we could all use a good dopamine fix with the state of our nation at the moment.

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

NIL details could be made private. This has to be stopped

CRAWFORD’S CORNER

GORDON CRAWFORD Columnist

Late last month, bubbling rumors became reality: Will Wade hath returned from his long exile to bring the Tigers back to glory and, failing that, at a bare minimum, respectability.

The move, and Wade’s entire career up to this point, has been a fascinating drama deeply intertwined with the intense debates surrounding the emerging realm of name, image and likeness and player payments in college sports. A man once outcast for utilizing tactics considered underhanded now returns with a blank check to use those same tactics in broad daylight.

Now, NCAA rules allow revenue sharing, where college athletics departments may pay student-athletes 22% of their average revenue up to $20.5 million, the eternal debates about spending on athletics programs have flared up once more. With those classic sports icons

EDITORIAL BOARD

Jason Willis Editor in Chief

Managing Editor Courtney Bell

Kaley Melancon News Editor

Sports Editor Ainsley Flood

Garrett McEntee Opinion Editor

juxtaposing failing academic infrastructure with sci-fi-esque locker rooms, many people are rightfully questioning the ways public money is being spent.

However, a bill snaking its way through the Louisiana House threatens to shield almost the entire process from the public by providing an exemption to revenue sharing from the state’s public spending disclosure laws.

There’s no particular issue with paying players, and I’m not even personally opposed to significant revenue sharing deals to attract premier talent. But the Louisiana public has a right to know how its money is being spent.

The state’s public universities, of which nearly all back the bill, cite a couple of main reasons for why they oppose public disclosure of athlete payments. The first is that public reporting would undermine their ability to compete with other universities.

This reasoning makes very little sense when examined criticality.

Public reporting in no way inhibits the ability of the university to put forward a large offer. Laws also do not prevent a university from nego -

Laura Allen Entertainment Editor

tiating in private. Reporting merely ensures that the ultimate decisions the university makes, pen on paper, can be held accountable.

College programs regularly flaunt their sizable budgets anyway, and that has had no discernible impact on their ability to succeed. Even Athletics Director Verge Ausberry publicly discloses certain ways athletic spending breaks down.

Another concern is student privacy. This is somewhat more reasonable, but it still collapses under some general scrutiny. You can easily find the salaries of essentially any LSU position online, and the university makes no stink about that.

Excuses on the front of inhibiting public records are always flimsy and mealy-mouthed. There are never any specific instances provided where public reporting could be tangibly linked to harm, be it literal harm to a student or harm to a potential deal the university might wish to make. There are good reasons for governments to hide certain information, but we aren’t talking about missile sites here.

We need these laws to hold our

Editorial

institutions accountable. In a state with as strong a history of corruption and mismanagement as Louisiana, our few robust good-governance laws are vital to protect.

This bill may not seem like it would have a major impact, but exemptions can have a bad habit of spreading like a disease and infecting good systems. If the state starts giving out free passes from reporting on spending for no particular reason, it seems very unlikely they will wish to stop, given the current government’s general distaste for public accountability.

Communities deserve to know

the ways in which their public institutions are spending their money. While LSU’s athletics program is generally self-sufficient, many other programs in the state are heavily subsidized by public funds. This bill would turn those programs into fiscal black holes, where money flows never to be seen again by the public. Louisianians keep your eye on the ball. Don’t let the Legislature slip this dangerous bill past you.

La.

and Procedures

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.

“Giving up cannot be an option.”