Louisiana State University - Gumbo Yearbook (Baton Rouge, LA)

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Ellis Who? Communication. g'But, after a few games I think people began to warm up to him a bit morefl Neither Mike nor Ellis is allowed to grant interviews, as is custom for all Tiger mascots past and present. From initial reactions, the two seem to have a good working relationship. Both bring different things to the field and respect the otheras talents. Wyatt explained that by having two mascots, LSU now has the ability to essentially please everyone. When two sport- ing events are going on simultaneously as often happens in the spring, Mike and Ellis can both make appearances by switching off at the halfway point. al think it is cool that we have multiple representation, as long as we stay consistent with the Tiger themef, said Ronnie Ledet, a junior in General Studies. We donit want to become like Auburn, where they have almost as many mascots as they do studentsf, Tiger fans should not have anything to worry about in the future. Mike the Tiger will always be the LSU mascotg for now he just has an extra friend. Iillis l lugli waddlcs across thc sidclincs during tht- grunt- boosting rerun spirit running ISU him. A wild group of LSU liins rally tht- it-.nn IU vitmry while enjoying the g21II1L' ill Tiger Stadium.

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Football coach Nick Saban was not the only new person walking the LSU sidelines this fall. The Tigers new top man was joined by a new mascot. Mike the Tiger received a little company this season, as an eight-and-a-half-foot tall inflated Tiger named c'Ellis Hughn made his Tiger Stadium debut. Although Mike has been around for over 50 years, LSU has followed the recent trend of many other schools in adopt- ing a second sideline figurehead. The athletic marketing department promised fans Mike is not being bumped off They just wanted to add a new character to the show. 'gAt first people thought we were getting rid of Mikefl LSU marketing coordinator Ward Wyatt said. KBut, we could never get rid of Mike the Tiger. Ellis is just a complement to himf' Initial fan reaction was mixed, with several students voicing their disapproval with the new member of the LSU mascot family. Many younger fans, however, have enjoyed the new look Ellis brings to the game-day atmosphere. KI-le looks kind of like a goofy blow-up doll that had a little too much Student Life to drink, said Kristina Langlois, a senior in Mass Rall 1

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Q Story by Misti Schmidt I ' 6 6 1 I I G Photos provided by UPC with Dr. Dre The Union Program Council's Ideas and Issues Committee outdid themselves this year. Generally, the committee Cwhich is composed entirely of studentsj has 2 to 5 speak- ers per year, with one big name speaker. This yearis notable speaker was Dr. Drew Pinksy of Loveline fame. On Friday, April 20, 2001, at 8pm in the Union Theater, Dr. Drew regaled students with anecdotes from his past and the story of how his career all began, followed by one of his famous question and answer sessions about sex and drugs. In 1985, Drew Pinsky, then a third-year medical student, was roped into doing a late night radio show for called-in questions about sex. He was told that all he had to do was nuse lots of big words and be real funnyf' He has demon- strated that he has both requirements mastered and luckily, most of the time he is kind enough to explain the big words. He was nervous about his first show but said, KI was astonished by the experience I had it was like an epiphanyf, CHe didnit explain that big wordj After talking about the days before Loveline, Dr. Drew spoke about the types of questions men and women usual- ly ask CAm I good enough? vs. Why do men act the way they do?, respectivelyj and went into the differences between men and women, as well as following oneis instincts when making decisions and learning more about attachment theory. He then opened up the question and answer session. Two members of the Ideas and Issues Council walked around the theater and gave people who raised their hands a microphone. Questions ranged from masturbation, to reality shows and substance addiction. Mary Ann Willett, a senior in International Studies, said 30 Student Life I that she thought, LSU students made a good impression - most of the questions were serious and heartfeltf, When asked what he thought about the questions he was asked here, Dr. Drew said that every crowd is different and he was surprised at how well thought out most of the questions were. Several times throughout the show, Dr. Drew emphasized how important he feels his job is. He said, when asked what the most fulfilling aspect of his career is, It is such an honor to work with young people and to infIuence their choicesf' He was very effective in sending his mes- sage of tolerance to the young people gathered in the Union Theater. Chris Oxner, a library staff member, said he was 'cimpressed at the rapport Dr. Drew had with his audiencefi Willett said she enjoyed watching Dr. Drewis witty improvisation and comebacks to questioners. Overall, Dr. Drewis performance was wonderful and most faces that came out of the theater afterwards were smiling.