LSU Lost 10-3, but I Still Love My Tigers

As I am writing this, the LSU Tigers are down 10-2 to TCU in the College World Series.

It's a nightmare.

A Louisiana summer afternoon storm blew over our home in the seventh inning, with just enough rain to block the satellite coverage. Normally I would be outraged, but now I am grateful. I don't feel obligated to watch this meltdown unfold more. 

It's a heartache that LSU fans know all too well, come post-season.*

Notre Dame beat LSU with a field goal at the Music City Bowl, 31-28. LSU Gymnastics - which was expected to easily dance into the Super Six, and even win the National Championship - wobbled on the beam when it mattered the most. LSU Basketball finally made it to the tournament... only to lose a double-digit lead in the first game. The women's team also lost in the first round.

After these devastating losses you can surely expect to see the following things said about the coaches on social media:

"Les Miles is an IDIOT! Why would anyone mismanage the clock like that?!" 

"Johnny Jones BLEW IT! How can you possibly give up a game like that?!"

Even worse is when I read about the players.

"Anthony Jennings is an embarrassment to LSU! He should transfer!" 

"Why all the hype about Leonard Fournette? He's a lousy football player!"

And I'm sure, after today, I will read something like this:

"Jared Poche SUCKS! What a loser! He blew the game!"

It's like they've forgotten all the times these men and women have given glory to LSU. It's like they've forgotten these STUDENT-athletes must juggle all the stress that comes with studying for at least 12 hours of classes, as well as the anxiety that comes with an entire state watching your every move on the field or court.

To all my favorite social media complainers out there, let me ask you a simple question.

Why do you cheer for the Tigers?

Is it because you grew up watching the Tigers with your parents? Is it because you're from Baton Rouge, and that's what you do when you live in the Red Stick? Is it because you're a student, and you take classes with these players? Is it because you earned a degree from Louisiana's flagship university? Is it because your love LSU with all your heart and the thought of any Tiger facing defeat eats your up inside?

For me, it's all of the above. It's because I have the fondest memories listening to Jim Hawthorne calling the College World Series in the '90s with my mother. It's because I vividly remember walking into Death Valley and Alex Box for the very first time, and being blown away by their beauty. It's because LSU, with all her passion and youth, gives life to the city of Baton Rouge. It's because my time under those stately oaks and broad magnolias evoke a nostalgia so strong it warms and aches my heart simultaneously. It's because I take pride in my degree.

It's because I love my university, I love my city and I love my Tigers.

And even when I scream in frustration and even when tears roll down my face in disappointment, I still love my Tigers.

As I wrap this up, the storm has cleared and the TV is back on. LSU lost, 10-3.

It's not over yet. The Tigers play again on Tuesday. 

Let's geaux.

*LSU Softball made a valiant effort in the Women's College World Series, finishing third. LSU Men's Golf won the National Championship. So we do have something to celebrate.

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Why I Used To Hate LSU SG, or How Helen Frink Changed My Mind

Spring 2012. I was excited to begin writing for LSU's student newspaper, The Daily Reveille. My editor told me I would be covering student government for the semester. I knew little about SG (except that it provided free scantrons - hollahhhh), so I had a lot to learn, especially since elections were quickly approaching.

Within weeks, I lost any respect I had for the organization. Members showed up drunk to legislative meetings, openly slept at their desks and gossiped about each other. With the election came dirty campaigning. Someone actually told me a story off-the-record that began with, "They met at the clock tower at dawn." One presidential candidate, who lost the runoff, threw his support haphazardly to one ticket, only to rescind it, calling me a liar who crafted fake quotes for stories. Another losing candidate bullied me on Twitter.

*Note: There were a few members who were exceptions to these crazy stories. They genuinely cared about the future of LSU; SG wasn't just a line on a resume to them. And thankfully, the two students who ended up winning the positions of president and vice president were friendly, passionate people who wanted what was best for LSU. They deserved to win.

Many LSU students have negative views of SG, if they have an opinion about the organization at all. And who can really blame them? Over the course of my time at LSU, there have been less and less bad apples in SG, but unfortunately, those bad apples are usually the most vocal.

SG members have tens of thousands of dollars at their hands, and the right people in office really could make a difference at LSU. However, I had grown so pessimistic toward SG I thought none of the good members would have the courage to stand up and change the SG's culture.

And then I met Helen Frink.

Helen was one year younger than me when she pledged my sorority. She lit up the room with her energy, and wanted to get involved in college right away. She joined SG, and (with my attitude toward SG), I believed that her voice would be drowned out by all the negative leaders. But she never gave up. She created many bills, including one that put sustainable water fountains all over campus. She never gave up on her ideas, and made sure she was making LSU a better place than how she found it.

Having noticed that past candidates followed a stereotype (white male presidential candidate, paired with a white female vice presidential candidate, both of whom were typically Greek), and that they handpicked their friends to run with them, Helen flipped the table.

Helen Frink decided to run for LSU SG president, the first woman to do so in recent memory.

She picked a well-spoken, intelligent and detail-oriented man to run with her for vice president. I've only met Wesley Davis a few times, but just in those few minutes, he's convinced me that he has the drive and initiative to get things done.

Then, Helen and Wesley turned to the student body to listen to their concerns about SG. They visited 37 organizations, allowed students to sit in a "hot seat" on campus to voice their ideas, and listened to students for a total of 1,987 minutes. After getting ideas from actual students, then they drafted initiatives. And if elected, they won't stop there. Helen has promised to hold open office hours and will listen to any student who will come in. She has promised to take those concerns to make LSU a better place for all.

Helen is different from any other person I've met in SG. She understands the potential that SG has, and she also understands that SG has a tendency to put up blinders to the majority of students. She wants to listen, and she wants to make her time at LSU matter. Helen is genuine, she is honest and she has integrity. Helen doesn't just say she's passionate, she shows she's passionate. She has fantastic ideas, is great at delegating tasks, and knows how to unite a team of different people together toward a common goal. Helen wants to be LSU SG president because she wants to represent ALL students.

For the first time since first coming on this campus, I believe that SG can benefit LSU, if only Helen Frink becomes president.

You can vote through your Moodle accounts, or at this link: http://students.lsu.edu/sg/elections. Polls close at midnight.
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An Open Letter to Louisiana Legislators: Stop Higher Ed Budget Cuts

An alumna concerned about the future of LSU, I recently signed up to be a "Tiger Advocate." The LSU Alumni Association grassroots campaign urges LSU alumni to contact their state legislators and urge them to stop higher education budget cuts. After signing up online, a database will point you toward contact information for your respective representatives. I emailed my state senator, Rick Ward, and my state representative, Kenny Havard with the following email:


"Dear Louisiana Legislators,

I am writing to express my concerns about the potential devastating higher education budget cuts. I believe that these cuts could not only harm college students, but also the state of Louisiana. I also believe that you can help stop the cuts.

We have something in common; we both attended LSU. If your experience was anything like mine, you know that LSU is committed to excellence, both in and out of the classroom. My degree from LSU is one of the things I am most proud of, because I know that piece of paper holds credibility to my name. My degree also represents all the wonderful memories I made at the university, from pledging my sorority to cheering on the Tigers in Death Valley. 

President F. King Alexander recently said that if Gov. Jindal proceeds with cutting millions of dollars to higher education, about 1,400 classes and 27 percent of faculty positions would have to be cut. Let's imagine for a moment that those classes and faculty had been cut my freshman year. What if one of those classes had been Film and Media Arts 2001 - the very class in which I met the love of my life? Or what if one of those faculty members had been Dr. Lisa Lundy, the woman who mentored me in a one-year thesis research project? Life for me would be much different. I wouldn't have met my boyfriend, and I wouldn't have all the wonderful memories associated with him. I probably wouldn't be enrolled in LSU's Graduate School, because I previously thought I hated research. But, Dr. Lundy showed me that research can be fun, and my research can help causes I believe in. 

Thankfully, LSU survived cut after cut after cut during my undergraduate years. However, it pains me to imagine what I might miss out on in my graduate years if we suffer an incision deeper than any before. Worst still is the thought that Louisiana high school juniors and seniors may leave the state after graduation in hopes of a more secure college education. 

I tell you all of this to urge you to do everything in your power to have courage and stand up to Gov. Jindal. Tell him you will not support cuts to higher education. I understand that our convoluted constitution does not make it easy to stop cuts to higher education, but there are other ways to save LSU and other colleges. Please get creative, and make a stand. Please urge your fellow state legislators to do the same. I wish you the best, and I look forward to your reply.

Thank you for your public service,
Danielle Kelley"

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How LSU Changed Me Forever

August, 2011. I moved into West Laville Honors Hall, ready to start anew. High school left me tired, angry and bored. I anticipated the memories I would make, the friends I would meet and the classes I would take. None of it had happened yet, which made it most exciting. I began the fresh start immediately.

I rushed. I met wonderful women in all ten Panhellenic sororities, and I found my home in ZTA. I pledged to be loyal, considerate and loving to my new sisters. I learned the secrets. I made the house my home. Those girls became my sisters after sharing closets, memories and stories. We walked the lakes together, we celebrated together, we studied together. I held a sister's hand when she ended a destructive relationship. I cried when she was hurt. We told jokes and pulled pranks. I lounged in the front yard, adored our housekeeper and laughed loudly at all hours of the night.

I enrolled in classes. I received a 'D' on my very first college paper, a wake-up call for the egocentric high school valedictorian. I met with my professor. I took notes. I listened to feedback. I learned there is always room for improvement. I finished MC 2011 with an 'A.'

I went to every home football game. I tailgated. I learned to like beer. I stood on bleachers in the burning sun, chanting, "Geaux!" until my voice was hoarse. I sweated in sundresses and sandals, and swore nothing, absolutely nothing, could cheer a soul like those hallowed four notes in pregame. I watched Tigers like Reid, Claiborne, Mingo, Mathieu, Randle, Ware, Landry, Hill and Beckham, Jr. become legends. I watched in disbelief when the Tide felled the Tigers. I got upset. I got real upset. Then, I remembered there's more to a college than its football team, and in my case there was a lot more to LSU than its football team. I stormed the field. I sang. I cheered. I cried while singing the Alma Mater for the last time, arms wrapped around my sisters, because there's no place like Louisiana State University.

I took my parents' advice and "got involved." I wrote for The Daily Reveille. My sisters elected me to ZTA's executive council. Twice. I studied abroad for a summer in Ireland.  I represented the Manship School in a purple polo and recruited future students. I landed a few internships. I listened to lectures and concerts, watched movies and plays and volunteered for the community.

I met a boy in class. He walked me from Coates to the Union. He took me to the Northgate for our first date. We picnicked on the Parade Grounds. We danced at Groovin'. We learned everything about each other in Alex Box, on the Indian Mounds and in Middleton. He pinned his fraternity badge on me. I fell in love.

I met people from faraway, mysterious places like England, Bangladesh, New York, California, Missouri... and the North Shore. I laughed until tears leaked down my cheeks, clutching my ribs. I learned much about my major, and the more I knew, the more I understood I actually know very little. I questioned my faith. I ran back to God, quickly. I re-evaluated my political beliefs. I stood firm on the big things, but I did reconsider the smaller issues. I became wiser. I became confident. I became a better listener. I became a better speaker. I became a better thinker.

Louisiana State University made me the woman I always wanted to be. I've done everything at LSU I dreamed I would when I first moved in, except one thing.

And tomorrow, I graduate.

Thinking about whatever is just,
Danielle

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Taking The Field By Storm

College: a place where study, friendship, growth and fun collide into a beautiful, magical and chaotic firework show. It's a place where you learn the skills that will project you into your career path. You bond over books and beer with the classmates who call you "sister" and "friend." College is a place where you grow up into the person you're meant to be.

Every day on college campuses across the nation, you'll find students pouring over books and feverishly typing on laptops. These students go to the bars as regularly as they go to the library, take naps in the quad, and laugh over Netflix with their roommates in their dorms and Greek houses. Each day, these students create countless memories that blur together into a nostalgic experience that can't normally be pinpointed by an exact moment in time.

But every once in a while, a night so magical, so experiential, so fun happens and creates just the distinct moment every college student desires to have tucked away in their memory.

For LSU students, that night happened Saturday Oct. 25, when the mighty Tigers squashed their longtime foe, the Ole Miss Rebels, in a hard-fought, vicious and violent battle in Death Valley.

The night was destined to be magical. After the Mississippi State Bulldogs beat the Tigers in Baton Rouge, LSU was humiliated in Auburn the very next week. Signals of hope emitted when LSU clenched victory from the Florida Gators in the Swamp, and when LSU crushed a less-than-stellar Kentucky. But what the Tigers really needed was an exciting win at home against a strong opponent. And what a better time to get that W than on Homecoming night?

Thousands of alumni arrived in Baton Rouge last week to visit their alma mater, and to hopefully relive the memories of past-matchups against Ole Miss on Saturday.

Magic happened in Death Valley that night.

Personally, I've never heard the stadium so loud, the aura so electric, the students so alive. In that night, we shared pride and love for our university, our dear LSU. We wore our stripes and cheered our Tigers to victory and celebrated communally on the eye of the Tiger that night. Chanting "LSU" over and over again, slapping our armor-clad, jersey-wearing classmates on the back, kissing the loves of our lives, hugging the necks of friends and sisters and brothers and strangers, we loved LSU so fiercely on an exclusive level reserved only for current students. How wonderful it is to gain an education from the place that blessed us with memorable nights like this with friends.

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