Limbs drip poetry with every leap, turn, glide and lock as the Legacy Dancers make the final performance for LSU’s Harambee ceremony lauding African-American student life and culture.

Legacy is LSU’s hip-hop dance crew and an active student organization on campus.

With 14 members, Legacy performs regularly for National Pan-Hellenic Council sorority and fraternity events and pageants, the LSU Dance Concert, Delta Sigma Theta Fashion Show, Fall Fest and the Harambee ceremony. During homecoming events last year, Legacy won the title as LSU’s Best Dance Crew.

The crew also competes across Louisiana each year, including Southeastern University’s talent show, the Infinity Dance Competition and Halloween Showcase  fundraiser at University of Louisiana-Lafayette.

Diversity of hip-hop

Business management junior and three-year member Kelsey Finocchiaro is Legacy’s current president. She leads Legacy’s rehearsals an average of nine hours each week, sometimes rehearsing after midnight until the dances are precise.

“We’re not the Tiger Girls, we’re not the Golden Girls, but we work just as hard,” Finocchiaro said. “We’re serious about dancing.”

Every performance consists of five different routines in one song, allowing the group flexibility to explore all the emotions of hip-hop’s unique corporal spectrum. Members are not guaranteed a spot in each dance, as the group holds auditions for dances before each performance.

“We never repeat dances,” said Finocchiaro. “We’re literally learning a new dance every rehearsal.”

Although Legacy’s focus is hip-hop, Finocchiaro said the diversity of crew members helps incorporate other styles into their routines. Following tryouts mid-September, the crew consists of 12 women and two men.

“We have people that can do any genre,” said Finocchiaro. “We have tap dancers, jazz, hip-hop, and members that specialize in ballet. We have acrobats and tumblers.”

However, Finocchiaro, a native of New Jersey, said the group must also explore the diversity within hip-hop.

“We can have really mellow and soft hip-hop, and we can have hard and masculine hip-hop,” said Finocchiaro. “It has a lot of contrast. It’s dancing to tell a story.”

The bonds of hip-hop

Legacy is not limited to its active members, as former members frequently return to choreograph or perform with the group. Public relations junior Lindsey Legros, Legacy’s current vice-president and two-year member, said old members help run the auditions and are still included beyond graduation.

“Once you’re Legacy, you’re always Legacy,” said Legros, who was one of the four Legacy dancers who performed at the Harambee ceremony.

Former active member and LSU alumnus Emmanuel Washington echoed Legros’ description of Legacy’s sense of family.

“It started as a way out — a time away from life,” said Washington. “Most of us didn’t have time or money to put towards a formal dance studio.”

Washington said dancing in the LSU Dance Concert was his most memorable performance with Legacy. The dance concert had been an annual event for 10 years, and never had a hip-hop performance.

Although Legacy is not a part of the LSU dance ensemble, Washington said the invitation to dance and approval of the Dance Department was fulfilling. Legacy danced a contemporary piece which weaved in elements of hip-hop.

“It was a breakthrough for a lot of us,” said Washington. “People got to see us as dancers, not just a dance crew.”

Washington describes Legacy’s dance style as an urban hip-hop, influenced by Los Angeles, however, there’s plenty of room for interpretation.

“The hip-hop style depends on the artist and song. If the music is gritty and dirty, the choreography has to match,” said Washington.

As the music evolves, Legacy evolves.

“Hip-hop dance is a cultural movement in itself. It’s never steady. It’s more of a trend — whatever’s hot at the time,” said Washington.

Members enjoy performing, and Finocchiaro describes dancing with Legacy as energizing.

“Right before we go on stage, we pray together,” said Finocchiaro. “When we get on stage, we connect. It’s an adrenaline rush.”

Roots of Legacy

Tamika Jett co-founded Legacy Dancers in 2003 during her first semester at LSU with four other New Orleans natives. She served as president in her final year before graduating with a degree in broadcast journalism.

Forming the dance crew was a way to bring together dancers specifically to learn hip-hop techniques.

“Hip-hop is a culture,” said Jett. “[It] is dance, rap, art — anything expressive.”

Jett, a New Orleans native, said she was displaced from her home after Hurricane Katrina. The hurricane also claimed Benjamin School of Dance, where she studied for 13 years.

“When we started Legacy, we were expressing how we felt because we just came from losing homes,” said Jett. “It was real raw.”

Jett said her education in hip-hop style started with Legacy, and the group’s New Orleans roots create a tough, intense interpretation expressed through early choreography. Unlike New York and California, Louisiana dance studios are neither as accessible nor prominent for aspiring dancers to master styles and get noticed.

As New Orleans continues to rebuild post-Katrina, developing a solid community in the arts has been a struggle. Jett, now 24-years-old, founded Passion Dance studio in New Orleans in 2009, but continues to intermittently choreograph for Legacy.

Finocchiaro has been dancing since she started in a ballet-tap combination class at the age of three, and said dancing hip-hop with Legacy has been an education of hip-hop’s variety across state lines.

“With the New Orleans choreographers, it’s a lot more sharp and precise. The movements are more hard-hitting,” said Finocchiaro. “When I came here, I thought this hip-hop was more buck, more ghetto.”

And though the group began eight years ago with dancers from New Orleans, now members from Los Angeles to New York can bring their dancing perspective to Legacy.

“The more people that start to choreograph, the more we evolve,” said Finocchiaro.

Beyond the Dance Crew

Former Legacy president, vice-president and sociology graduate Washington described his first year on the crew as “horrifying” and a “culture shock” when the first-time dancer and Lake Charles native was plunged into hip-hop by the founding group of New Orleans dancers.

“Legacy evolved from being a fun way to dance what we want to a serious devotion,” Washington said. “We took pride in our organization and started competing, travelling, dancing for local artists and in music videos.”

Legacy members have choreographed and danced in music videos for artists like Kenteon Davis, and Chandy, who works under the producer of Lil’ Wayne’s “Lollipop” video, Darius Harrison (“Deezle”). These artists discovered Legacy after watching the group perform live, Washington said.

He said Legacy is a good outlet for dancers who still want to focus on their studies, without any mandatory early-morning rehearsals.

“Legacy keeps dancers in class, molded and grounded,” said Washington.

Legacy’s performance at Fall Fest this year was a “huge deal” to the group, according to current president Finocchiaro, who said the group wants to become more known around the community.

“We’re getting places, we’re getting noticed,” said Finocchiaro. “We just want to keep having fun, keep dancing.”

This collection of characteristics is scattered through eclectic neighborhoods, sparkling like gems in the capital area’s sturdy setting. While generic Goliath-like shopping malls and chain stores encroach on Baton Rouge’s authenticity, local merchants throughout different zip codes are standing strong against corporate giants by selling fare and contributing flare to the historic neighborhoods that keep Baton Rouge real.

The 70808: Perkins Road Overpass Corridor

Stretching from City Park in the Garden District through Acadian Thruway, the Perkins Road Overpass area is a multifarious hodgepodge of shops, restaurants, bars and residents, exemplifying a local microcosm within the hustle and bustle of the city. This densely packed area is a local treasure containing a pharmacy, coffee shop, bookstore, grocery store, numerous boutiques, restaurants and bars within a mile and a half.

The overpass structure was built in 1937 by the Louisiana Highway Department, a creation of the Huey P. Long administration. Before then, trains stopping in the middle of the intersection caused traffic. Besides easing congestion, the new overpass also made the district more accessible to downtown and other areas, said Darius A. Spieth, professor of art history at Louisiana State University.

Spieth noted that when Perkins Road’s perpendicular neighbor, Interstate 10, moved into the area in 1964, it took away many structures, but it also increased the flow of travelers into the neighborhood with the new Perkins Road highway exit.

During that time, the area began attracting Baton Rouge bohemians thanks to the low rent, proximity to LSU and the music scene. According to Spieth, The Colonel’s Club, now Chelsea’s Restaurant and Bar, and Ruby’s, now George’s Restaurant, were the center of the ‘60s musical landscape.

Baton Rouge historian Annabelle Armstrong resides off Zeeland Street near the Perkins overpass. Armstrong, who also authored the book “Historic Neighborhoods of Baton Rouge,” said, “A neighborhood needs to put the welfare of its residents first, not the interests of those who would profit from it and do not care about the heritage and attractiveness.

“I consider that neighborhoods need to band together, establish some rules or guidelines and security,” Armstrong said in an email. “We will always have those who look to make money while not caring for the preservation of the neighborhood’s heritage.”

Christine Caluag, president of the Perkins Historic Merchants District Association, grew up in Florida, surrounded by planned communities and urban sprawl. She said areas in Baton Rouge, like Mid-City, add local flavor that attracts people from the creative class to come live and work in the city.

“People won’t move to a city without any soul,” Caluag said.

Eat: Zeeland Street Market, Garden District Coffee, Digiulio Brothers Italian restaurant,Chelsea’s restaurant, Pinetta’s Italian restaurant, Rama Thai cuisine, Frankie’s Dawg House, Zippy’s Burritos, Tacos and More, Parrain’s seafood, Schlitz and Giggles’ pizza

Shop: Billy Heroman’s flower shop, Country Corner convenient store, Varsity Sports, Coyote Moon gifts, Royal Standard gifts, Amies boutique, Noelie Harmon’s eco-shop, Cottonwood Books, Bella Bella boutique

Play: Chelsea’s restaurant and bar, Duvic’s martini bar, Ivar’s Irish Pub, Zee Zee Gardens, Schlitz and Giggles and Zippy’s Burritos, Tacos and More

See: The annual St. Patrick’s Day parade

The 70802: North Gate

A well-beaten path for generations of Tiger fans, as well as an authentic purveyor of Baton Rouge spirit, North Gate’s contagious character and sense of community reverberates with a lifetime of Saturday nights in Death Valley.

The North Gate has been a diamond in the rough — withstanding decades of changing economics and an ever-growing south side of campus — but it has maintained a sense of authenticity that has resonated with students and residents for the past 80 years.

The north side of LSU’s campus has hosted nearly 450 vendors since 1926, when the original campus moved from downtown. Decades in the shadow of the University brought the area student-oriented businesses, like grocery stores, movie theaters, clothing stores, shoe shops, restaurants, drug stores, hair salons, book stores, auto repair shops and even a bowling alley.

A mix of businesses and countless residents have called North Gate home throughout the past 80 years.  From 1925 until about 1980, most off-campus activity happened north of campus according to Clarke Cadzow, owner of Highland Coffees in the North Gate area.  In 1929, the Kappa Alphas built a stately house where Chimes Textbook Exchange is now, the first of several fraternity houses that would be located in the formally known “Tiger Town,” according to Cadzow. Slinky’s Bar was once Chunky Moon’s Glow Hut ice cream shop, then later The Chimes Theatre. The original Co-Op bookstore now houses Highland Coffees. Other Baton Rouge businesses were former North Gate residents, like The Backpacker, Counter Culture yogurt and Chelsea’s.

Cadzow said Chimes Street provided off-campus housing for the University, but most of the apartments in the area were built east of Highland Road, especially on State, Ivanhoe and Carlotta streets.  In the 1930s, State Street was called Professor’s Row, and up until the 1950s other university employees, area business owners and families populated the area. Ivanhoe was called University Street, and Carlotta was formerly Louisiana Street until the roads were renamed in the 1940s.

From 1925 until about 1980, most off-campus activity occurred north of campus, Cadzow said. While many students live south of campus today, he said the North Gate area still offers the benefits of being just steps off campus and walkable. Most other shopping areas are strip malls dominated by parking lots and chain stores, located on busy streets that are hard to get to by foot or bicycle.  Cadzow continued that strip malls tend to look like the shopping areas found in every other city and lack character.

“The North Gates is a historic, college-town neighborhood and second oldest commercial and residential area.  The neighborhood provides a unique sense of community that helps define the city,” Cadzow said. “Because of its location and history, it cannot be duplicated.”

Eat: The Chimes, Roul’s burgers, Highland Coffees, Reginelli’s pizza, Bacio di Roma gelato, Koi sushi and Inga’s sandwiches.

Shop: Bengals and Bandits, Eutopia salon, Storyville, Chimes Textbook Exchange, The Bicycle Shop, The Ra Shop and Hi-Life Wonderland

Play: The Varsity Theatre, North Gate Tavern, Slinky’s bar and The Chimes tap room

See: North Gate Festival every fall semester

The 70806: Mid-City

Once a neighborhood of honky-tonks in the “country,” Mid-City is now a smorgasbord of blue- and white-collar residences, lawyers’ offices, thrift stores, top-ranked schools, bicycle shops, family-owned restaurants, hospitals and commercial industries that flow along the main vein of Baton Rouge into the heart of downtown.

Mid-City was originally a forested oak grove where residents gathered moss in those woods and sold their pickings to the Schlosh Moss Factory on Dufrocq Street (now 19th Street).  That factory then made mattresses out of the moss, according to Mary Ann Caffery, owner of Caffery Gallery on Government Street. Caffery said that’s why the acorn is the logo for the Mid-City Merchants Association, and grand oaks still stand guard over that history, lining streets of the neighborhood. By 1908, Governor Jared Young Sanders oversaw the extension of Government Street, bringing the country to town.

The diversity of the neighborhood’s history is still firmly rooted today, with many businesses and buildings calling Mid-City home for decades. In the early 1940s,  Calandro’s Supermarket opened on Government Street in its present location. The Circa 1857 Art and Architecture building dates back to 1920 when it was the old Griffon’s Drug Store on the corner of Government and Park Street. Doe’s Eat Place was opened as a honky-tonk in 1941 by Dominick Doe Signa and his wife, Mamie, and it later became a thriving restaurant, according to the Merchants of Mid-City organization.

Travis Hans, owner of Mid-City Bikes, has lived in the area for five years. The bohemian bike man said Mid-City is the best neighborhood in Baton Rouge because of the area’s diversity, with “the hood in the North and the plastics in the South.”

Caffery said Mid-City is a mix of social classes without any gated areas, encompassing a little bit of everything that’s special to Baton Rouge, including restaurants and entertainment, along with the largest concentration of independent, art-related businesses in the city.

“People who value art have rich, full lives,” Caffery said. “People migrate to [Mid-City] because it embraces that.”

Eat: Bistro Byronz, Brew Ha Ha coffee, Doe’s Eat Place, Fleur de Lis pizza, Monjuni’s Italian Cafe and Grocery, Rotolo’s Pizzeria, Superior Grill, Yvette Marie’s Cafe, La Carreta, MJ’s Cafe

Do: Yoga Bliss, RedStick Cross Fit, Agame Yoga and Meditation Center, Corks n’ Canvas

Shop: Circa 1857, Mid-City Bikes, Calandro’s Supermarket, Hemingway’s cigar shop, Little Beaux Feet, Match Point Tennis and Fitness Boutique, Sabai Jewelry Gallery, Time Warp, Honeymoon Bungalow, Bohemia, Caffery Gallery,  Elizabethan Gallery, Gerard Furniture and Gallery

Play: Corks n’ Canvas, Superior Bar and Grill, Phil Brady’s

The Towns: Spanish Town, Beauregard Town and Downtown

In 1699, Sieur D’Iberville and a boat of sea-legged garçons traveled along the swampy shore of the Mississippi River and stumbled upon a red cypress pole, marking the border between two Native American nations. The explorers dubbed the area the city Le Baton Rouge. After switching hands between the city’s French founders, the British and Spanish, Baton Rouge’s cultural identity remains as diverse as the numerous countries that claimed it.

Spanish Town reflects the colorful exchange of cultures since its establishment in 1805, making it the oldest neighborhood in town, according to the Historic Spanish Town Civic Association. But if you visit the residents who live there, Spanish Town is much more than a historical site.

The zeal of the thriving neighborhood located minutes from downtown can be seen in the hodgepodge of residents that range from artists to attorneys, all proudly supporting the neighborhood’s mascot, the pink flamingo — seen strutting frequently during Spanish Town’s annual Mardi Gras parade.

Beauregard Town is the younger,    lesser known brother of Spanish Town, named for Captain Elias Beauregard, whose property was used in 1806 to create Baton Rouge’s second subdivision, according to the Beauregard Town Civic Association. Beauregard envisioned a town laid out in the grand manner similar to European cities with parks, formal gardens and public buildings. A plan drawn by French engineer and surveyor Arsene LaCarriere La Tour featured public squares, plazas and pleasure gardens, a convent, hospital, college, coliseum, cemetery and cathedral, according to the Downtown Development District website.

Located downtown, Beauregard Town is bounded by the Mississippi River on the west, North Boulevard, East Boulevard and South Boulevard.  It once also included the former warehouse district, Catfish Town, before the revitalization development occurred in the southwest area of the neighborhood.

While Beauregard’s grand plan didn’t fully materialize, the tree-lined streets, shotgun houses and welcoming porches offer a glimpse of the area’s ambitious past and promising future. Since the 1960s, this historic gem has been neglected, but recent efforts from the city, residents and the Beauregard Civic Association are revitalizing the ageing area.

While Beauregard Town has lived in the shadow of its serendipitous sister neighborhood, Spanish Town, the area has its own unique disposition.

Tarek Shahla, attorney in Baton Rouge, lived in Beauregard Town for five years. Shahla said while the area is still recovering from numerous years of neglect, the neighborhood is slowly but surely becoming a staple  in the downtown area.

“Beauregard Town is one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in Baton Rouge, and it is definitely one of the friendliest,” Shahla said. “Few neighborhoods can compare to its sense of community and its history.”

Eat: Pastime Pizza, Frost Top, Little Village, Tsunami Sushi, Strands Cafe, Stroube’s, Capital City Grill, Schlitz & Giggles, Harrington’s Cafe, Serop’s Cafe, Atrium Buffet, Capital Corner Creamery, Christina’s, Downtown Seafood, Fresh Salads & Wraps, Poor Boy Lloyd’s, Riverside Patty, Sadaf Cafe Greek & Lebanese, Lucy’s Retired Surfers Bar & Restaurant, The King Bar & Bistro at the Hotel Indigo

Shop: Capital Grocery, Beauregard Gallery and Bistro

Play: Spanish Moon, Little Village, Tsunami Sushi, Strands Cafe, Stroube’s, Capital City Grill, Schlitz & Giggles, Harrington’s Cafe, Serop’s Cafe, Atrium Buffet, Capital Corner Creamery, Christina’s, Downtown Seafood, Fresh Salads & Wraps, Poor Boy Lloyd’s, Riverside Patty, Sadaf Cafe Greek & Lebanese, Lucy’s Retired Surfers Bar & Restaurant, The King Bar & Bistro at the Hotel Indigo

Fortunately, there is a solution to every problem.

Elaine*, a female math senior, was the subject of a bad roommate situation when she lived in Herget Hall her freshmen year. She and her roommate both went potluck, a common practice of choosing a random roommate for students who do not know anyone their first year at LSU.

The roommate gave a decent first impression, Elaine said, but it wasn’t long before things got bad.

“She went out every night and when she would start getting ready, she would run back and forth from her friends’ rooms to our [room] and bring them back,” Elaine said. “This made it  extremely distracting and hard to study. Then at three or four in the morning she would come in and turn all the lights on and would be really loud and wake me up.”

Elaine’s roommate not only lacked respect in the area of privacy, but she also had no regard for her personal items.

“She would steal my food on a daily basis but especially when I was gone,” Elaine said. “She would also borrow my clothes without asking.”

Elaine tried talking to her mom and her boyfriend about the issues she was having and they suggested solutions, but none worked. As a result, she tried to stay out of the dorm room as much as possible.

Although this roommate problem resulted in a dead end, that certainly does not have to happen to all roommates. Legacy surveyed several students with various roommate issues, whether it be sanitation, privacy or just plain weird.

FROM THE PROFESSIONAL

Jessica Thomas, three-year residential assistant in Miller Hall, says that problems can be often solved by simply talking to the roommate.

“I recommend that they talk to the roommate as calmly and politely as possible,” Thomas said. “Sometimes they will ask me what to say, and I will just give them examples. I never suggest leaving notes to inform the roommate of the problem because this passive aggressiveness will most likely create an unwelcoming environment.”

Thomas says if the issue has already been discussed between the roommates, she suggests working together to come up with a solution and fill out a roommate agreement contract.

“I simply listen and try my best to understand the problem from each roommate’s perspective,” Thomas said. “I then set a date for all of us to meet up. I act as a mediator while both roommates talk out the problem.”

Thomas said if the roommate issue is “egregious,” it is referred to her supervisor and the Department of Residential Life handles the situation from there.

THE DIRTY BIRD

The most common problem with roommates is the issue of sanitation. Some people have more traditional methods of disposing of food and beverages, while others choose what is the most convenient.

Paula, biology sophomore, shares her experience:

“Only my roommates make cupcakes and leave the ingredients on the kitchen counter for weeks,” Paula said. “Only my roommates then let their cats walk on the counter after. Then, they don’t clean the counter and continue to use it.”

Legacy answers:

Put the cupcakes and ingredients in the roommate’s room. This goes for all other disgusting things left in the kitchen with potential mold growth. As for the cats, something needs to be said, especially if you are using the counter. Ask that they wipe down the counter with a disinfectant because you saw their cat walking on the counter — an area that everyone needs to use to prepare food.

Jennifer, a kinesiology freshman, talks about a roommate during her first year at LSU:

“One of my roommates poured soup down our sink in Evangeline,” Jennifer said. “It was clogged for a week.”

Legacy answers:

Something needs to be said about this as well. If the sink doesn’t have a garbage disposal, obviously chunky substances will not spiral down. Confront the roommate and ask him or her to throw the soup in the trash can next time, not the sink.

THE HOT MESS

While cleanliness issues only scratch the surface of numerous roommate problems, there are others that are unbelievable, yet true. Take Andrew, political science sophomore, for example. He woke up one morning to an unfortunate sight and an unpleasant smell in his dorm room.

“One night, my roommate invited a girl back to our dorm,” he said. “She was so drunk she peed in his bed. This was during finals week.”

Legacy answers:

This is an unexpected but quite hilarious scenario. Sure, this was probably something beyond his control, but as for preventing it for next time, he will probably be less likely to let a drunk girl sleep in his bed. The roommate already received enough punishment.

THE PEEPING TOM

Dorm experiences show a pattern of being worse than living in an apartment because students are often paired randomly their first year, and share a bedroom. Reed, pre-vet freshmen, is skeptical of his current suite-mate.

“I’m pretty sure he watches me get dressed in the mornings,” he said. “It makes me uncomfortable.”

Legacy answers:

If you confront him, you might as well be accusing him of doing something of which you’re not 100 percent positive. Try changing in the bathroom. Inconvenient, yes, but hopefully you’ll be less creeped out.

For most college students, the phrase “money management” means buying just enough food for the week to stay alive and still have funds for beer.

For Paul Medica III, money management means keeping a watchful eye on the investment portfolio he’s grown since eighth grade. And unlike the average University student, who jumps for joy when his or her account balance has three digits, Medica is managing big-league money — a cool $2.25 million.

It’s his parents’ money, but the finance senior has been a guiding force in making investment decisions to keep the portfolio plump. And it seems Medica has made all the right moves, considering he began with $500,000 in 2004.

“That means that I’ve compounded a portfolio about four times, and that’s a big deal in finance,” he said.

MASTERING THE MARKET

It all started with Tasers.

Medica’s father had a good feeling about investing in the electroshock weapons company. The stocks were cheap at about $9 a share, so the family went forward.

Six months later, the price was climbing rapidly, and it eventually hit $100 a share. So the Medicas took the money they’d made and began diversifying their holdings with their son’s guidance.

It takes a lot of trust to let a teenager manage half a million dollars, but by 2004, Medica had been learning to master the market for years.

“Back in the summer of 2001, it was a typical summer day — I was just clicking around the TV. I ended up on CNBC and it just stuck with me from there,” he said. “I just wanted to know how all this worked. I would just start reading the ticker. If I didn’t know what a symbol meant, I’d be on the computer looking it up.”

Once his financial feet were wet, Medica got trading — in theory. He started out with $100,000 of imaginary money and kept track of his hypothetical investments in a notebook, choosing what stocks he’d buy if the cash was real. The practice paid off, and about three years later he was managing his parents’ portfolio.

But the family’s $2.25 million isn’t the only chunk of change for which Medica is responsible. He’s also one of 27 students handling more than $1 million for the LSU Foundation. That portfolio, called the Tiger Fund, is part of a University finance course called the Student Managed Investment Fund.

THE TIGER FUND

The LSU Foundation began the Tiger Fund in spring 2005, investing $1 million through two installments, according to George Moss, chief investment officer for the LSU Foundation.

And the students have grown that total each year. At the end of the 2010-2011 fiscal year, the portfolio was valued at $1,348,000, Moss said.

“It’s positive and in the right direction, particularly considering the market turmoil that we had at the end of 2008 and into 2009 and, in some degree, what we’re still going through,” Moss said.

Though managing big money isn’t new to Medica, he said his previous investment success doesn’t play into his choices with the Tiger Fund.

“It’s really irrelevant because your past performance isn’t indicative of what you’re going to do in the future,” he said. “It’s all relative. I could lose that whole $2 million back in the market. You just have to stick with what works at the time.”

Since many students don’t have experience managing money themselves, there is guidance every step of the way. The LSU Foundation has an agreement with the E.J. Ourso College of Business outlining how the money can and can’t be managed, which Moss said keeps the students on track and prevents excessive risk-taking.

The students can only invest in companies included in the Russell Top 200 Index, which lists 200 of the largest trading companies in the market.

“They’re only buying blue chip type companies — Apple, Coca Cola, GE, the list goes on,” he said. “Not necessarily does it mean they’re less risky, but they tend to be less volatile.”

The student’s choices are also monitored by course instructor Tish O’Connor, who strikes a careful balance between allowing them to make their own decisions and ensuring the portfolio is managed wisely. O’Connor said she’s careful not to draw conclusions for the students, but she’ll often ask questions to jump-start a discussion about something she feels they should consider.

For the most part, the class makes good investments, and students’ smart management experience pays off later, she said.

“More than once I’ve had students email or call and say, ‘I got my job because of the Tiger Fund,’” she said. “[Interviewers] want to know, ‘Tell me a time you did this.’ It’s very different to say, ‘When I was managing the fund, this is what we did,’ versus, ‘We did this assignment where we choose a company and monitor it.’”

The experience is as close to Wall Street as the students can get in Baton Rouge. The class takes place in the University’s SMART Lab, a simulated interactive trading floor.

On a campus filled with Tigers, the lab is home to a room of bulls and bears.

The 27 undergraduate and graduate students in the course are divided into groups to research and make decisions about nine different sectors of investments, including health care, energy and technology. The course involves learning about the different sectors and making predictions for what will happen within them.

“They’re researching their sectors, trying to understand what is happening in their sectors — what are the companies, what do they do, what drives growth?” O’Connor said. “We take advantage of what we think is going to be happening in the future.”

PLANNING IN THE NOW

Not every University student will get the chance to manage millions before graduation, but they can start improving their financial chops now to benefit themselves later in life.

Though planning for the future is important, the crucial first step is managing one’s cash flow in the present, according to Certified Financial Planner Tim Maurer.

“Even though this is not the sexiest part of financial planning — it doesn’t have as much appeal to it as investing, making a boatload of money and seeing the return — it’s the foundation of every single healthy financial situation,” he said.

And Maurer has seen tangible results from clients who are responsible with cash flow.

“I have clients who were, say, a teacher for their entire lifetime, not making a ton of money, but they managed cash flow well, and as a result of that they’re retiring as millionaires,” he said. “And I have clients who make $250,000 a year and are living paycheck to paycheck.”

But when students have mastered their cash flow and are ready to make investments, Maurer recommends getting educated about personal needs and desires before enlisting a financial adviser.

“Unfortunately, most financial planners are not putting brand new professionals and recent graduates on the top of the list they want to work with because they don’t have a lot of money,” he said.

The famous Wall Street mantra that it takes money to make money is a reality in the finance world, and Maurer doesn’t recommend investing in individual stocks with less than $50,000, “because otherwise you’re not going to get adequate diversification.” But students don’t need an extravagant sum like that to get started.

“What gets the job done is a monthly commitment in most cases,” he said.

Maurer suggested students begin by searching for a fee-only financial adviser — one that is paid for their time rather than through a commission or finder’s fee. That means the adviser has no stake in trying to sell products or policies and can give unbiased advice. The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors, or NAPFA, provides resources for locating fee-only advisers in one’s area.

If an investor starts early and adequately researches the best avenues for them, a monthly commitment of as little as $50 to $100 can be a sufficient investment, Maurer said.

The stakes — and the dollar signs — are much bigger for Medica and his high-value portfolio. But he plans carefully and sets lofty goals, which he recently discussed with his internship supervisor at Prescience Investment Group.

“I told him I want $50 million. He asked why.  I said, ‘It’s halfway to $100 million,’” Medica said. “I’m shooting for the stars.”

LSU super fan and mathematics senior Matthew Clark can be seen cheering loudly on the sidelines of nearly every University sporting event. To get ready for the Sept. 30, home volleyball match against Tennessee, Clark gathers his LSU apparel — a gold volleyball shirt, purple and gold Mardi Gras beads and his trademark yellow wig — before heading out to the PMAC. Because he doesn’t own a car, Clark walks to almost every sporting event he attends, including the sports with stadiums on the far ends of campus. Once at the PMAC, Clark says hello and talks to several LSU Athletics employees, including volleyball coach Fran Flory, before grabbing programs to give the many students attending the match. Clark also takes this time as an opportunity to tell students about the Gold Diggers, the volleyball student section. Soon, Clark sits to watch the Lady Tigers’ warm up before the match, as well as to scan the program. Once the game begins, Clark intently watches the match and cheers loudly as the Lady Tigers take on the ranked Tennessee team.

When LSU biology senior Steven Rougeou says he races karts, he’s not referring to the Mario variety.

Rougeou is a professional kart driver, and he’s just one person in a self-acknowledged “gear-head” minority at LSU that combines a passion for driving and engineering to create and race vehicles with average speeds of 120 mph.

Rougeou’s journey began with a circular dirt track, a red kart and an interest.

Rougeou said when he was in sixth grade his father bought the kart from a co-worker out of mere curiosity. The father-son duo practiced driving every day until a family friend recommended they enter a race in nearby Hammond.

“In my first race, I flipped over and ended up with a concussion and a broken arm. My mom said I had to stop racing after that,” Rougeou said with a chuckle.  “But I didn’t.”

Rougeou said he and his father continued to practice in secret, calling the sessions “sneak races.” After weeks of practice, Rougeou returned behind the driver’s wheel to race again.

“[It] turned out we were pretty good. I was the youngest in my class and I kept up with the experienced racers,” Rougeou said excitedly

But it wasn’t until Rougeou finally won his first race later that year that he and his father revealed the “sneak races” to his mother.

“By that time, she was OK with it. Or at least she said she was,” Rougeou said.

Throughout middle school, Rougeou remained on dirt tracks, accumulating several disqualifications along the way.

“We had no idea what was legal and what wasn’t. The officials accused us of cheating, so I moved to open class racing where I could drive whatever one cylinder engine I wanted.”

With time, Rougeou graduated to road racing on open shifter karts — karts that lack a safety cage around the exterior, making them more dangerous. Road racing, he described, is a mix between long racing, which contains different turns, and short racing, which emphasizes sprinting.  In these 30-minute races, karts can reach speeds of 120 mph.

“We weren’t even close to the best,” Rougeou laughed as he described his first shifter kart race.  But Rougeou and his father quickly learned the rules of the road, and once Rougeou graduated from high school, the two began to travel more and more.

Rougeou credits his relationship with his father as a driving force in his passion for racing.

“Without my father the races couldn’t happen. He’s the main sponsor, truck driver, trip planner, kart-owner and engine builder … he even sold his ’55 hot-rod to pay for a new kart. My dad makes everything happen,” Rougeou said.

Today, Rougeou races in the World Karting Association Dunlap Road Racing Series presented by Mazda. The seven-race series takes place on tracks across the nation from May until October, with this year’s finale in Ohio. Since entering the WKA last year, Rougeou won three races and continues to improve his finishes at every race.

While Rougeou’s primary role of driver might be more familiar to non-racers, his second job as the self-proclaimed “chassis guy” is equally, if not more, important.  The chassis is the internal framework of the vehicle. It controls how a kart turns, which plays a large role in the strategy of kart racing.

For Rougeou, the first thing he does after arriving to a race is learn the track.  By either asking other racers or walking the course, Rougeou determines how to change his chassis for optimum speed.

“All you need is a good chassis in a race. You can have an okay engine, but it’s the chassis that will help you win,” Rougeou said with complete certainty.

According to Rougeou, another strategy is location in the race.

“I don’t care what they say. A race is won or lost in the first lap,” he said.

Racers are lined up according to ranking for the first five karts, then by registration order.  After the first lap, the real race is among the first pack of cars, Rougeou said.

One racing tactic is a process called “bump drafting,” where drivers use physics to defy air resistance. Rougeou explained when one kart pushes another in the race, it helps both karts by decreasing air resistance for the pusher, and increasing the speed of the pushed.  Although this practice is illegal, Rougeou said race officials often overlook it.

Finally, some of the most important strategy is carried out off the track and away from the races.  Whether it is a new type of tire or steering wheel, racers look for different ways to improve their vehicles.

“There’s a difference between the innovators versus the monkey-see-monkey-do types,” Rougeou said. “Everyone’s looking for an advantage somewhere.”

Some of the racers get this in the form of small-scale sponsorships. In exchange for wearing a particular logo or pasting a sticker to a kart’s side, drivers can get free food, equipment or parts. In fact, Rougeou’s sponsorship with Kevin Kelly of Mezzo Technologies gave him an advantage in the form of a cutting-edge radiator, which was designed by LSU student Nathan Roberts.

“With parts costing thousands of dollars, sponsorships are a great way to improve your kart,” Rougeou said.

In addition to expensive kart parts, Rougeou said the current economy is taking a toll on kart racing.

“With gas prices at $3.50 a gallon, travel costs are stopping lots of drivers. For some trips, it can cost more than $1,000 in gas money to bring the karts there and back. And that’s not even counting registration fees and extra parts,” he said.

As Rougeou’s racing career accelerates, he described the difficulties in juggling school and driving.  In his time at LSU, Rougeou said many instructors haven’t accepted kart racing as a valid excuse to miss class or assignments.

“Racing has to fit in there somewhere,” Rougeou said with a shrug after describing an incident last year where he flew directly from a race in North Carolina after his car broke down in order to sit for an exam.

“I’ve had teachers make comments.  One of my professors told me ‘There are lots of choices in life; make sure you’re making the right one,’” Rougeou said. “I don’t feel as if [instructors] think [racing is] a legitimate sport.”

Despite Rougeou’s experiences, racing does have a legitimate place in LSU’s curriculum.

The College of Engineering’s Society of Automotive Engineers offers Formula SAE — a national design competition where engineering students design, build and race a Formula One race car as a capstone class every year.

Team Captain and mechanical engineer senior Roberts, who was also the student who designed Rougeou’s radiator, explained that the program has two stages. During the first semester, the team of mechanical and electrical engineers focuses on fund raising and design, while the second semester is spent building and testing the car. The project culminates with a race at the Michigan International Speedway in May.

At the Michigan International Speedway, the cars go through a series of three tests. The first is a static event that judges the safety of the vehicle. Second is a design event where judges break down the cars’ fundamental designs to determine complexity and craftsmanship. Last is a race event where cars are tested in acceleration, lap time, break time and, most recently, fuel mileage.

“To be honest, many times the tests are there to determine if the car falls apart or not,” Roberts said laughing. “The cars have to be built so quickly that many times they won’t even finish.”

While the best professional race-car teams take about three months to complete a car, LSU’s team intends to build theirs in a single month.

“We want to have more time to practice driving the car, as well as have an unveiling for our investors in February,” Roberts said.

Much like Rougeou, the LSU team is forced to find sponsors to fund their vehicle.

“The school doesn’t fund our team,” Roberts said, as he listed the team’s past sponsors, which include international companies like Exxon Mobil and Shell.

But despite the difficulties of the program, Roberts maintained the sacrifices are “worth it.”

“This program is why I came to LSU,” Roberts said.  “It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.”

Roberts said he became interested in auto-engineering after his own experiences racing shifter karts, and echoed Rougeou’s statement that many professional race-car drivers begin on the kart track.

Despite working with different types of vehicles, both men share a passion for racing. For Roberts, the thrill comes from designing a high-speed vehicle, while Rougeou said he enjoys the thrill and prestige that comes with winning races.

“When you’re going that fast,” Rougeou said, “there’s a feeling of freedom.”

Driving Force: A Photo Gallery

Whether it’s jumping off a rock into the crystal Mediterranean, eating a rich pallet of African delicacies or trekking the staircases within the Great Wall of China, students looking to study or travel abroad need to be prepared. Take a look into the experiences of four University students who have recently traveled abroad to learn the do’s and don’ts of both backpacking and participating in a study abroad program.  Read their tips, personal accounts and allow them to guide you through every step of your dream vacation.

The Tour Guides

International studies junior Virginia Richard studied in Ghana, Africa, where she experienced a tasty but sweaty culture shock. She offers advice for students looking to travel to non-traditional destinations.

Recent University alumnus Ian Cruise is currently studying at the London School of Economics. He offers some useful tips for first-time travelers regarding long-term  trip preparation and packing.

Finance senior Caroline Guinn explored Western Europe this summer with two friends and a backpack. Guinn’s five-week adventure through Italy, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain produced a number of interesting sites, and unexpected detours.

Biological engineering senior Tel Rouse studied abroad in Shanghai, China, in fall 2009. Though Rouse has traveled and worked in other countries, he favors China. Rouse discusses how to immerse yourself in the culture of your destination.

Step 1: study abroad programs vs. independent backpacking

The first step in planning your trip abroad will be deciding which route you want to take. Are you the type of traveler who prefers structure, security and a link to home? Or are you the spontaneous spirit that wants to explore the world on your own watch? There are perks for both.

Harald Leder, director of the University’s Academic Programs Abroad, said studying abroad has endless benefits. Studying abroad through a university or accredited program provides safety, an in-depth cultural experience, expert travel companions and, best of all, course credit, Leder said.

“Studying abroad is a tremendous experience and a smart investment for any student’s future,” Leder said. “It’s fun, it makes you grow, and it can be helpful for future jobs.”

Leder said many employers admire study abroad experience, especially if the applicant is fluent in another language. He said the experience shows employers that the applicant is “globally-minded.”

Study abroad also makes students more aware of their surroundings – personally and geographically, he said.

But not all students prefer the organized structure, according to Guinn. She planned her trip with only an arrival and departure date, figuring out her schedule as she traveled. She said this method was beneficial, as she was able to experience each country she visited without constraints.

“It was nice to not plan it. If you liked a place, you could stay as long as you liked,” she said. “At times it was stressful, but we were never left without a place to sleep.”

Guinn recounted her travels, laughing about detours she was forced to take, people she met and the things she learned without ever stepping foot inside a classroom.

“You just experience cultures that are the polar opposite of ours. You can’t experience that anywhere in the United States,” she said. “It’s very educational. My geography from my trip improved so much.”

Step 2: selecting a destination

Academic Programs Abroad has a specialized team of student peer advisers to help students narrow down their destination choices. The University currently offers 40 to 50 programs abroad, depending on the length of the program, Leder said. The most popular student destinations include major cities in Western Europe, as English is more prominent and the lifestyle is similar to that of the U.S. But Leder also said the University offers programs all around the world.

Richard said she chose Ghana because it wasn’t the typical destination. She said the remote location was appealing because of the vast cultural differences. Richard said students should not be afraid to venture outside of the norm.

“Europe is great, Australia is great, Latin America is great, but don’t restrict yourself,” she said. “You’ll miss a large portion of the world.”

Rouse agreed, saying “the more extreme the environment, the more you learn. I think you can’t know your own home until you leave it.”

Step 3: packing for an extended stay

Length of stay and travel frequency will determine the way you pack. Backpackers are advised to pack lightly, as you will be moving frequently and space will be limited in hostels and on public transportation. Students studying abroad have  more flexibility, but it is recommended to keep luggage to a minimum.

Pack travel-sized toiletries, one towel and only a few outfits into a hiking backpack, Guinn said. Locally, these large, durable bags can be purchased at any sporting goods store and range in price from $75 to $300. Students on a budget should browse websites like eBay.com and Amazon.com to find more affordable options.

Q: What’s the one thing students should not leave home without?

Richard: Toilet paper!  Always have some with you. Most public places do not provide it.

Cruise: One thing to make sure you pack is adapters for the electrical plugs, which are different in the UK. Also, pack all necessary travel documents, like a passport.

Guinn: A journal. Write everything down! You will be happy you documented it later.

Rouse: If you’re going to China, bring several pairs of shoes. Don’t expect to buy them in China. I found that almost no shoes stores carried my size.

Step 4: en route

You’ve packed and endured the multi-hour flight overseas, now take a deep breath and enjoy the sights around you. This is the most important part of your dream vacation.

Foreign Food

All the student experts agree — food is one of the best ways to get to know a culture. Students who will be traveling are encouraged to taste the local cuisine, no matter how bizarre. Open your mind and your mouth. For those on a budget, experiment with cooking traditional dishes. Guinn said she rented hostels with a kitchen and cooked with her diverse roommates.

Q: What is one dish you would recommend to another student?

Richard: Fante Kenkey [in Ghana] is a local fish served with a tomato stew, or sauce. Kenkey is made out of a starchy root and is pounded to make a dough; FuFu, which is a light, spicy soup served with goat meat.

Cruise: You can’t come to London without trying some classic British food like fish and chips, bangers and mash or any number of savory pies.

Rouse: Tomato, egg and noodle. They season it very well, and it’s great. The most bizarre things I ate were a dish of seaweed wrapped around chicken hearts and a soup with chunks of congealed pig’s blood.

Overseas Slumber

Sleeping on train cars, hostels and hotels — these are all viable options for students looking to travel on a budget. The panel of experts agree the best lodging for college students is in a hostel, as many of them are designed for young travelers. Students also say hostels are a great way to meet friends, if students are comfortable with sleeping in a more public atmosphere.

Guinn said it is easy to book hotels through websites like Hostels.com and Hostelworld.com. The sites allow you to view photos of the rooms and highlight the amenities you need, such as linens, a private bath or air conditioning.

Other options include CouchSurfing.com, the world’s largest free, online international exchange program. The site, which takes a number of safety precautions, allows travelers to arrange accommodations with one another all over the world.

For students studying, Leder said the majority of students prefer to stay in the university’s dormitory, but this is not a requirement. For students looking to stay with a host family, the University only offers this option for the summer program LSU in Spain.

Q: How accessible are hostels or hotels in the area you traveled to or studied in?

Richard: There was this really awesome lodge on the beach in Ghana called the Green Turtle Lodge. There are also hostels around the major destinations. Tourist areas provide hotel and hostel options.

Cruise: I have yet to stay in either, but there are hotels all over London.

Guinn: We stayed in hostels. We were going to CouchSurf, but it was hard to find people that could accommodate all three of us. Hostels are the way to go when traveling. At first I was skeptical, but it turned out to be great. You should also book overnight trains and buses when going from city to city. You can save money and time this way.

Rouse: There’s not much backpacking you can do in China. There aren’t many hostels, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. I went with local Chinese students to other cities and found cheap hotels.

Transportation

Depending on where you travel to, public transportation has varied options. But students say whether it is by metro or by rickety, crowded bus, you will be able to get around for a cheap fare.

Q: What public transportation options did you take advantage of?

Richard: The locals use a bus system called a Tro-tro, which are similar to cargo vans. In the city, you can ride for about 50 cents. If you want a taste of the real Ghana, take the public transportation even if you have people sweating on you.

Cruise: Walking! The Tube and the bus are also available, but I find walking helps you appreciate the city more.

Guinn: We didn’t purchase a Europass or a Eurail pass [for train lines] because they didn’t include all of the countries we visited. We think we broke even, or spent less, on European flights. We found cheap flights and booked them through Skyscanner.com. We also signed up for overnight bus trips, trains and a ferry.

Rouse: The metro system in Shanghai is one of the best, as far as getting somewhere quickly. You just buy a ticket and go. You can ride almost anywhere in the city. For longer trips, buses are available. For a two hour bus ride, it costs the equivalent of about $16.

Staying Safe

One of the biggest concerns about traveling abroad is that of safety. You’ll be traveling to an unfamiliar location and you may not know the areas to avoid or what not to say. Leder and the students agree that safety should be one of your biggest priorities.

Q: What can students do to stay safe overseas?

Richard: Get to know what is safe, what’s not and what’s socially acceptable. Dress modestly to avoid trouble — no short shorts, no tank tops, no flip flops.

Guinn: I always carried a thing of mace. I got scared when we were in city on the metro late at night. I feel like if you’re smart and know what you’re doing, people won’t mess with you.

Rouse: I wouldn’t try to start a “Free Tibet” movement while you’re in China. Pick pocketing is an issue in any city as big as Shanghai. In China, you are a foreigner in a sea of Chinese — people will be watching you. To avoid it, wear a coat and keep your wallet and cell phone in your coat. Also, be wary of scams.

She secures its gears before taking a step back. The small audience is fixed on Dallagiacomo, who stands still with her hands clasped and her head lowered.

Two deep breaths later, she comes alive. “Schizophrenics, like factories,” she says, looking around the room, “can be humid

and fogged on the inside; their electrical wires are in castings that are not easily broken.” The petite, blond poet, clad in a leopard print cardigan and contrasting turquoise headband, moves with the rhythm of the poem, her body locking robotically while her

hands paint the scene. Her poem, “Factory Defect,” is her account of growing up with a mentally-ill

father. Line after line, she lures in the crowd with her diction, her movement, her emotion. “I’m six when I notice my father is not like neighborhood fathers,” she continues,

drawing the audience closer. And that’s what slam poetry is all about, says Dallagiacomo.

“Slam poetry,” which is gaining popularity in Baton Rouge, refers to any poetry designed to be recited in a competitive setting, commonly known as a “poetry slam.” It is not its own specific genre or style of poetry, Dallagiacomo stresses.

“The art of spoken word is original poetry that you write and perform,” the 20-year-old California native explains. “Slam is just the competition. It’s a big trick to get people to listen to poetry.”

THREE MINUTES, TWO TEAMS, ONE SLAM

A poetry slam is an event in which poets perform their work and are judged by five selected members of the audience, according to Poetry Slam, Inc., a non-profit organization designed to oversee the international coalition of poetry slams and promote spoken word. The judges give numerical scores, ranging from 0.0 to 10.0, based on the content and presentation. The slam teams, which vary in size, consist of a specific group of performers, usually divided by city.

“An adult team can have four to five team members,” Dallgiacomo says. “We typically have four.”

Usually, the slam is divided into rounds called “bouts.” The number of bouts differs from the local to national levels, but Dallagiacomo says there are usually four to five that take place, and the order of the performers changes with each.

“The cycle ensures that each team falls everywhere in the rotation,” she says. “Each round has four poems, so in a bout … you will see 16 poems.”

Currently, about 80 certified slam teams, including the Baton Rouge National Slam Team, compete in the National Poetry Slam each year. Dallagiacomo is one of four Baton Rouge poets who compete nationally with a team.

The first national poetry slam, sponsored by Poetry Slam, Inc., occurred in San Francisco in 1990, and the art has since diffused to cities around the world. Sue Weinstein, University English professor and poet, says the art has been evolving in Baton Rouge for the past decade.

“It originally happened on the LSU campus and then at Chelsea’s [Cafe], and now it’s at The M bar,” Weinstein says. “There has always been a core of people involved in spoken word.”

Weinstein says the core group is constantly recruiting up-and-coming poets to expand the scene.

“They want to bring others in to continue the art,” she says. “In bigger cities, you find groups, get into competition; but, in Baton Rouge, it’s ‘let’s get as many people together as we can.’”

Locally, performance opportunities can be found at a number of bars and cafes but are seldom. The only place to go for monthly poetry slams and open mic sessions is The M Bar, located off Third Street downtown.

THE M BAR

The atmosphere at The M Bar’s Slam Night is lax and welcoming, but far from the stereotypical vision of a poetry reading. The poet isn’t illuminated by a single stage spotlight, and there aren’t crowds of beatnik critics congregated in the corner. Instead, it’s a lively, close-knit crowd eager to watch the show and support the poet.

The interior is modern and displays shades of brown and terracotta under soft lights. Famous quotations from stars like Frank Sinatra and Muhammad Ali cover the North wall, the backdrop of the stage. Comfy leather lounge chairs are arranged near the bar, and visitors sip their favorite drinks while a guest DJ’s from his iPod.

A vivacious host welcomes everyone to the event, and the crowd applauds the start of the first reading. The energy remains high throughout the open session, inspiring both experienced poets and newcomers to take the open stage. Six poets recite their works, which range in content and style, and the audience treats each with respect. Some pieces address heavier topics like racism and abortion, while others discuss family life and fantasies.

During each performance, faint snaps and “mmhm’s” can be heard around the room. A “say it, poet!” and “amen” slip out during the climax of some acts, but the poet is never distracted. In fact, feedback is encouraged.

“The community we have built separates us from the others — this alliance controls the culture of the slam,” said Branton Montiffe, a performer and physics graduate student at Southern University Baton Rouge. “You never know what will come out of a writer. Some of the topics are really taboo. We want to provide a culture that assures it’s a safe space.”

It’s very secure, says Molly Adams, University English and sociology sophomore.

“It’s a really touching, wholesome thing,” Adams says. “I was so scared my first time, but no one booed me. It was really supportive, so I kept coming.”

Adams was introduced to slam poetry through the city’s WordPlay Teen Writing Program in eighth grade and fell in love with the art. She was later a member of the McKinley High School slam team. She attends The M Bar regularly to watch and perform.

Weinstein, who also frequents the events, says it is rewarding to watch her peers.

“LSU is poised to become a place where people are known for spoken word,” she says. “It’s powerful.”

She says she hopes to see the University recreate a student slam team, as the previous organization was inconsistent.

“One thing about Baton Rouge is the quality of poetry is extremely high,” Dallagiacomo says. “We have about 10 nationally-recognized poets from the area, and no two writers sound the same. We have distinct styles and are unique in what we do.”

OFF THE STAGE, IN THE CLASSROOM

But not just the writers of Baton Rouge are unique, Dallagiacomo says. The city’s grasp of spoken word is also special to the nation, as Baton Rouge aims to engage young people in the craft.

The city’s WordPlay Teen Writing Project, a branch of the Big Buddy Program, aims to build literary culture through poetry and the spoken word. Through educators, referred to as “teaching artists,” young adults are able to learn about poetry and self-expression and apply it. Dallagiacomo, who moved to Baton Rouge to work as a tutor for the volunteer-based, non-profit organization CityYear two years ago, is one of four teaching artists in East Baton Rouge Parish.

Dallagiacomo says each class she teaches is different and she tries to make learning fun.

“The English language is terrifying, let alone poetry. You think ‘Who the hell is Robert Frost and why is he telling me about this road?’” she jokes. “We make it cool.”

Dallagiacomo says the best part is watching the students grow as artists.

“It’s interesting to see the young people we work with,” she says. “Some of them have never been exposed to spoken word poetry. You expose this art form to them. We get to be rock stars.”

Dallagiacomo also coaches a teen slam team and teaches spoken word at an after-school program at the Arts and Leadership Institute. She laughs as she says, “Slam has become my life and it’s awesome.”

LIFE OF A POET

Dallagiacomo says she spends 40-50 hours per week teaching the craft, with the remaining hours spent on her personal development as an artist. She says her free time is devoted to reading and improving her writing.

“I try to practice each of my poems about five times a day,” she says.” I’ll end up spitting a poem when I wake up, drive to work or I’m in the shower. You want to know your poem like the back of your hand. You want to be able to spit your poem anytime, anywhere.”

Dallagiacomo says writing poetry for slam pushes you to “hone your craft.”

She says it forces you to work on your vocals, your movement and your writing, as all three are vital in a performance.

“Your body is your instrument,” she says, quoting her favorite poet, Rachel McKibben. “Your poem plays your body. You have to ask your poem questions –—who is this for? Who needs to hear this? Why is this on stage? You have to get yourself there mentally to put it on stage.”

Dallagiacomo says there is no feeling comparable to reciting your works before an audience. She says it’s a combination of vulnerability, empowerment and fear; She describes it as a “flood of feeling.”

“The emotion you felt when you wrote the poem comes back 100-fold,” she continues. “It’s hard to explain … You have this adrenaline and momentum, and you just go for it.”

She laughs as she recalls how she has progressed since her first time participating in an open mic session as a 17-year-old in California.

“The beauty in spoken word is that  …  you have a painting where the artwork is the painting; you have a photograph where the artwork is the photograph. In slam and in performance poetry, the artwork is you, your poem and your audience. What’s better is, that piece of art is never going to be the same.”

When mass communication junior Kayla Kerry first began couponing, it wasn’t for herself.  She said when she was younger, both she and her mother would clip coupons for diapers and baby formula to give to women at their church. After Kerry left for LSU, her mother continued to clip coupons, this time for Kerry who said she rarely used them.

“I always knew they were helpful, but I didn’t pay attention to how much I could save,” she said.

Kerry said her cousins were the ones who inspired her to begin couponing in 2010.

“They would post pictures of their purchases [of food and household supplies] on Facebook along with the retail price and how much they actually spent. I was impressed,” she recalled.

Kerry’s couponing also resulted from economic hardship.  After the recent recession, Kerry’s parents could neither contribute to paying for Kerry’s LSU tuition nor give her other financial support.  For Kerry, couponing became a means of control.

“I pay for myself to go to college. I got scholarships. I have three jobs. I pay the bills.  Some people won’t understand why I coupon, but couponing gives me the freedom to do what I want,” Kerry explained. “It’s an alternative to pinching pennies.”

Since then, Kerry said she experiments with body product coupons, often saving $10 – $25 per purchase.

“It’s a weird science,” she said. “And it’s very time consuming.  Once, I spent 10 hours looking for coupons, but the payoff was that I only spent 21 cents on shampoo, conditioner and body wash.”

Kerry’s favorite source of coupons is P&G Savers, a series of coupons found in Sunday papers everywhere, but also said that some of the best coupons can be found on brand websites.  She likewise explained that many stores like Walmart and Target match the sale prices of other stores if you ask them.

Organization is key when it comes to couponing, according to Kerry.  She recommended ordering coupons in expiration date order, as well as weeding out which coupons were relevant.

“If I can’t use a coupon, I give it away to a friend. It’s better than wasting free money,” she said.

Despite Kerry’s skill at finding deals, she distanced herself from the image of an “extreme couponer” that the TLC series “Extreme Couponing” has made popular.

As the title suggests, the series focuses on the extreme: men and women who eat, sleep and breathe coupons.  From ordering coupons online to dumpster diving for trashed advertisements, the majority of these individuals revolve their lives around finding the best deals for themselves and their families.

While many of these couponers donate their purchases to local charities, almost all of the show’s subjects have “stockpiles” in their basements and garages.  These mini-grocery stores contain shelves upon shelves of products that can supply a family for months, if not years.

Kerry, who said she has seen some “Extreme Couponing” episodes but does not watch the show regularly, criticized the men and women of the series who couponed for the thrill of couponing, calling them “hoarders — to an extent.”

“It’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen,” she said in reference to an episode where a childless couponer bought hundreds of diapers.  Likewise, she pointed out that many of the products the subjects buy, such as toothpaste and liquid laundry detergents, expire.

“You have to be smart and realize what is a good coupon and what is not. There needs to be moderation,” Kerry said.

However, Kerry said she is not completely against the notion of stockpiling — with some restraint. She explained that because stores give similar sales every couple of months, it can be useful to stock up with enough products to last between sales.

“If you like a particular type of hand soap, go ahead and buy three or four bottles,” she suggested.  “It’s something you know you will use.”

In contrast to saving on the essentials, businesses such as Groupon, LivingSocial and the Louisiana-based BargainBee offer discounts for what some might consider splurges.

The idea behind these deal-of-the-day sites is simple: register online, receive an email describing a discount and decide whether you want it or not.  If you do, you purchase the discount and the site emails you a voucher once the minimum number of participants is met.

Since Groupon was founded in 2008, deal-of-the-day businesses have skyrocketed in popularity.  While Groupon and LivingSocial might be more familiar names, BargainBee was Louisiana’s first deal-of-the-day website. Launched in April, 2010, and with 50,000 members in Baton Rouge alone, the Sulphur-based business is practically buzzing.

“We have a local perspective,” said BargainBee employee Shavanah Whittaker about their popularity. “We’re here, we’re local and we have that down-home appeal.”

The majority of BargainBee’s subscribers are young adults, with 68 percent of their customers aged 18-34 years old.  According to Whittaker, BargainBee and similar sites are so attractive because they’ve arrived during “the perfect storm.”  Not only do the discounts appeal to budget conscious individuals, but also BargainBee’s use of technology, particularly smart phones, makes getting deals even easier.

“We’re special in that we attract people who wouldn’t normally clip coupons.  Instead, the deal our customers buy is a discounted service they legitimately pay for,” Whittaker said.

But deals-of-the-day are not only attractive to subscribers; hundreds of stores and restaurants are vying for the spotlight a deal-of-the-day can provide. Whittaker explained that after a business approaches BargainBee, the two companies determine the most attractive deal for a target audience. That deal is advertised for one day, as well as for a minimum number of redeemers. If the deal does not meet the minimum, the deal is invalid and the company is reimbursed by BargainBee. If the deal is successful, BargainBee keeps the payment.

“From a business standpoint, this is a wonderful advertising opportunity. You have the full attention of thousands of people who, if they buy a voucher, are a guaranteed sale,” Whittaker said.

Bengal Beach Tanning owner Jessica Dardenne, who recently used Groupon to promote her tanning salon, estimates that of the 211 deals sold between August 7-9, her business benefited from more than 45 new customers.

However, while Dardenne said she was happy with the success of the deal, she also said she would like to see how much business the deal generates before using Groupon again.

But for couponers like Kerry, these sites are not particularly attractive.

“I’ve never found a deal that applied to me,” Kerry explained. “Why would I want a discount on a massage when I never get massages anyway?  What is the point of getting a $25 meal voucher when I usually spend $10?”

Kerry may have a point.  While deal-of-the-day sites claim large numbers, many of their subscribers do not actually use their services.

For example, kinesiology sophomore Claire Johnson, who registered with the site LivingSocial two months ago, has yet to utilize a deal.

“I want to, but the deals are not commonly useful to me. Today’s deal was for scalp treatment. I don’t need that,” Johnson said as she pointed to her long hair.

Despite Kerry and Johnson’s misgivings regarding deal-of-the-day sites, both women agreed with Whittaker that coupons are an incentive to try new things. Whether it is an offer to try a different brand of shampoo in the newspaper or a discount for local crawfish advertised online, they give opportunities to venture outside of the familiar without busting the bank.

Student Government vice-president and LSU senior

Favorite item: Coral-colored, sleeveless blouse with subtle ruffles and tied back

Most obscure item: A hand-decorated, royal blue Elton John jacket. The coat is covered in large, white music notes and sports a bedazzled, jeweled lapel.

Self-described style: “I love solid colors, stripes and ruffles. I would say my style is pretty girly.”

Jared Loftus

Local businessman who founded or co-founded the following Baton Rouge companies: Tiger District. com; Ninja Snowballs and Taco de Paco; EHQ Entrepreneur Heaquarters; Stabbed in the Art; Socially Awkward

Favorite item: A hand-made suit jacket from Peru

Most obscure item: Personalized wooden clogs from Amsterdam

Self-described style: “Entrepreneur casual. Business casual is cliche.”

Danny Breaux

Founder of Wildflower Presents

Favorite item: A fedora he bought at a market in New Orleans

Most obscure item: The same fedora

Self-described style: “Always dressed for the occasion.”

Ben Bryan

Drummer in local band State Street Survivors and LSU senior

Favorite item: Long board for one of his hobbies. You can see him riding it around campus.

Most obscure item: An LSU Tigers hat from the ‘70s. The hat is shaped like a tiger’s head. Bryan’s father wore it during his college years and passed it down. Bryan said he wears the headpiece to major football games.

Self-described style: “Comfortable.”

Cris Weinnig

Fashion writer for i4ani, a Baton Rouge blog

Favorite item: First pair of designer shoes. Weinnig purchased a pair of Dolce & Gabbana pointed-toe heels after she got her first “real” job. She found them on sale at Saks Fifth Avenue.

Most obscure item: A light blue blouse she inherited from her mother. Her mother bought the shirt when studying abroad in Europe in college, so it’s nearly 40 years old.

Self-described style: “Classic silhouettes paired with something unique.”