Tigers for the Tide
By Olivia Vidal
LSU students donate backpacks and toiletries for tornado victims in Alabama.
BATON ROUGE–Students donate backpacks filled with toiletries to help with relief efforts for those affected by the tornado in Tuscaloosa, Ala. on April 27.
The tornado relief effort is called ‘Tigers for the Tide’ and LSU student Claire Biggs came up with the event because she wanted to help out.
“I’m not going to have any use for my backpack anymore, so I started asking senior to donate their backpacks,” Biggs said. “And in the past three days, you know, 200 people have already confirmed to give me their backpacks.”
Biggs began by making a Facebook event called “Collecting Backpacks for Alabama tornado victims! Please help!” LSU student government thought it was a great idea and decided to change the name to Tigers for the Tide.
“I just want to do what I can to help and it’s not…it costs no money to just put all this stuff together and send it over,” Biggs said.
Biggs hopes to bring the backpacks to Tuscaloosa some time between May 14 and May 20.
“We’re hopefully going to go up that week and just drop everything off, and hopefully volunteer for a day if we can,” Biggs said.
Biggs said the SEC town is in need of major items. Things like bedding, batteries, baby formula and clothing are luxury items. Other needs consist of:
– Toothbrushes and toothpaste
– Shampoo
– Flashlights
– Sunscreen and bug-spray
– First aid kits
– Feminine products
– Toilet paper
– Hand sanitizer
– Deodorant
But Tigers for the Tide is willing to take anything anyone brings to donate.
“Just little things that we use everyday that we don’t even think are important but that they really need,” Biggs said.
Biggs said money is “obviously great if you can give it,” but she doesn’t expect to get much of it. “We want to make sure that they have stuff they need now. The people don’t have homes anymore or anywhere to go, so toiletries and necessities…that’s a big thing we’re mainly collecting.”
Southern Louisiana fortunately dodged the devastating storms in April, but if Baton Rouge had been hit, the city would not be prepared.
LSU Vice Chancellor D’Ann Morris is also the Interim Director of LSU’s Emergency Operations. She said it’s important for the people of Louisiana to understand that education is key.
“Preparing yourself mentally for things and not thinking that it can’t happen to me is critical,” Morris said.
She also said that you have to wait until the event is over in order to assess the situation and damage done. “Because in a tornado, or a hurricane, you have no idea where it’s going to go, when it’s going to hit or who it’s going to affect.”
Claire said she has been receiving a ton of emails, phone calls and messages from people all over.
“It’s kind of taking my mind off the stress of finding a job and finishing up with school,” she said. “People are coming up going, you know, ‘I have friends there and my friend almost died.’ Almost everyone that I know that knows someone has lost someone,” Biggs said.
Biggs said teachers at LSU and around Baton Rouge have called her wanting to help with the efforts. “People from Texas and Indiana want to give us stuff.”
Even though the rivalry between LSU and Alabama is strong, it is nearly forgotten as Tigers for the Tide help its fellow SEC opponent.
“I get emails from people in Alabama saying ‘Thank you so much. It’s so nice to see the SEC rivalry doesn’t matter,’” Biggs said. And Biggs, who isn’t much of a football fan, said, “And I was like ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about, but OK thanks!”
If you are interested in donating to Tigers for the Tide, bring backpacks and toiletries to room 358A on the third floor of the Student Union on LSU’s campus before May 20.
Local tow company gets bad reputation
By Olivia Vidal
BATON ROUGE– Claims against Riverside Towing engaging in predatory towing seem to be unlawful, but the tow company said they are just performing their public responsibility.
Riverside Towing employee Angela Chapman said if people park where they are supposed to, then they would never have to deal with the tow company.
Towing fees are also a complaint among those who have been towed. Signs warn drivers and customers that the minimum tow fee is $102.
Chapman said the fees are set by the Louisiana Public Service Commission and not by Riverside Towing.
Angered citizens in the area signed a petition to end predatory towing. The petition received 1,021 signatures within the first three weeks of its existence.
LSU grad student Spencer Drury created a Facebook group to bring people together to share their experiences of being towed by Riverside.
“It makes an impact when this many people come forth and say ‘hey this has been my experience, this is how I feel about it, something has to be done about it,'” Drury said.
She also said if anyone has complaints, send them to alicec@lpsc.org and include your contact information along with a brief statement.
To see places where Riverside tows, check out the interactive map by clicking the link below.
http://www.zeemaps.com/pub?group=225089
Like what you heard? Watch more from my interview with Spencer Drury.
School of Music and LPO pair up to bring scholarship money
By Olivia Vidal
BATON ROUGE—The LSU College of Music and Dramatic Arts (CMDA) announced on March 17 the collaboration with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO). The new partnership will benefit both groups and bring in money for student scholarships.
CMDA Communications and Marketing Coordinator Ronette Boshea said just yesterday staff from the LPO came to campus to check out the space in the Union Theatre for a concert in May. The theatre will allow an 85 to 90 piece group to perform, Boshea said.
Pairing up with the LPO isn’t the only thing that is being brought to the CMDA. The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Grant will benefit the school in bringing more money to its scholarship programs.
The $40,000 grant will help start up the partnership between the two groups as well as the efforts for scholarship fundraising.
“The proceeds from the concerts go to the scholarship drive,” Boshea said. “About 1.2 million dollars has been lost in scholarship money over the years.”
This loss in funds has made a huge impact on the School of Music, especially with wanting to bring in students from abroad to study at LSU.
“There is less money available for scholarships because of cut backs at the university,” Boshea said. “Two million dollars needs to be replaced.”
This summer, the CMDA and LPO will try to work out other collaborations and come up with more ideas for things to do, such as more concerts, classes, LSU musicians performing with the LPO and faculty members performing in New Orleans with the LPO.
Boshea said the collaboration of the two groups also receives support from the Baton Rouge Symphony.
“These three groups cross paths a lot,” Boshea said. “It’s a great opportunity for students to perform with a professional group and to formalize those cultural connections.”
The LSU School of Music is one of the best music schools nationally, according to Schoolaah.com, a website designed for college and university rankings.
In order to save that reputation, the school’s joint effort to raise money with the LPO will help bring in more scholarship money, students, along with learning and performance opportunities.
“Trying to maintain that level of scholarship funds is what we’re trying to do,” Boshea said.
The scholarship benefit concert featuring the LPO with support from the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra will perform May 5 in the LSU Student Union Theater with Gustav Mahler’s “Symphony No. 7.” The LPO will also reside at the School of Music for the whole month of May.
Student shares her cancer experience
By Olivia Vidal
BATON ROUGE– An LSU student found out she had the beginning stages of cervical cancer, a statistic that is rare for a woman under the age of 30.
Sarah Navoy, a senior at LSU, learned in January that she had cervical dysplasia. Precancerous abnormal cells were found on her cervix.
Cervical cancer is caused by a type of human papillomavirus (HPV) contracted through sexual activity. HPV infects both men and women, and most don’t even know they have the virus.
Navoy said she was healthy and had a boyfriend of almost one year. Getting cervical cancer was something she never expected. She now shares her story with women’s groups and sororities around Baton Rouge, urging them to schedule an appointment with their doctor.
Gynecologist at the Women’s Health Clinic on LSU’s campus, Dr. Philip Hindelang, said while HPV is common, getting cervical cancer is uncommon among women between the ages of 21 and 30. Especially women under the age of 21.
“Getting a regular pap smear every year, coming annually you can still pick up other problems,” Hindelang said.
How much do you know about HPV and cervical cancer? TAKE THE QUIZ HERE!
Historic Baton Rouge
By Olivia Vidal
BATON ROUGE– The Foundation for Historic Louisiana Preservation works to save important homes and buildings from being demolished.
The Foundation is located in the Old Governor’s Mansion in downtown Baton Rouge, a building that was preserved by the Foundation.
With all the political, cultural and social history in Louisiana, some of the buildings date back to the late 1700s. These places have all played a role in shaping the culture and personality of Baton Rouge.
Director for the Foundation Erin Brush said they are working to renovate the Lincoln Theater in South Baton Rouge, along with an apartment complex in historic Spanish Town.
“We save these buildings because they’re beautiful and because they tell stories,” Brush said. “They’re a part of us.”
2010 Census shows EBR most populated in La.
BATON ROUGE– The 2010 U.S. Census data showed an increase in East Baton Rouge Parish’s population making it the most populated parish in Louisiana.
The population of East Baton Rouge Parish increased from 412,852 in 2000 to 440,171 in 2010, knocking Orleans Parish out of its “most populated” spot.
Mayor President Kip Holden of East Baton Rouge Parish said the Parish will get more money and with more money will come renovations to the city.
Holden said the amount of money EBR may receive depends on the state’s budget. “[We have to] work with our Congressional delegation, work with our legislative caucus and say ‘Hey guys, we can’t continue to have status quo. You have to help us move forward.”
While working with the government, Holden is optimistic that EBR Parish will benefit from the population growth. “[We’re] trying to take care of a myriad of problems, but we feel very confident we can do it,” Mayor Holden said.
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Going under the knife… with an iPhone
BATON ROUGE– A new iPhone application released Feb. 1 gives those considering plastic surgery the chance to see if going under the knife is something they may want and can afford.
Plastic surgeon, Dr. Jonathan Kaplan, at the Center for Reconstructive and Cosmetic Surgery, is the mind behind the new app ‘Build My Bod.’ His idea, he said, would provide potential patients with a digital menu at their fingertips.
Build My Bod gives both men and women the costs for almost every procedure a plastic surgeon offers. Doctors all over the country can upload their prices and procedures to the application’s website. iPhone users can pull up the closest doctor by entering their zip code.
Advertising Department Head at LSU Dr. Lance Porter said, “It’s easier to consume media on a mobile device with an app.” Porter, who also has a strong background in digital media, said web browsing “is not a very good experience.”
Porter said soon web browsing will be a thing of the past and more people will turn to their mobile devices to the custom apps. “It puts consumers more in control of their choices,” Porter said.
There has been more than 1 billion downloaded applications from the iTunes app store since its existence. Apps, such as Build My Bod, are among many, and are becoming wildly popular among iPhone and other mobile users.
-Olivia Vidal
Standby…
Ah, nothing like starting a fresh semester at LSU. Especially when it’s my last semester of college!
Check back over the next few months to see my work from my capstone broadcast class.
-Olivia
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