Scottish and Irish celebrate heritage at first annual Celtic festival

Bagpipe competitor Elliot Smith performed to an intrigued crowd Saturday at the first annual Celtic Festival in Baton Rouge.

The bagpiper puffed out his cheeks and tightly shut his eyes to create a traditional Celtic melody. A jubilant dancer clicked her heels among a crowd that believes its heritage is as lush as the green fields of its ancient homelands.
Proud Scottish and Irish citizens of Baton Rouge filled St. Luke’s Episcopal School Cafeteria for the first annual Highland Games and Celtic Festival Benefit Saturday. The Caledonian Society of Baton Rouge (CSBR) hosted the festival with The Baton Rouge Irish Club.
And while most college students relax on the weekends, the young people of the Caledonian Society were tending to their family trees. They spent 12 hours educating the community about their heritage.
Irish Club president Laura McDavitt said she marveled at the youth’s Irish pride.
“They’ve imparted this generation with a love for their culture,” she said. “They’ve embraced it, they’ve accepted it, and they’ve excelled in it.”
Twenty-three-year-old James Mungall is a recent University alum and CSBR event coordinator. He said Louisiana’s melting pot culture is a double-edged sword for the Scottish and Irish of Baton Rouge.
“There is a high Scottish descent in America and south Louisiana, but there are a lot of French, so it is hard to get people interested,” he said.
So to spark their interest, CSBR packed the day with traditional games, music, dancing, and beer.
While burly men demonstrated the stone throw outside, attendants gobbled down corned beef and cabbage as they listened to bag pipe competitions jovial Scottish flute melodies.
Traveling bagpipe competitor Elliot Smith intrigued the audience with his bellowing notes. He said he is proud to be Irish, and wearing a kilt has become natural.
“I love it,” he said. “Freedom at last.”
Like most festival attendants, Smith said he is only a sliver of Irish.
“I’m a little bit of everything–Swedish, Spanish, English, Irish.”
This culture mixing revealed itself in the festival’s food. Phil Brady, proud Irish and once owner of Phil Brady’s Bar and Grill, hunched over his jambalaya pot and ladled portions of “bubbles and squeak,” a typical Scottish cabbage cuisine, into hungry attendants’ plates.
“They call it that because the cabbage bubbles and squeaks when it cooks,” he said. “It start out like a roux,” he said.
Brady said he has duel citizenship in US and Ireland, and he has resided in south Louisiana since his first New Orleans Mardi Gras experience in the 1960’s.
“Five Mardi Gras’ later, I was still here,” he laughed.
Brady isn’t the only Irish to find an instant fit in south Louisiana.
Allen Kinney, Irish Club member, said New Orleans was one of the largest ports of entry for Irish immigrants in the early 1800’s.
And according to research by state historians Terrence and John Fitzmorris New Orleans was second to New York City from 1847-1853.
Also an 1860 Census claims that 37% of immigrants pouring into New Orleans were Irish. The Census also stated that Irish totaled 24,398 of the New Orleans residents, while French were barely half of that at 10, 564.
These numbers may seem unbelievable to students surrounded by ragin’ Cajun and French customs. But the University’s Irish roots are hidden like a pot of gold.
According to the federal government’s partnership for public service, Irish American Magazine recognized University’s recent Chancellor Sean O’Keefe as one of the Top 100 Irish Americans of 2003.
And according to Julie Goldman, Web coordinator for The South Eastern Conference Academic Consortium (SECAC), last Spring SECAC received a grant to send one student from each SEC school abroad. Among the hundreds of choices, SECAC members chose Belfast, Ireland.
Psychology sophomore Julianne Dunlap received the scholarship for last year’s trip, and told her colorful story in 2009 LSU Highlights.
Mungall said the Celtic festival will return each year and he hopes students will slowly catch on to the trend.
“Our mission is to preserve and celebrate our heritage,” he said.
And celebrate they did. After eight hours of seminars and games, Irish Club members lived up to their notorious party-endurance reputation. Attendants kept the green beer flowing through the Caleigh a Celtic after-party.
“Scottish play the pipes, we’ll sell the beer,” McDavitt said.

College universities unprepared for medical emergencies

“Maybe we should put a pen in her mouth,” said a student hovering over a collapsed, trembling student.
The clueless crowd of students conversed about what to do while Lanee McMillan, psychology sophomore, convulsed on the floor of Lockett auditorium. An aisle of concerned faces turned to the teacher for calm and direction. But the professor was as unprepared as his students.
And he was not alone. About 1,000 LSU students have registered disabilities and attend classes without the security faculty trained in CPR and first aid. Of those, 21 suffer from seizure prone diseases. But few LSU professors have any training in what to do when a student needs medical attention, LSU has minimal guidelines for what a professor should do in an emergency, and there is no requirement that professors receive training in first aid.
And while some states are moving toward requiring public school teachers to have basic first aid training – and some are requiring specific training in CPR and the Heimlich maneuver —college universities are doing…
Nothing.
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Some states respond to the nation’s call for a more emergency-prepared country by requiring first aid and CPR certification for teaching licenses and implementing CPR and first aid courses into education curriculums. But states exclude their major college universities where medical emergencies are prevalent with many disabled students.
The need to improve first aid training in the nation’s schools was highlighted by the Centers for Disease and Control in 2004.
However, few states—California, New Jersey, Indiana, North Carolina, Michigan—require teachers to be certified in first aid and CPR in order to get a teaching license. And no states require major college university professors to have CPR or first aid training.
According to the American Safety Academy, public school teachers in California must be certified in First Aid and CPR in order to obtain a teaching credential.
Since July 1, 2008, Indiana law requires CPR and first-aid training among those obtaining a teacher’s license.
Some states have shifted their concerns for first-aid-trained citizens from teachers to students.
According to a story by WRAL in North Carolina, reporter Bret Beir said the state passed a law requiring public school curriculums to add courses in CPR and the Heimlich maneuver. But teachers are exempt.
And some states extend requirements to all members of their academic institutions. New Jersey, for example, includes both students and teachers in its safety-training laws.
Since March 17, 2008, New Jersey Legislature requires “public school districts to provide CPR training and certification as part of curriculum,” and “requires certain teachers to obtain training in CPR instruction.”
Some groups benefit from the nationwide concern more than others. Citizens with disabilities, especially college students, need the security of prepared individuals in case of medical emergencies.
East Baton Rouge Health Profile says 133 out of every 1,000 people between the ages of 15 and 20 are disabled in the US. Nearly 144 in 1,000 are disabled in Louisiana, and East Baton Rouge Parish, the numbers are greatest with 151 out of every 1,000 being disabled.
“The prevalence of disability for this age group is over two times the rate for the 5-15 age groups,” said EBRHP reports.
These numbers have jump-started some universities to improve their disability services.
LSU has improved its confidentiality laws, protecting students from discrimination. And University of Georgia has improved awareness and accommodations for disabled students.
But for those with disabilities that frequently lead to medical emergencies, like those who suffer from seizures, an environment in which there is no one trained in first aid in their classroom can prove fatal.
So what happens when one of these accident-prone individuals needs in-class assistance?
According to the US. Census Bureau, in 2006, 24,900 emergency department visits among 18 to 24-year-olds.
Besides accommodating EMS and Police Departments, how are colleges and universities responding to these numbers? And what training requirements do LSU and other universities offer teachers.

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One LSU disabled student talks about her experience with untrained faculty. Her multiple seizures on campus have increased her desire to share with others the need for more teachers to be trained in CPR and/or first aid.

The LSU Police Department knows Lanee McMillan by name.
With about 25 sudden collapses on campus since her freshman year at LSU, McMillan, psychology junior, said she is a pro at health emergency procedures.
“The teacher calls 911, then LSU Police Department shows up, then the fire department, then the EMS,” she said. “It would be good if the teacher could have some information on what to do instead.”
McMillan suffers from a seizure-prone disease, which causes her to lose feeling in her limbs. She falls and trembles, where she remains for 3-8 minutes, conscious but unresponsive.
“It is frustrating when teachers are asking what they should do because I can hear them, I just can’t respond,” she said.
Safety procedures come second nature to McMillan who has practiced responding to her random nerve attacks since she was 16.
But when it comes to in-class emergencies, McMillan wants to rely on her instructors to take appropriate action. She said unfortunately she cannot depend on her untrained class instructors.
“It’s pretty clear they have no instruction on how to handle it (her disability),” she said. Other than a notice from disability services informing instructors of her case, McMillan said instructors have no information regarding basic procedures.
“It would be good for them to know recovery positions,” she said. “I hear a lot of times, when I’m having tremors, ‘oh, let’s a put a pen in her mouth.’ But you’re not supposed to do that.”
McMillan said she pre-warns instructors of her disability. Since, no one else gives teachers step-by-step procedures, McMillan tells them what not to do. She tells instructors not to call 911 unless tremors last more than 3 minutes, but most teachers break under pressure.
“Most of them call 911 because it totally catches them off guard,” she said.
From panicking teachers to those frozen in shock, McMillan said University faculty has an inconsistent response to emergency. This, McMillan said, is why LSU should require faculty to undergo first-aid training.
“A lot of times, students are the ones who know first aid,” she said. “Some teachers are just oblivious.”
McMillan said one of her teachers this semester did not know there was an emergency phone in the classroom.
“Students told me she just stood there not knowing what to do,” McMillan said.
Some teachers respond to her sudden attacks with panic. McMillan said last semester one professor nervously paced around the classroom asking if anyone knew what to do.
“Students told me he was running around and needed to be calmed down,” she said.
And some teachers do not want to interrupt class for the sake of an emergency.
“Another time, I had a teacher who checked on me, made sure I was OK, called 911, then went to the front of the classroom and kept teaching,” she said. “She said she did not want to disrupt the class.”
Whether studying among students in Middleton Library or taking notes in the back row of Howe Russell Auditorium, McMillan has fainted in front of crowds of all sizes. She said she wants others to be able to rely on instructors for emergency knowledge as well.
“As a person of authority, people are going to look to you to be calm and know how to act,” she said.
McMillan also said she thinks teachers of all levels should be first-aid trained.
“I worked at a day care, and we had to be trained,” she said.

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LSU provides faculty with the bare minimum safety procedures, and training courses offered are never filled with teachers.

When LSU Faculty Senate President Kevin Cope sits down to verify teachers’ employment records, he is not looking for “CPR certified,” or “trained in First Aid.”
“I have never known one of them (teachers) to be trained in CPR or first-aid,” he said.
He said since its founding, LSU has not required faculty to be certified in CPR or First Aid.
Nowhere in LSU’s Policy and Procedures does it require such training. According to Policy Statement 18, LSU’s Emergency Response Plan says, “University emergency responses shall in all cases place primary emphasis on the protection of human life.” But how can LSU ensure that without mandating appropriate training courses?
With today’s advances in disability services and increased CPR certification across the country, LSU lags behind with online emergency guidelines and the occasional safety tips e-mail.
Campus Safety and Health Resources provides faculty with an online guide to medical emergency response. The document lists the following procedures:
-Call LSU Police.
-Do not move the victim.
-Do not attempt to give medical care unless you are trained to do so. Provide first aid if you are qualified to perform it.
-Stay with the victim to reassure him/her until help arrives.
Other cyberspace help includes a safety newsletter from the Occupation and Environmental Safety Program.
Pat West, OES response coordinator, said he sends out safety and training information quarterly. He said the “Life-line,” is available to the entire campus on oes.lsu.edu. It features updates on local and national safety issues and offers some emergency-related pointers.
The most important piece of information, however, is at the end of each newsletter. In bold italic, it states, “As a minimum, Department Safety meetings should
be conducted quarterly. This newsletter can be used as safety meeting material.”
West said unfortunately, he suspects many campus departments do not conduct safety meetings.
West also leads CPR and first-aid training sessions under OES. He said teachers knowing first aid is as vital as wearing a seatbelt.
“It’s good for everyone, but people don’t do it,” he said.
Michael Hooks, OES associate director, said courses are rarely full. He said 63 faculty, staff, and students took advantage of the 10 courses offered last year. Among a faculty totaling 1,344, Hooks said LSU could do much better.
“We want as many faculty trained as possible,” he said
Jessey Hutchinson, assistant director of LSU Fire and Emergency Training said LSU should implement more safety courses. She said anybody can take most of their medical emergency-related classes.
“But we do not offer any classes specific to CPR or first-aid training,” she said.

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Southeastern Conference (SEC) schools are as lax as LSU. Generally, universities offer programs to innovate safety awareness. University of Georgia and Virginia Tech are the most advanced with its biggest motivation being the Virginia Tech 2007 shootings.

LSU is not the only academic institution lagging behind in the race for a more CPR-certified country.
Universities across the South are neck-in-neck with LSU. From Mississippi to Florida, no Southeastern Conference school requires first aid or CPR training for its faculty.
Steve Voorhies, University of Arkansas spokesman, said the only safety training UA requires is for those working with lab chemicals or animals.
“CPR and first aid are not among general faculty requirements,” he said.
Ron Wayne of the University of Florida said in response to in-class medical emergencies, untrained UF teachers rely on instinct.
“We would probably call the police department,” he said. “We do not require any type of training for our professors.
Some universities do offer health and safety-related programs. But since courses are optional, many campuses lack faculty participation.
Charles Martin of Auburn University said that since last fall, Auburn has offered a wellness program for employees. “Healthy Tigers,” he said is an informational service providing faculty with online safety guides and voluntary training courses.
“It is not required,” he said. “Since it’s pretty new, we haven’t had a lot of feedback.”
And some university’s programs were so poorly attended, they had to shut down.
Last year, University of Tennessee in Knoxville had to close its only first aid program. Linda Francisco, UT Higher Education executive director, said the reason was lack of resources.
“We used to offer First Aid for employees, but not now because the training programs are understaffed,” she said.
Of all SEC schools, University of Georgia is taking the most action in response to the nation’s safety training concerns.
Steve Harris, UGA director of Security Emergency and Preparedness, said the school’s emergency-related services are endless.
“The average faculty member is not required to take emergency training,” he said. “But we try to offer them certain things to make sure they’re exposed.”
He said during required faculty orientation, SEP provides general safety and emergency pamphlets for the teachers-to-be.
“This is how we do our indoctrination of safety and emergency training,” he said. “We have faculty interact in a resource-fair fashion.”
Harris also said SEP assists rather than pressures faculty to become more safety conscious. He said they use a building-by-building approach in order to cover all areas of campus.
“We give them (each building) the tools and work with them every few months to update them on initiatives,” said Harris.
Harris said UGA also has a new project called Campus Emergency Response Team. It specializes in First Aid, emergency planning, and rescue techniques.
He said 36 people have joined the project since it started last fall. Of those, only five are faculty members.
Harris said the low numbers do not reflect the recent increase in faculty interest in CERT classes.
In the past two years, UGA’s SEP has noticed greater concern among the faculty about safety. Hurricane Katrina and the Virginia Tech shootings, he said, were the catalysts.
“There’s generally more participation after a particular incident,” he said. “Since Virginia Tech, we’ve noticed an increase in CERT class participation.”
Zack Adams, Virginia Tech Occupational Safety and Health assistant director said the April 16, 2007 shootings have increased emergency preparedness awareness both on both Virginia’s state and local level.
He said V Tech does not require its teachers CPR certification, but he has seen an increase in faculty’s interest to take courses.
“We made many more training course referrals to faculty last year,” he said.
Adams said Virginia’s governor, Tim Kaine, has been innovating the Office of Commonwealth Preparedness since the shootings. It was created in January of 2007, but since April 16, many criteria have been added.
“This program is receiving a lot more attention than it did before the shooting,” he said.

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Professors generally give the same reasons when asked why they haven’t taken the time to prepare for classroom emergencies: Too little time, too much cost, not likely to happen in my classroom.
While many teachers still resist training because they think chances of medical emergencies are slim, numbers prove otherwise:
- According to the National Safety Council, each year, one out of four injured people require medical attention.
-The LSU Police Department responded to 289 Medical Emergencies in 2008 and has responded to 66 in 2009.
-The American Heart Association says early CPR within the first 3–5 minutes after collapse, plus early advanced care can results in a 50 percent long-term survival rate.
Dr. Kamo, a sociology professor at LSU, said he’d rather rely on his students for emergency preparedness knowledge.
“With 380 people in my classes, someone is bound to know first aid,” he said.
Kamo said he does not think it is necessary for faculty to be trained in first aid.
Teachers across the country believe otherwise.
Linda Francisco of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville said she would feel more comfortable with first-aid certification, but she understands why teachers resist.
“Teachers aren’t too open to taking time out of their schedules,” she said. “Even when we offered optional courses in the past, faculty did not take them.”
UGA’s Steve Harris, agreed time is teacher’s biggest enemy.
“Everyone is busy,” he said. “The time crunch on teachers is especially tough.”
Baton Rouge Fire Department Chief Ed Smith says cost may be another factor.
“There’s a lot of cost involved in training to get people up to a certain level of first aid,” he said.
Smith said with recent budget cuts and a bad economy, teachers many not have the means to take courses offered.
According to American Red Cross, teachers can take CPR and first-aid training courses starting at $40.

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Teachers are not always aware when a disabled student is enrolled in one of their classes. Certain laws maintain disabled students’ privacy.
Benjamin Cornwell, LSU disability services (DS) associate director at LSU, said teachers are not motivated to learn basic safety procedures because when it comes to students’ disabilities, teachers are as unaware as they are untrained.
Confidentiality laws put a wall between teachers and disabled students. Many teachers tell Cornwell they need to know the students’ health conditions in order to prepare for accommodations.
“I’ve had teachers come to me saying if they knew exactly what disability the student had, they’d be able to better accommodate them,” Cornwell said.
To those teachers, his response is always the same. “Sorry, but that’s the law.”
Cornwell said the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) strives to protect disabled Americans with confidentiality laws. LSU abides by these same rules, which are documented in the disability services handbook. Disability-related information is kept confidential with the following exceptions:
- the student gives DS a signed release to share disability-related information with the person(s) named on the release
- as DS is required and/or permitted by the law and/or a court order;
- the student is a direct threat to themselves or others;
- or a student makes a disability-related allegation, claim, grievance, appeal or disclosure to university attorneys for legal advice to the university
Cornwell said DS informs teachers of student disabilities on a need-to-know basis. He said the laws are set up for two reasons: to exercise college students’ rights to privacy and to protect disabled students from discrimination.
“As a general rule of thumb faculty needs to know about accommodations students with disabilities are to receive and that they are registered with disability services,” he said.
Cornwell said he is not even required to inform teachers that a student is registered with disability services. Detailed information about their disabilities is even more hands off.
Most of the time, he said there is not a strong enough reason to breach confidentiality. He said such situations arise once in a blue moon. But when it comes to safety preparedness, he is willing to push the envelope.
“In cases of medical emergencies, that changes,” he said. “I’m not going to jeopardize the student’s life because I’m trying to withhold information.”

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Some states and countries focus more on lower education levels–high schools, elementary schools, and childcare institutions.
Where college universities are lagging, other institutions are raising the bar. CPR and first-aid training is increasing in other education levels.
According to Mannix Porterfield, reporter for West Virginia Register-Herald, West Virginia completed a bill last February, requesting CPR and first-aid training for high school freshman and sophomores.
For some states, first-aid training for high schoolers is nothing new.
Six years ago, Michigan sent a similar request to Supreme Court. It’s main concern, however, was where teachers and students were to receive training.
The document states, “Under the bill, new teachers would have to hold valid certification from the American Red Cross.”
According to Kendall Hebert, 19 schools across south Louisiana get certified through American Red Cross. Among the list is Baton Rouge’s Catholic High School. Nick Persac, LSU mass communications junior and Catholic High School alumn, said he was required to receive CPR certification in order to graduate.
“We had to go into the office and hand the principal our certification,” he said. “I knew some guys that almost couldn’t graduate because they waited until the last minute.”
In January 2007, Massachusetts requested an “An Act Relative to Medical Emergency Response Plans for Schools.” The document states, “Train school staff and graduating high school students in CPR. Teachers and staff trained in first aid should, at a minimum, be equipped and able to give first aid for life- threatening emergencies until EMS rescuers arrive.”
The most recent US county to adjust its elementary school safety procedures is Tazewell County, Virginia. Since April 16, its education department states, “In school buildings with an instructional and administrative staff of ten or more, there
shall be at least two employees who have current certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation or have received training, within the last two years, in emergency first aid and cardiopulmonary
resuscitation.”
Some states see a stronger need for training in lowest education levels.
Michigan requires all k12 teachers to be certified in CPR and first aid in order to be licensed.
Collaborative investigation found the following regarding child care institutions:
-Minnesota requires 6 hours of training in CPR and first aid for childcare providers.
-South Carolina and Maine also require training for childcare facilities.

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The Federal Government offers certain grants to foster first-aid and CPR training for newly concerned states’ Departments of Education.
While the Federal Government is busy monitoring health and safety on a large scale, it has not forgotten to pencil in small-scale institutions into its black book agenda of grants.
On March 11, 2009, US Department of Education (DOE) created a grant opportunity for state and local governments concerned with Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools.
According to Catalog For Domestic Association, the grant focuses on a four-phase emergency plan for public schools, emphasizing preparedness.
“It provides funds to local educational agencies (LEAs) to establish an emergency management process that focuses on reviewing and strengthening emergency management,” said DOE.

DOE also said the program also offers resources to LEAs to provide training for staff on emergency management procedures.
“It requires that LEAs develop comprehensive all-hazards emergency management plans,” said DOE.

Although Louisiana schools may not be taking advantage of this generous grant of $26,000,000, the state government is finding other ways to improve its health and safety training.
The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals recognizes Louisiana’s involement in a recent partnership, which aims to improve public health and training. According to LDHH, “The State of Louisiana Office of Public Health collaborates extensively with the South Central Public Health Partnership (SCPHP).”
LDHH says SCPHP includes Alabama, Arkansas, Missississippi, and Louisiana. The partnership excels in public health preparedness and public health training.
SCPHP was formed in response to the challenges which workers face preventing appropriate training.
“These challenges fuel the need for education and training to ensure that workers have the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities to perform their jobs, as well as the opportunity to continue their education,” said LDHH.
For more information, go to

https://www.lava.dhh.louisiana.gov/training_opportunities.php.

Writer Muses on First Voodoo Fest Experience

Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals headlined for Voodoo Fest 2007. Photo by Andy Argyrakis and Mike Kane courtesy www.concertlivewire.com.

“I don’t want to see your tits, just show me your bag,” said the security guard to the girls with purses at the front gates of City Park. I smiled at my warm, New Orleans welcome to my very first Voodoo Music Experience. As a Shreveport native, I’ve grown up only hearing about the marvels of music festivals in New Orleans. My family’s conservative, strict ways and safety priorities prevented me from attending the live action until finally, as a journalism sophomore, I was able to fully immerse myself into the authenticity of Voodoo Fest 2007. With an array of expectations, I followed the aromas of shrimp po’boys and crab cakes and the down-home sounds of the Jamie McLean Band to find an atmosphere almost identical to that of my imagination. I was initially attracted to the merchandise tents, where I found the hysterical plethora of pipes and stash hats to be perfect fits for the event. Surrounded by palm readers, pot smokers, good food and perfect weather, I could only think to myself one thing, “This is Voodoo Fest.” I made my way to the main stages where I soaked in the vibrations of every performance. I tried to blend with the mellow attendants who lay on blankets in the grass. From the quirky personality of Motion City Soundtrack to the smooth and soulful sounds of Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, I remained shoulder to shoulder with fellow music lovers, who by the end of the night seemed much more to me than complete strangers. Coheed and Cambria’s performance gave me my first taste of a free-for-all metal concert as I witnessed my first mosh pits and crowd surfs. I was pleasantly surprised and emotionally touched by Sinead O’Connor’s performance. Her delivery offered a spiritual experience, which raised goose bumps up my arms as I watched other free spirits with their eyes closed and hands in the air. The highlight of my experience was witnessing Ben Harper’s intriguing talent from only six rows back. At the sight of my most idolized artist of the weekend, I – like the thousands of other carefree people – forgot about everything else except my escape into a raw performance. I felt my heart beat faster as Harper passionately expressed his cry for a better world. With his fists clinched and eyes squinted shut, Harper encouraged the crowd to make the world a better place singing the line “with your own two hands” to a repetitive melody. At this moment, I had the revelation that music festivals are beneficial not only for entertainment but for freedom of speech and emotional liberation. This spirit stirring image will forever remained stamped in my mind. I manned my ground for The Smashing Pumpkins for only two songs. Innocent and scared, I donated my spot to a bigger fan as I fled from the violent mosh pits. I should have been frustrated with my 10-minute escape route through a tightly packed, stoned and drunk non-budging crowd. But I finally found the open air leaving behind the adrenaline rush of the night with my fellow Voodoo Fest goers who stood in awe of The Smashing Pumpkins. With a full moon overhead, I left the heart of New Orleans filled with a gratitude to the culture, people and artists that made Voodoo Fest what is was – a soul’s escape into the magic of music.

Student rodeo celebrates its 72nd year

Bethany Edler, rodeo manager tips her hat to rodeo queen contestants the night before Block and Bridle Rodeo.

There will be chute doggin,’ wild cow-milkin,’ goat chasin’ Thursday night. Need a translation in English? It’s the 2009 Block and Bridle Rodeo.
Last night College of Agriculture’s Block and Bridle Club members gave Parker Coliseum a makeover in preparation for the 72nd annual student rodeo. The non-profit event will be held Thursday and Friday at 7 pm, and all proceeds will go to Braveheart Children in Need.
Bethany Edler, animal science junior and rodeo manager, said preparing for the rodeo has been a wild ride, which took off before start of the semester.
After setting a date, Edler picked a committee and assigned tasks—advertising, treasury, sponsorship, etc.
The event sounds no different than a typical fund-raiser. But add animals to the mix, and the to-do list keeps growing.
Edler said finding a good stock contractor is essential. And no, this is not someone who monitors your investments.
High Noon Rodeo Company is the rodeo’s go-to stock contractor, who provides bucking horses and bulls used in the show as well as men to tend the cattle.
“He (contractor) goes above and beyond what we ask him to do,” she said.
Edler said the contractor verified most rodeo workers and entertainers as well.
According to Edler, the rodeo features comic relief provided by bull-fighters and rodeo clowns whose job is to fill in time between riders.
“They basically make fun of people,” she said.
Finding volunteers to facilitate the rodeo was a whole lot easier than finding a needle in a haystack. Edler said a Block and Bridle alumni gladly rose to the occasion.
“Most alum are willing to help,” she said.
Brittany Bourg, agriculture business senior and Block and Bridle Club president, said since the rodeo’s debut in 1937, Block and Bridle club has maintained dedicated members.
But Edler said with more focus on arts and sciences, the University has slowly drifted away from its agriculture roots.
“Students have changed,” she said. “LSU used to be predominately an agriculture and mechanical school.”
The student rodeo fame may have dwindled, but Block and Bridle Club members hop back on the saddle each year adding improving the rodeo.
Edler said in 2006 they added an open rodeo to boost attendance.
“It’s an opportunity to bring in professional riders,” she said.
The open rodeo is Thursday night, and Edler said she expects about 30 riders in each of the eight events. The club will pay out the top five to six winners in each event.
“Riders must pay to compete,” she said
The main events require a $75 entry fee, and the less-professional events are $45.
“So, the more people compete, the more people will get paid,” she said.
But students aren’t doing it for the money.
Friday night’s student rodeo will feature the most amateur riders competing for trophies, belt buckles, and other prizes.
Todd Cooper, agriculture business senior, said fellow students are simply checking off what’s on many southerners’ bucket lists. And yes, cowboys will be thrown off bulls.
“Most guys are doing it so they can have a story to tell,” he said. “It’s something most people are afraid to do.”
Bourg said the dangerous events offer spectators nail-biting entertainment.
“The adrenaline rush you get from some of these events is probably comparable to sky-diving or bungee jumping,” she said.
Edler said of all the events, bull riding remains spectators’ favorite.
“If there’s any chance of someone getting hurt, people will want to watch it,” she said.
Cowboys are not the only brave contenders.
Frat guys in tennis shoes and short have mounted the bull for the experience. And Dainty girls have chased goats and won.
Stephanie Hutchinson, recent alumna, said she is proud to be a 4-time goat-chasing winner.
“I should put it on my resume,” she said.
The fairest of them all, Hutchinson is also the 2008 Rodeo Queen, a tradition since the first student rodeo.
And while most of the crowd will be “yee-hawin’” and covering their eyes as cowboys fly through the air, three girls will be biting their nails awaiting the announcement of the 2009 Rodeo Queen.
“I will be handing down my crown Friday night,” she said.
Contestants performed horsemanship and answered equine questions last night among judges for the Rodeo Queen title and $500 scholarship.
From the rodeo clowns to the rodeo queens, the savory concessions, and the heart-pumping events, rodeo attendants will be partying until the cows come home.

No More Fat Talk

Anastasia Chellino leads discussion on body image in LSU Museum of Art.

Last week women across the nation took a vow of silence. They weren’t protesting or entering the nunnery either.
These women were supporting Delta Delta Delta National Fraternity’s first international positive body image campaign. How? No more fat talk.
Fat Talk Free Week is Tri Delta’s newest addition to its eating disorders prevention program, Reflections: Body Image Program. Reflection’s mission is to help women achieve a healthy mind, body, and spirit. And Fat Talk Free Week is Tri Delta’s first attack on American culture’s unrealistic body image standards.
According to Tri Delta, fat talk refers to “statements that explicitly or implicitly reinforce the unattainable thin-ideal standard of female beauty promoted by our culture.”
Examples include: “I am so fat,” “Look at these fat rolls,” and “She’d be prettier if she lost weight.”
Even compliments like, “you look great, have you lost weight?” are considered fat talk because they endorse the thin ideal.
Anastasia Chellino, Pennington Biomedical Research Center graduate assistant, said the idea that thinner is better is an illusion.
“So many compliments are attributed to weight,” Chellino said. “There really is no standard (body-type).”
And according to Tri Delta research, fashion models are thinner than 98% of women. So why are women striving to reach such an unrealistic goal of skin and bones?
Chellino would tell you that fat talk has played a big part.
She said fat talk has become second nature for most women, who attribute the negative conversation to the ways in which they view their bodies.
“A study showed that three to five minutes of fat talk among women disturbed body image thoughts,” she said.
Tri Delta’s hope is that eliminating fat talk will reduce women’s negative body images. But daunting statistics tower over this counter-cultural approach.
Tri Delta research found the following:
-50% of women ages 18-25 would rather be hit but a truck than be considered fat.
-60% of adolescent girls are trying to lose weight through unhealthy habits.
- At least 10 million females suffer from anorexia or bulimia.
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So is shutting up the best way to beat this contagious body image epidemic?
LSU decided to try another approach…art.
Last Thursday, LSU Museum of Art hosted an exhibit in correlation with Fat Talk Free Week. LSU’s Tri Delta members attended the event located on the fifth floor of the Shaw Center, where they browsed art and discussed effects of fat talk.
Lara Geautrau, LSU Museum of Art education curator, said their collection of Julie Cooper’s photography symbolized female body image.
She said although the photo series “Women in Red” features women of varying ages and body types, it portrays a similar level of confidence in each woman.
“They all look fabulous and proud,” she said.
The museum’s permanent collection offered a historical view of body image. Two hundred-year-old portraits of women hang along the walls of the museum, revealing corseted waists.
Gautrau said these women prove how long women have been dealing with self-esteem issues.
“They had ribs removed!” she said.
She said she hopes the art would influence attendants to think about changes in fashion and how women are represented.
Dressed in heels and high-waisted skirts, the college girls analyzed the extinct fashion and beauty ideals within the old paintings.
Chellino led the group discussion and reminded attendants that physicality is inconsistent.
“So you shouldn’t base your life on something that’s always changing,” she told attendants.
She told the girls to find self-confidence in other areas of their lives.
“Latch on to what makes you different,” she said. “Healthy looks different for everyone.”
Chellino also reminded the girls of the effects of fat talk.
“Negative thoughts about your body disable you to see your full potential,” she said.
The college women raised their hands eager to share their frustrations about the pressure to be thin.
Erin McCormick, biology senior and LSU Tri Delta president, said girls put too much pressure on themselves.
“We’re too critical about our bodies when usually no one else is being critical toward us,” she said.
The girls agreed and shifted the conversation to ways they can reduce fat talk.
“Try to find a compliment instead,” Chellino said.
Geatrau said she has two young daughters, and reducing fat talk is more difficult as a mother.
“It’s like trying to stop cussing after you give birth,” she said.
The girls laughed and discussed the challenge in breaking the fat-talk habit.
But McCormick said Tri Deltas at LSU have done their best during the week of silence.
She said she passed out a list of ways to decrease fat talk at their weekly meetings.
“I’ve noticed a difference around the house,” she said.

Abortion survivor shares testimony with students and locals

Gianna Jessen shares her survivor story with LSU Students for Life members and interested Baton Rouge locals.

A short woman hobbled over to the microphone as the audience hushed. “I have the gift of Cerebral Palsy,” she said through a bright smile. The corners of her eyes wrinkled as she began telling her life’s story to an intrigued crowd.
Gianna Jessen’s upbeat voice echoed through Dodson Auditorium last night as she gave her testimony. LSU’s pro-life student organization Students for Life invited Jessen to speak because of one unbelievable fact…she survived an abortion.
“Born during saline abortion” is what her birth record reads, said Jessen, who after 18 hours of being burned alive in her mother’s womb, was born at a fatal 2 lbs. The saline-salt solution permanently damaged her brain, causing her Cerebral Palsy (CP), which she now considers a “gift.”
Jessen said doctors placed her in emergency foster care and doubted her survival until a woman took her in after one and a half years. Three years later, the woman’s daughter adopted Jessen and cared for her through leg braces and physical therapy sessions.
Since age 14, Jessen, now 32 has shared her testimony with world leaders, governments, pro-life organizations, and Christian and youth ministries.
Annette Denton, philosophy sophomore and Students for Life president, said Jessen’s powerful testimony personalizes pro-life topics.
“She brings a face to the issue (of abortion),” Denton said.
With black hair and fire-red lipstick, Jessen looks like a healthy vibrant woman from the waist up. But CP has given her a limp, which Jessen said she now sees as “gorgeous.”
Denton said Jessen’s most inspiring trait is her ability to embrace struggles.
Jessen referred to her parentless childhood and others’ ridicule as “great training” for her present purpose in life.
She said she feels it important to speak “the truth” about abortion.
“Most people think it’s about female rights,” she said. “If it is, then, where were mine?”
Jessen said her 17-year-old mother chose abortion during her third trimester.
“Most Americans don’t know abortions happen all nine months,” Jessen said.
Some people see Jessen as a role model for all people, not just pro-life citizens.
Mother Theresa recognized Jessen’s purpose as God’s way of reminding “each human that they are special to Him,” Denton said when introducing Jessen.
But Jessen said she does not like the term “special.”
Lowering her voice, Jessen squinted her eyes and said, “I am not a victim.”
In a matter-of-fact tone, Jessen said she did not want others to make decisions for her.
“A victim mentality leads to tyranny,” she said.
Listeners engaged in Jessen’s wisdom. Some jotted down notes, while others brought their fingertips to their lips in contemplation.
“I don’t want to be seen for my limping,” said Jessen, who has completed 2 marathons on her toes.
Raising her eyebrows Jessen said, “Since my life has been pretty snuffed down since the beginning, I live with a lot of passion.” Her tone ascended as she smiled.
When Jessen opened the floor for questions, timid students raised their hands eager to go deeper. Some got personal, but most went the political route.
Jessen said she has invited Obama to have a conversation, but he has not yet responded. She said she has so much to say and is astounded by his ability to make big decisions without much feeling.
Jessica Dupuy, religious studies freshman, agreed Obama is not sensitive to abortion topics.
“Obama says he listens to it, but he seems so ignorant to it,” she said.
Dupuy thinks Jessen’s story will capture Obama’s attention the same way it has for listeners.
When one student asked how she deals with her disability, Jessen instantly replied.
“Humor,” Jessen said. “I have a lot of laughter.”
She giggled, causing attendants to grow in laughter until the entire auditorium filled with chuckles.
Continuing the comedy, Jessen advertised her biography Gianna Jessen: Aborted and Lived to Tell about it by Jessica Shaver.
“10 bucks; it’ll help with the physical therapy,” she said as she playfully winked.
She said she has an upcoming autobiography to which she is excited to give a “witty title.”
Attendants stood and applauded as Jessen shuffled to a desk where she chatted with fans and signed books.

Around the World in 180 Days

Chimes features 130 international beers and over 50 on tap.

Shiny, gold plaques covering nestled sections of dark oak walls twinkle in the dim, bar light. Who do these engraved names belong to? The world-class beer drinkers of Baton Rouge.
Since 1988, thousands of locals have been leaping across the pond, down under, and all around the world as a part of The Chimes’ Around the World Beer Tasting challenge.
Wade Heyman, Chimes co-manager, said contestants must purchase and drink 60 beers from 20 different countries within six months to be added to their hall of fame.
He said Around the World attracts about 100 participants each year, which boosts business and adds to Chimes’ character.
“We’re currently the only bar that offers this system,” Heyman said. “It gives us a little edge.”
Heyman said with one beer-taster comes friends and family. And with the beer-drinking, come the munchies, which increases both food and beverage sales.
Heyman said one participant kept all receipts, which totaled $1,100.
“It (Around the World) keeps people coming in,” he said. “We get a lot of residual business from it.”
He also said the customer input updates the Chimes wide selection of 180 beers.
“It keeps our beers constantly rotating on and off the shelf,” he said. “We want what customers want.”
And with such a wide selection, actually choosing the beer may be the biggest mountain to climb during the trek.
Stephanie Bueche, Chimes special events coordinator, said the contest offers people a chance to try something new.
“People buy beers they normally wouldn’t drink,” she said.
From Belgium’s darkest beer to the most exotic ales, Around the World is not meant for Natty-bingers, and Bud-light junkies.
Heyman said the average participant age is in the late twenties because most college kids do not have a developed palette for international beers.
But Quentin Manuel, general studies senior, started Around the World last year in celebration of his 21st birthday.
He finished last spring and now has the t-shirt to prove it.
“My plaque should be coming in October,” he said.
The reasons vary, said Heyman. And while many do it for the free t-shirt, most do it for their name in print.
Stephanie Bueche, Chimes special events coordinator, agreed and said many come back just to show off their plaque.
“People from the early ‘90’s will come in to point it out,” she said.
But Manuel said he did it for the same reason he’s in school…education.
“I wanted to be a better-educated consumer,” he said.
And since completing the challenge, Manuel has proudly coined himself as a “smug” when it comes to beer.
“I’m almost 22, and I know a lot more about beer than most people,” he said.

Three years a lineman, first game a fullback

Richard Dugas (center) and his father Robert Dugas are proud to be Tigers as they have both played offensive lineman positions..

“Doog!” shouted LSU running backs coach, Larry Porter. A boxy player on the sidelines felt a nervous kick in his stomach as he heard his nickname called over crowd’s hum. He didn’t hesitate.
Richard Dugas trotted onto the field as the Tigers’ newest fullback for the first time Saturday night in LSU’s first game against Washington University.
Dugas described the experience as fulfilling a duty.
“I knew what I had to do,” he said. “I went in and got the job done.”
And as the 270-lb. athlete marched into battle four more times, he was nerve-free. Dugas said he owes this laid-back attitude to years of experience as an offensive lineman.
Dugas played four years of high school football at Pius X High School in Lincoln, Neb. where he was raised. In addition to center, he played defensive nose guard and special team’s long snapper.
He said this versatility helped him make a smooth transition from offensive lineman to fullback.
“I used to joke with my coaches to hand me the ball,” he said.
But what used to be a punch line is now a reality for Dugas, who was re-positioned as fullback in Spring. Now he has a shot at carrying the ball.
Three sideline-standing years as a walk-on didn’t even lend enough time for Dugas to imagine that.
Dugas said he never pictured himself as anything other than lineman.
“My dad says, ‘you’re still a lineman until you actually touch the ball,” Dugas said.
And he agrees with his father, Robert Dugas who also played offensive lineman for LSU in the late ‘70’s.
Robert Dugas later pursued sports medicine as the Nebraska Cornhuskers’ Orthopedic Surgeon, introducing his Tiger-blooded family to the cornfields.
But Baton Rouge-born Dugas (Richard) was proud to be an avid Tiger fan among the Cornhuskers.
“I would always pick to watch LSU over Nebraska,” he said. “I liked the tempo of LSU.”
When an invitation to walk on the LSU football team came in January 2006, Dugas’ said he “didn’t think twice.”
Dugas juggled offers from AA and D-2 schools. But the small chance to play as an LSU Tiger was worth more to Dugas than the promise of playing many games at the other schools.
What attracted Dugas to LSU was more than the southern spirit he heard his parents, LSU alumni, reminisce about.
Dugas said his path to Death Valley was paved long before he was born when his father was making LSU football history.
Robert Dugas was recognized as first team All-SEC and All-American in 1978 and was elected into the LSU Hall of Fame in 1990.
He said he is proud to see his son live a dream because he knows the feeling well.
“It’s exciting for him to accomplish something he wanted to do, to be able to play when it counted,” he said.
He offers his son the same wisdom he lived by as an LSU football player.
“I always tell him to do what they ask of you plus more,” he said.
He said his 30 years of living and breathing football taught him the same lesson.
“Those who did the right thing got the reward,” he said.
Younger Dugas said playing in just one game would be reward enough.
Three number changes and a back and knee injury mark the day-in-day-out work he put in as a walk-on.
“When it got hard, my family motivated me,” he said.
Dugas tore his ACL during a spring scrimmage, but he said he refused to let the injury interrupt his climb to the top. After one month of rehab, he was running again, and after three months, Dugas regained full-speed.
His dad agreed his recovery was remarkable.
“It’s been as good as we could hope, especially to be able to handle the rigors of training camp,” he said.
Now, fully recovered Dugas struts each game in his new number, 45, hoping to carry a ball.
He said he jokes with coaches about keeping him a secret until a big game when they can sneak him out from the backfield.
But last time Dugas joked, the coaches listened.
He admits he has far-fetched dreams of scoring in Death Valley, but for now, Dugas lives comfortably in reality.
“Just gotta block for the running back for now,” he said. “Touchdowns will come.”

Sushi gives “tiger-bait” a whole new meaning.

Students slowed their enthusiastic jaunts when entering Tiger Stadium Saturday. Some did double-takes and some just stared in disbelief at the new pink and white arrows pointing them to Tiger Concessions’ newest addition…sushi.
Hello Sushi restaurant now serves edamame and sushi rolls in seven concession stands, offering students and fans a new type of football-watching snack
The idea came naturally to Cong Nguyen, Hello Sushi head chef, when he attended his first game last year.
“I just thought sushi would sell well here,” he said.
Hello Sushi co-owner Angela Finch said the staff wants to offer a twist to the typical football cuisine.
“We just want to add an alternative and more healthy choices,” she said.
Finch said Tiger Concessions supported the idea.
“They thought we would fit right in,” she said.
But in Tiger Stadium, home of the alcohol-absorbing sausage po-boy, some remain apprehensive.
Abby Fraoli, economics senior and faithful football game attendant, questions the sushi success.
She said after a long day of tailgating and beer-drinking, most people want red meat and bread.
“So how are they (Hello Sushi) satisfying their target audience? Most people want burgers,” she said.
Kathleen Hoffman, kinesiology junior, agreed and said she fits comfortably in the assumed demographic.
“I love sushi,” she said. “But at an LSU game, I’d rather have a good Tiger dog.”
But Stephanie Hill, Tiger Concessions accountant, said Tiger Concessions added Hello Sushi because of its student-concentrated clientele.
“We thought they (Hello Sushi) would do well because they are located so close to campus, and mostly students eat there,” she said.
Hill also said Tiger Concessions reserved four booths for Hello Sushi near the student section to gauge the sushi-loving generation.
But the first game, most students stuck to their hot dogs and nachos.
After a rainy, not-so-profitable first home football game, Finch said Hello Sushi staff made some changes.
“Now we have our head chef actually rolling sushi in one of the booths,” she said. “And we have four more booths this game.”
Finch said she thought the second game would be more successful. And it was.
“We ran out!” She said.
By the end of the first quarter, Ngyuen was wiping his brow after rolling enough sushi to re-stock the sold out booths.
Finch said she has word-of-mouth advertising and responsive Tiger fans to thank for the turn-around.
She also said sushi’s popularity has been a reliable force.
“Sushi’s pretty mainstream these days,” she said.
And the second game’s customers proved her right.
Tiger-baiters, Boudin-callers, trendy girls, frat guys-no one walked up to the sushi stand in shame.
Spicy crawfish rolls and super California rolls were sold left and right, while skeptics shed their doubts.
“This kicks ass, dude!” One surprised fan told Hello Sushi crew.
Kids begged parents for money to buy sushi. Even a boyfriend begged his girlfriend to stop for a sushi fix.
And some welcomed the little boxes of one-inch thick sushi slices with extra cash.
Brooke Banta, French junior and Hello Sushi server, said one guy tipped $2.
Banta said working the football games is perfect because she makes money, eats sushi, and occasionally watches the game.
“It’s a win-win,” she said.
Finch agreed the upbeat atmosphere makes the 8-hour shift go by quickly.
“Time flies, especially when we’re busy like this,” she said.
Finch said sushi will attract more customers with each game.
“Florida will be the best game to gauge,” she said.
Hello Sushi concession stands are located near sections 224, 242, 413, 403, 203, and 300.