Baton Rouge General will partner with Tulane to open the campus. BATON ROUGE GENERAL PR

The Tulane School of Medicine will begin an affiliation with the Baton Rouge General Medical Center to open a satellite campus in the state capital this May. 

Beginning this year with 10 students, the program will allow a select group of third- and fourth-year medical students to carry out their clinical rotations while based in Baton Rouge.  The program plans to reach 160 students over the next several years.

The program — called the Baton Rouge Leadership, Education, Advocacy and Discovery Academy — is the first time in the medical school’s 175-year history that it will open a training campus outside of metro New Orleans.

“The roadmap starts with 10 students this summer, then 20 the following summer,” said Floyd “Flip” Roberts, chief medical officer at Baton Rouge General Medical center.  “If we are able to develop the necessary infrastructure, we will go to 40, then 60, then 80.  We would end up with 80 third-year students and 80 fourth-year students.”

Roberts will also serve as regional dean of the Baton Rouge campus.

The General was chosen as the site of the new hospital because it offers a wide range of medical services.

“The Baton Rouge General is a large tertiary care hospital system,” said Kevin Krane, vice dean for academic affairs at the medical school.  “It has two hospitals — the Baton Rouge General in Mid-City as well as the Bluebonnet campus located on this side of Baton Rouge — and so it covers the full range of patient services.”

 Students will be able to complete the MD-MPH program, which allows them to graduate with both a medical degree and a master’s degree in public health. 

“Establishing an additional campus in Baton Rouge expands our clinical opportunities,” said Kevin Krane, vice dean for academic affairs at the medical school.  “It also gives us a presence in Baton Rouge, where we have really unique opportunities for the students in terms of this specific program working with state healthcare agencies, the governor’s office,\ and potentially with the legislative offices as well.”

The program will also add a focus on longitudinal care. All students will be partnered with a local clinician to work with for the entire year. 

“We are overlaying this yearlong experience where students will get to observe care of patients over a longer period of time and develop relationships with patients and families,” Roberts said. “Hopefully that encourages people to explore careers in primary care medicine.  It will give a different perspective from the traditional acute care training.”

Officials at Tulane said they were excited about the new programs. 

“This is a significant opportunity for Tulane University School of Medicine and Baton Rouge General Medical Center to create an exciting and innovative new model to train the state’s next generation of medical professionals and healthcare leaders,” Tulane President Scott Cowen said in a recent press release.

Groups of Tulane students will volunteer their time and service at several sites throughout the world March 27 through April 3. Students looking to avoid the conventional spring break experience have the option to participate in Tulane Alternative Breaks, a program that offers several service projects during spring break.

“TAB is part of the national Alternative Spring Break movement, in which college students perform volunteer service rather than the traditional spring break experiences,” said Adam Pasci, a senior involved with the organization.

According to the application for Tulane Alternative Break, “The purpose of TAB is to broaden Tulane students’ understanding of the world around us and build active citizenship.”

Students may volunteer at Austin, Texas; Savannah, Ga.; or Miami, Fla., and participate in a diverse array of service projects at these locations, ranging from tutoring troubled youth, to restoration of the Everglades, to removing invasive species from a nature preserve. In addition to helping the local community, those participating in TAB will also have the opportunity to grow closer to other volunteers.

“All trips stress the small-group dynamics in getting participants to build bonds with their fellow Spring Breakers,” Pacsi said.

Tulane Hillel will also run an Alternative Break trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina. The trip will emphasize service to the local Jewish community, sophomore Aaron Picus said.

“A fair amount of the community hasn’t recovered from the stock market crash in 2001 there, so the Argentine Jewish community has not been easily able to sustain itself,” Picus said.

The trip will also be a unique religious experience for volunteers as it falls on the Jewish holiday of Passover.

“We’re doing community service work in both Jewish and non-Jewish communities and spending time learning about social issues,” Hillel Co-Associate Director Corey Smith said.

Picus said the Jewish adage that you don’t have to totally change the world, but you cannot neglect your part sums up his reason for volunteering.

“That’s kind of my stance with volunteering,” he said. “I would expect others to do the same for me if I needed the help.”

2) Extend a hand to Tibetan refugees in India. If Latin America isn’t adventurous enough, take an 18-hour plane ride to New Delhi and partake in the Center for Public Service’s summer program aiding Tibetan refugees. Students will have the opportunity to tutor English, work with the children of a Tibetan refugee nursery school, and engage with a group of Tibetan monks and nuns living in meditative seclusion. “The program is a great way to experience different cultures and apply social work studies to real-world situations,” said Craig Willie, the Center for Public Service program manager. This summer program fulfills Tulane’s second-tier public service requirement. You will miss, however, this summer’s airing of “The Real World.”

3) Intern as a Dove Deodorant Correspondent. Not interested in international adventures, but you love to blog about antiperspirants? Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire and Seventeen magazines are looking for college students to “blend a love for blogging, beauty, fashion and life,” said Dove representative Rachel Quenzer. The internship includes two all inclusive trips to New York City, a photo shoot to be featured in one of the three magazines and a blog posted on the Dove Deodorant Web site. There’s no better way to freshen up your summer experience.

4) Become the next Jack Kerouac. You don’t need to be an English major to write your own interpretation of life on the road. Grab some friends, pile into a truck and only make left turns. The sights you’ll see will predominantly consist of highway exit signs and golden arches, but if you make your own adventure the end product could be the next national bestseller. If not, you still avoided blogging for the Dove Deodorant Web site.

5) Festival hop. Every summer deserves to be the summer of love. Kick it off at Bonnaroo June 10, caravan up to Rothbury, Mich. by July 2, zip down to All Good in West Virginia the following weekend, and wrap it up with Lollapalooza in Chicago Aug. 6. Your wallet will be empty, your ears permanently ringing and your brain mushed, but your heart will be full.

6) Get a job. What’s the point of a stacked resume if you can’t afford rent? The fact of it is that the school year is equally, if not more, jam-packed with drinking and socializing than summer break. Send resumes to local restaurants and work two jobs if possible. Save up some money, pursue hobbies on the side, and start the school year without financial stress. It may not be a summer to remember, but your New Orleans experience will be grateful in the end.

MOSAIC sold shirts this week as part of MOSAIC Pride Week. Gray said that he wants to make Tulane a more gay-friendly campus. HANNA LIPMAN / ASSOCIATE PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

Undergraduate Student Government and the Office of Multicultural Affairs are campaigning to the Provost Office to restore the coordinator position for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students for next year.

The Office of Multicultural Affairs had an LGBT coordinator at the beginning of last year, but he left for personal reasons. Soon thereafter, Tulane instituted head-count stabilization to limit the hiring of new staff members because of financial restraints, preventing the OMA from hiring a replacement.

“Students are very concerned about getting the position back, so they recently did a legislation with USG,” said Carolyn Barber-Pierre, assistant vice president for student affairs. “I also wrote a new proposal to replace the position because things are finally easing up financially for the institution.”

OMA sent its budget request to Mike Hogg, interim vice president of student affairs and dean of students. Hogg then forwarded it to Michael Bernstein, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost.

“[Bernstein] is a member of the budget work group, and that group reviews all of the requests from the schools and non-academic units that comprise Tulane University,” Hogg said. “The final University budget must fit within the University’s financial resources.”

The proposal will be on the Provost’s agenda when he makes the budget decision within the next two months.

“We have worked over the years to create services to meet the needs of the LGBT community, and ever since we lost that position, there’s been a void in that area,” Barber-Pierre said.

Tommy Gray, MOSAIC executive board member, USG senator and Hullabaloo advertising associate wrote a piece of legislation for USG, and has circulated a petition that urges the administration to hire someone solely dedicated to supporting LGBT life on campus.

Gray researched the kinds of support Tulane’s peer institutions offer and found that many have a student affairs position dedicated to LGBT students.

“Tulane likes to compare itself with schools like Vanderbilt, Duke and Emory and all of them have an LGBT center or an LGBT adviser on campus,” Gray said.

MOSAIC President Evan Landers said the vacancy has made it harder to organize events for MOSAIC, Tulane’s gay-straight alliance.

“The LGBT coordinator was a position that used to work with MOSAIC, and after the position was removed, it became more difficult to operate as an organization,” Landers said. “An adviser makes it easier for an organization to have connections with multiple departments and get more done.”

Gray said he almost transferred to another school because he didn’t feel like there was enough administrative support for LGBT students.

“The lack of a full-time staff position representing LGBT students is indicative of that lack of support,” Gray said. “The only reason I didn’t transfer is because I want to help change the environment here at Tulane.”

The OMA is available to help students if they need assistance, but supporters of an LGBT coordinator say the position is necessary because LGBT problems are often different from the problems of other minorities.

“We’re still in an age where being LGBT is controversial, so there are pressures and anxieties that are specific to LGBT people,” Gray said.

Landers also said that filling the position would be beneficial.

“Because LGBT issues are an important issue in the media these days, an adviser that can work with students to keep them informed on current events would be highly beneficial,” Landers said.

The OMA is committed to providing support to all minority students that need it.

“We have a strong LGBT community on campus, and I feel it’s important to provide the services to meet their needs,” Barber-Pierre said.

There are four Tulane students studying in three Chilean cities this semester: one in Arica, one in Santiago and two in Valparaíso, located 1,553, 314 and 357 miles from the epicenter, respectively.

Mark Beirn, the director of the Office of Study Abroad, said that Tulane took its first actions to ensure students were accounted for early Saturday morning by contacting Emergency Management. They did not, however, directly contact students until later on Saturday, when the OSA sent e-mails to all known Tulane students in Chile e-mails.

Because the partnered study-abroad programs have the power to act on Tulane’s behalf in emergencies, the general procedure is to “let the program make first contact with the students and then we follow up,” Beirn said.

Tulane junior Rachel Young was in a basement dance club in Viña del Mar late Friday night, approximately 375 miles north of the epicenter, when the earthquake first shook the country.

“We first thought it was normal a tremor. That happens all the time, but then it started to shake more, so my friend grabbed us and pulled us against the wall,” Young said. “Soon after that, all the power went out. People started to use their cell phones for light.”

After leaving the club through an emergency exit, Young and her friends found themselves in “pitch-black” chaos.

“There were people running in the streets and, as we walked back to the car, there was an explosion out of an apartment building,” Young said. “Someone walked by and I heard him say, ‘There’s going to be a tsunami. We’re all going to die.’ I hadn’t been scared until that point.”

Young and her host family spent three days at a relative’s house “in the hills” to escape a possible tsunami.
Upon returning home, the family’s seventh-floor apartment was in shambles, but the building remained structurally intact.

Though the television crushed her laptop during the earthquake, Young said she considers herself and her host family fortunate.

“Pretty much everything has returned to normal,” Young said.

The only other lasting effect of the earthquake has been the lack of water.

“We will have days at a time without water,” she said. “My apartment building has water tanks that they will turn on for 30 minutes everyday, but it’s not really enough.”

Two days following the earthquake, Young still had not received an e-mail from Tulane, so she e-mailed OSA to report that she was okay. Though she said she never received an e-mail, OSA said that it had, in fact, sent her an e-mail Saturday.

“No one from the Tulane administration has asked me once how I was doing with everything,” Young said. “I was pretty disappointed in the Office of Study Abroad in that regard.”

She did receive a response to her e-mail to Tulane, Young said.

Beirn emphasized the importance in an emergency of not inundating students with e-mails and making sure they received no conflicting information.

“We don’t want to alarm or overwhelm students,” Beirn said. “But in the same respect, we don’t want to underplay the situation, especially having just come off of what happened in Haiti.”

The enormous earthquake, 1,000 times more powerful than that of the 7.0-magnitude one that devastated Haiti Jan. 12, caused the city of Concepcion, where the epicenter was, to move about 10 feet to the west. As of Monday, Chilean media reported that 497 victims had been identified, though there are still hundreds of unidentified victims. Authorities say it could take months to quantify the exact toll.

The earthquake’s aftermath prompted the university to postpone classes, and some other American universities’ students reportedly have decided to switch their study abroad plans from Chile to neighboring Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Tulane junior Jessie Yoste studied abroad in Valparaíso last semester.

“The [seismic] tremors are so common, they probably occurred once or twice a month while I was there,” Yoste said. “They are short lived, only 30 seconds at most, and many times you don’t even feel them unless you are in a tall building.”

Though the earthquake was a huge catastrophe, Yoste said she was optimistic for a strong Chilean recovery.

“The solidarity of the Chileans is amazing,” Yoste said. “They have a true sense of national pride, which motivates a self-help approach to a disaster like this.”

TUPD breaks up a student protest when the group failed to provide a permit from the university. LEE SAXON / PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

Tulane students have come out to support Tulane’s Sodexo employees as Sodexo holds informational staff meetings about unionization.

Sodexo’s meetings
Sodexo Public Relations Director Monica Zimmer said that this week’s staff meetings were first informational meetings, permitted under National Labor Relations Board guidelines, and later business planning meetings.
Service Employees International Union representatives and Sodexo employees, however, said that these meetings aimed to discourage unionization.

Tremeda Stevenson, a cook at Bruff Commons and supporter of unionization, said she worked as a food technician and manager for the Orleans Parish School Board before Hurricane Katrina. Stevenson, along with thousands of other employees, lost her job with the school board after the storm, so she took a job as a cook at Tulane. She was in the school board’s union for 22 years.

Stevenson said that Sodexo’s meetings presented information that discouraged unionization.

“They stated that the union can’t save your job because there are so many people who are in unionized jobs that they’re laid off,” Stevenson said. “They taught us statistics about how many people were in a union from some year to 2009, and how many people have gotten out of the union.”

Zimmer said, however, that Sodexo respects workers’ rights to organize.

“We do not harass, intimidate or discriminate against any employee for engaging in union-organizing activities or otherwise supporting a union,” Zimmer said. “SEIU’s allegations that Sodexo intimidates or improperly fires workers attempting to unionize are false. In fact, over the past five years, there has not been even one finding that Sodexo has intimidated or retaliated against workers engaging in union organizing activity.”

Stevenson said, however, that the directors of the meeting belittled the employees, a trend she said she has noticed among Sodexo representatives at Tulane for the past few years.

“They want to make the people down South feel like trash,” Stevenson said. “No, we’re not trash.”
Stevenson said that the meetings may have discouraged Sodexo’s younger employees.

“It kind of messed their minds up when they told them that — that the unions are going to take away your rights, that you’re not going to be able to speak for yourselves,” she said.

Herbert Cressey, a stock manager who has worked for Sodexo at Tulane for 22 years, also said he supports unionization. Before working at Tulane, he worked as a manager of a shoe store, but he came to Tulane when the owner closed it. Cressey said that representatives at this week’s meetings brought up union dues that the employees would have to pay.

“I’ll pay dues,” Cressey said. “I’ll pay $20 a month because I know my job is protected.”

Rob Hailey, associate vice president of student affairs, said that he did not know exactly what the meetings entailed, but that Sodexo routinely holds mandatory staff meetings.

“Employees have the right to choose union representation just as they have the right not to join a union, and employees should carefully review all of the information before making this important decision,” Hailey said. “Dining services are vital to our campus, and Tulane values food services workers as a part of our community. We hope that whatever differences may exist between Sodexo and its employees can be resolved to the mutual benefit of all concerned.”

Cressey said, however, that he did not think Sodexo’s meetings intimidated employees because they understood the real benefits of unionization.

“I just hope we get it, and things will be better for everybody,” Cressey said.

Students get involvedTulane students have begun to support the right of Sodexo workers to unionize. The Tulane University Solidarity Committee is asking students to sign petitions to support the unionization effort.

After Sodexo meetings, the group stands outside the meeting rooms with posters in support of unionization and pamphlets with information on unionization. Senior Brian Ford, Solidarity Committee member, said that Sodexo employees responded positively.

“We’ve been cheering them on,” Ford said. “On their way up the stairs, we heard comments about how they like feeling like celebrities and like the support.”

Sophomore Hunter Beely, another member of the Solidarity Committee, said that students have been open to signing petitions and listening to what members have to say.

“There have been a lot of people who seem to think that Tulane is very apathetic, but we’ve seen a good response from the students,” Beely said.

Stevenson said she thanks the students who have supported Sodexo employees.

“We must be doing something right because it made my heart melt to see all the students behind us,” Stevenson said.

Motivation for unionization
Stevenson said that her managers recently cut her hours from 40 hours, taking away time she needs to prepare food for students. She said she often clocks out and then continues working. She also said that she skips her lunch break, though it has been deducted from her paycheck.

“What I’m saying is so disheartening, and all my coworkers feel the same way,” Stevenson said. “They cut our hours and still want us to do the same amount of work.”

Cressey, a long-time employee, said that he was frustrated with management’s lack of respect for their long-time employees.

“I’ve been here,” Cressey said. “They should ask me first if they have an open position and give it to me before they give it to an outside person.”

Cressey said that he wants Sodexo to pay for his health care and give larger raises. For the past few years, he said he has been receiving 25-cent pay raises annually.

Cressey said he found it necessary to take on a second job with UNICO.

“If I have a problem , I can come in there and talk to [UNICO management],” Cressey said. “At Sodexo, you can’t do that.”

SEIU spokesperon Tania Aquino said that employees make as little as $8.27 per hour and often cannot pay for healthcare.

“What we’re seeing at Tulane and Loyola is that workers aren’t afraid,” Aquino said. “They know what management is trying to do, and what they’re trying to do is more important than another 10-cent raise or a picnic they’re going to throw them.”

Tulane’s Sodexo Marketing Manager John Coleman declined to comment at this time.

“There is an inadequate number of healthy options in the food court, and there are more unhealthy options than healthy ones,” sophomore Ariel Noffke said.

John Coleman, marketing manager for dining services, said he has not heard complaints from students. Coleman said students can find healthy options at locations like Wall of Greens, Byblos and Lagniappe.

Many students, however, say there are not enough options and that long lines and high prices deter them from choosing healthier options.

“The salad station is great but because of that there is usually a long line,” sophomore Amanda Krantz said.  “It essentially forces students and faculty to go for the quickest option, regardless of whether it has any nutritional value.”

Krantz also said she would like to see more fresh fruit and vegetables at reasonable prices.

“A small fruit salad shouldn’t cost $2.59,” Krantz said. “It is a huge markup.”

Noffke said that other than prices, another issue is the limited hours of the healthier locations.

“The unhealthy options are usually cheaper than healthy options and places that have healthier choices seem to not be open as late and also not be open as often,” Noffke said.

Panda Express, for example, is open every day from 10:30 a.m. until the food court closes at 8 p.m., making it one of the few options left open for students eating a later dinner. Panda Express does, however, list some low-calorie options on its menu.

Coleman said that students can eat healthy at the LBC food court if they know how.

“A big part of it is knowing how to balance your choices,” Coleman said. “Grabbing your first impulse may not always be the healthiest option.”

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LEE SAXON / PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

Best Comic Book Shop:
Winner: Crescent City Comics
Runner Up: Old School Comics
Other Contestants: More Fun Comics & Cards

Crescent City is by far the best place to nerd-out in New Orleans. Their selection is massive, with plenty of graphic novels — try “The Alcoholic” by Jonathan Ames, which is terrific — and back issues for your perusal. The staff is enthusiastic, cheerful and totally willing to kill an overcast afternoon chatting. There is a ton of interesting stuff going on in the world of comic books — the dumb, profane “grittiness” of the ’90s has thankfully subsided — and Crescent City is the best place to go to catch up. If you haven’t read “Y: The Last Man,” “Maus” or “Scott Pilgrim,” it’s time to get to work. –SP

Maple Street Book Shop has been “fighting the stupids” since 1964. And you certainly won’t find any stupids here among the quiet shelves of this book store. With a comfy chair in nearly every room stuffed with bookshelves, Maple Street is ideal for the true book lover. Maple Street is much cozier than those big chain book stores, where the connection of the bookseller and potential buyer is often lost. This shop boasts an impressive travel section for those thinking of going abroad and a large New Orleans section for those who want to read about something a little closer to home. With two rocking chairs and a bench on the wraparound porch, you have the perfect place to settle down with some Dostoyevsky or dig into the newest juicy vampire novel. If the prices here are a little too steep, try next door at its sister store, Maple Street Used Book Shop. –IC

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Domilise’s Po-Boys, the rundown abode located at 5240 Annunciation Street, is home to some of the most famous po-boys of New Orleans. It would be hard to spot the place if it weren’t for the perpetually long line snaking out the door. The oyster and shrimp po-boys are regular favorites, and there is even an option for a “peace-maker,” which is half and half. If seafood is not your thing, the restaurant also features a popular sausage and roast beef po-boy. The regular standbys are also available, and every option should be tried as often as possible. Entering Domilise’s feels like walking into a familiar place, even if it is your first time there. It’s inviting atmosphere features not only New Orleans’ favorite sandwich, but also has many classic Louisiana snacks. Have Barq’s rootbeer or speciality Abita beer to go with your choice of sandwich and Zapp’s chips to complete your meal. Most importantly, top it off with a dash of Crystal or Tabasco sauce. –CL

Brunch is all about relaxation: Dante’s Kitchen offers the perfect spot to kick off a lazy Saturday or Sunday and enjoy a sumptuous meal. Nestled on the corner of Dante Street and River Road, the restaurant is either a leisurely mile-and-a-half stroll away from campus, or a quick streetcar ride to the end of St. Charles Avenue, if you’re particularly hungry. Waiters hustle between the shaded outside patio and the cozy, two-roomed interior of the restaurant serving brunch favorites such as brioche French toast and eggs Benedict. Look for the New Orleans influence in their two most popular dishes, the debris (chopped roast beef) and poached eggs and the shrimp and grits. With exceptional food, service and ambiance, it is unsurprising Dante’s has won the loyalty of locals as well as Tulane students. –ER

Few things have the ability to blot out all rational thought like the need for pizza from the Dough Bowl — “Boot Pizza” as it is known to the drunken Tulane masses. On any given Friday night, red Solo cups in hand, Tulane students can be spotted making their journey to pizza heaven, often in desperate need of something to soak up that record-breaking keg stand. The Dough Bowl makes and delivers full pies, but the majority of students prefer to order a slice at the window and eat outside. Seated on the bench or crowding the sidewalk outside The Boot, students wolf down oversized slices of cheese-dripping thin-crust pizza. The Dough Bowl is a social as well as a dining experience; while burning every taste bud on your tongue because you simply can’t wait 10 seconds for your slice to cool, expect to have the most meaningful heart-to-heart you’ll never remember with the most understanding person you’ll never see again. –ER

Most Tulane students are at least vaguely familiar with Jacques-Imo’s, nestled between boutiques and coffee shops on Oak Street. From the outside, it looks fairly unassuming, but within you will find a lively, flamboyant restaurant where the prices correlate positively to the outstanding service and spectacular food. Starting off with fresh cornbread muffins, you will quickly fill up with a delicious spinach side salad that comes before every meal, followed by your choice of entrée and two side dishes. You can’t go wrong with any menu item at Jacques-Imo’s, but the crawfish etouffee is an excellent option for a more traditional Cajun fire, while the grilled mahi mahi is a highly recommended special. Just be sure to get to Oak Street early — Jacques-Imo’s is packed every night of the week except Sunday, when it is closed. Reservations are only taken for parties of five or more. –MPL

Located on one of the funkiest blocks on Magazine Street, Juan’s Flying Burrito serves up yummy burritos bursting with equal parts sass and salsa. Surrounded by offbeat industrial art pieces and waiters that display more tattoos than they do food, Juan’s patrons can choose among an array of overstuffed burritos packed with steak, shrimp, fresh vegetables, spicy peppers or even specialties like the jerk chicken or the restaurant’s namesake burrito. Each dish is accompanied by two mouth-watering sauces, both of which compliment each plate nicely, and the restaurant offers some of the best salsa and guacamole in New Orleans. Once you’ve had your fill of the burritos, move on to the quesadillas and enchiladas — these dishes cram so much Mexican flavor that your mouth will experience sensations that are positively delicioso. –AM

A sno-ball is so much more than a snow cone. Plum Street Snoballs doesn’t look like much from the outside, but the flavors produced in that little shack are more explosive than the colors on the rainbow umbrella that’s always posted over their picnic table outside. A sno-ball is made of much more finely shaved ice than a snow cone, resulting in a smoother texture and concentration of flavor. Plum Street boasts an entire wall’s worth of flavored syrups. They also make “cream” flavors by combining flavored syrups with homemade sweetened condensed milk. Customers also have the option of adding toppings like fresh pineapples or gummy bears to their frozen treat. Whether you go for the traditional lime or the more daring strawberry shortcake, no one leaves Plum Street Snoballs disappointed. –JG

PICASA.COM

Best Coffee House:
Winner: Rue de la Course
Runner Up: Zotz
Other Contestants: PJ’s, First Cup, CC’s

It’s easy to pick Rue de la Course — located on the corner of Carrollton Avenue and Oak Street — over the campus PJ’s, despite the 15-minute walk. With its amazing coffee and quiet, academic atmosphere, the shop is particularly conducive to more studious endeavors. If you’re on Magazine Street, you should check out the Rue de la Course location next to Funky Monkey, which offers a similar structure with a bit more sociability. It’s homey and matches the bohemian Louisiana Avenue and Magazine Street area. Rue de la Course offers free Wi-Fi and is a great place to study off campus or just grab a cup of coffee with friends. Make sure to try a piece of the Seduction Cake, but keep cash on hand, because they don’t accept cards. –MC

Today 8 p.m.

Saturday 10 p.m.

Sunday 8 p.m.

Freeman Auditorium

Tulane’s rendition of Eve Ensler’s play encourages female empowerment and individuality. Tickets cost $8 for students and $10 for non-students and will be sold at the Lavin-Bernick Center until today. All shows are expected to sell out.

A READING WITH AMY HEMPEL

Monday

7:30 -  9:30 p.m.

Kendall-Cram Auditorium

Amy Hempel, Tulane’s Zale-Kimmerling writer-in-residence, will read selections from her four short story collections. Hempel’s stories have appeared in GQ, Vanity Fair and a variety of anthologies.
TWO ACTS BY THORTON WILDER

Thursday 8 p.m.

March 21 2 p.m.

Lab Theater

The student-run production will present Wilder’s Depression-era play, “The Happy Journey to Trenton and Camden” and his post-war work, “Childhood.” Admission is free.

A 50-year old male was found laying on his back near the intersection of Freret and Broadway streets Monday.  The man claimed to have been hit by a vehicle, but the reporting officer smelled the odor of an alcoholic beverage and began to question the subject.  The man said he had drunk two Budweiser beers.  When searching for identification, the contents of the subject’s wallet were wet and urine appeared to have stained his pants.  EMTs reported to the scene and transported the subject to baptist hospital.  The reporting officer, said he was not certain the subject had been involved in a traffic accident and suspected he was merely intoxicated.

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Opened in 1915, the family-owned Prytania Theatre is the only remaining single-room movie theatre in the state of Louisiana. The Prytania offers a unique cinematic experience, combining the latest popular movie releases with a charming, old-Hollywood style lobby. In addition to featuring recently released movies such as “Alice in Wonderland,” the Prytania also shows older films through its Classic Movies and Midnite Movies series, showing films including “A Streetcar Named Desire” and “Army of Darkness.” Making cheap tickets cheaper with student discounts and offering delicious ice cream from the concession stand, the Prytania guarantees a great time out at the pictures. -EW

We’ve all been there: finding ourselves outside — waiting for the streetcar, downtown after the Saints’ Superbowl victory — when that sudden urge to dance strikes. While New Orleans is home to several great dance clubs, the pothole-ridden streets of this city accommodate spontaneous movement in a way no ceilinged club could rival. Whether you and your friends find yourself outside one sunny afternoon or during a late-night rainstorm, standing along St. Charles or coming back from Maple, there’s an undeniable liberty in publically dancing while singing — often out of tune — your favorite song. Never has so great a dance party come without the cost of a cover. -EW

STEPHANIE STEFANSKI/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Winner: The Fly
Runner Up: Audubon Park and the Zoo
Other Contestants: City Park/Botanical Gardens, French Market, Freret Street Market
When spring finally decides to stop playing games with our hearts and ditch the rainy, windy weather for unadulterated warmth, there is no better place to be than the Fly. Located just beyond Audubon Park and the Zoo, the Fly is a stretch of fields next to the river that makes for the perfect spot to lay out and get rid of your winter white. Beware of the beckoning Mississippi River — unless you want malaria, jumping into the Mississippi is a big no-no. Sunny Sunday afternoons on the Fly make spring break last all semester; the entire Uptown community congregates on the grass when the weather allows for an unofficial weekly block party. The breeze from the river cools down the sun’s beaming rays to give the Fly the perfect atmosphere for a cook-out or crawfish boil — just make sure to bring your own barbecue grill. The less than culinary-inclined can work up an appetite playing soccer, frisbee, football, SPUD or 500 on the surrounding fields. -JG

Established in 1962, Café du Monde still stands in its original location and is one of New Orleans’ most historic spots. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the French Market landmark closes only on Christmas Day and for the occasional hurricane. Café du Monde has made its mark with simple fare: coffee and beignets. Much more than a donut, beignets are fried squares of dough covered in powdered sugar. And by covered, I mean completely swathed in powdered sugar. The tables and floor are perpetually dusted with the sweet, white stuff. Their signature style of coffee is café au lait, a chicory coffee mixed half and half with hot milk. The hustle and bustle of the café is part of its appeal — customers seat themselves and servers are quick to deliver. Coffee, donuts and spying on tourists walking through the French Quarter are all right ingredients for a late-night, early-morning or whenever snack. -JG

You know spring is here when you start ditching Friday classes to drive out to the Bogue Chitto River with a keg and some hot dogs to hop in the water and go tubing. Bring your four best friends, or bring your entire fraternity. Rent tubes for your keg or your ice chest, and set up a barbecue on the shore. You’ll get a nice tan, have the chance to play in the river and homework is a mini-road trip away. Going tubing is the perfect opportunity to get out of the city and into summer, even if only for a day. The only problem is that they eventually make you get out of the river and go home. -JS

The pending results of Sunday’s Iraqi parliamentary election suggest that it has developed into a tight race between two competing coalitions led by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and his main rival, Ayad Allawi. Coalitions have reported complaints of fraud and improper counting, potentially undermining public acceptance of the outcome. The voter turnout was 62 percent despite attacks that killed 38 on election day. The official results are not expected for two weeks.

Ethnic violence in Nigeria sparks protests in Abuja

Ethnic-related violence erupted near Jos, Nigeria on Monday, killing more than 109 people, including women and children. Hundreds of women protested in the nation’s capital yesterday, demanding greater government protection. Most of the victims were Christian, and the attacks appear to be a retaliatory response to killings of Muslims in January. Observers said the underlying cause for the violence is rooted in ethnic and political disputes as opposed to religious conflicts.

Afghan president criticizes proxy wars on his soil

Afghan President Hamid Karzai said he does not want India, Pakistan or any other countries to fight their wars on his country’s territory. Karzai commented on the issue following talks with Pakistani leaders in Islamabad and a day after the United States and Iran criticized each other’s “double game” in Afghanistan. The number of U.S. troops is expected to surge this summer after Barack Obama pledged an additional 30,000 soldiers.

The computer program Accela allows the city to quickly and easily store information on building permits, assessments, demolitions and a host of other city documents.  The program was down for almost 72 hours because the city owed Accela around $300,000.  Accela representatives said the shutdown was completely unprecedented

Kenner School Honored for Academic Success 

Greenlawn Terrace Elementary School was one of 35 Louisiana public schools serving low-income students recognized for high achievement.  More than 80 percent of Greenlawn students receive free lunch and 34 percent of students were at mastery or basic levels, nine points above state average.