WAFB 9 News Baton Rouge, Louisiana News, Weather, SportsLouisiana Unplugged

What is Louisiana Unplugged?

Louisiana Unplugged is a collection of pieces written by journalism students at colleges and universities in Louisiana. WAFB-TV has teamed up with these colleges and universities to showcase the pieces of work these students generate. We hope you enjoy their reports.

  • Tuesday, February 21 2012 9:41 AM EST2012-02-21 14:41:13 GMT
    Louisiana's film and entertainment industry is not only showcasing the state's biggest, better-known cities but, in the last year or so, has focused on smaller communities. By Zach Fitzgerald.

  • Saturday, January 28 2012 6:06 PM EST2012-01-28 23:06:49 GMT
    LSU grad student and Miss Black Louisiana USA 2012 contestant Ashley Hebert hopes her pageant platform evokes the kind of change she believes Louisiana's higher education system needs. By Rob Landry

  • Saturday, January 28 2012 6:03 PM EST2012-01-28 23:03:04 GMT
    Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, among others, will be making "appearances" in a class this spring at LSU. "Black Rhetorical Traditions," will debut in January under the teaching direction of adjunct professor Herman Kelly. By Chris Branch

  • Saturday, January 28 2012 5:52 PM EST2012-01-28 22:52:51 GMT
    Commercials and seasonal programs depict characters at fun-filled holiday parties, surrounded by family and friends. For many, however, this is not a usual holiday celebration. By Caroline Gerdes

  • Saturday, January 28 2012 5:47 PM EST2012-01-28 22:47:40 GMT
    Disney is not just for kids and a one-time life experience. For some current and former college students, it is a passion, as well as a major force in their lives. By Thomas Morrison

  • Saturday, January 28 2012 5:44 PM EST2012-01-28 22:44:14 GMT
    Mercedes Wilson was just one of eight students who had the opportunity to take the master class last week from Dukakis in LSU's theater program. By Chelsea Brasted

  • Saturday, January 28 2012 5:39 PM EST2012-01-28 22:39:55 GMT
    Former Louisiana Governor Edwin Edwards made his first public appearance at the State Capitol this past weekend since his release from federal prison. By Rob Landry

  • Saturday, January 28 2012 5:36 PM EST2012-01-28 22:36:38 GMT
    Time is waning for civil rights era unsolved murder investigations and the FBI would like citizens with knowledge of such crimes to come forth with relevant information. By Lex Wilson

  • Saturday, January 28 2012 5:31 PM EST2012-01-28 22:31:44 GMT
    As children go door-to-door trick or treating for candy dressed as princesses and superheroes, LSU students outfitted in the same attire will be seeking "treats" of canned goods. By Caroline Gerdes

  • Saturday, January 28 2012 5:27 PM EST2012-01-28 22:27:38 GMT
    Navigating alone through an industry that's all about your connections to others can be tough, but that's what Mannie Fresh is undertaking these days. By Ryan Buxton

  • Saturday, January 28 2012 5:22 PM EST2012-01-28 22:22:41 GMT
    A generation ago, tucking in a baby meant a lullaby and nestling him in a soft sea of blankets and bumpers. Today, this soothing nighttime ritual could be dangerous. By Caroline Gerdes

  • Saturday, January 28 2012 5:17 PM EST2012-01-28 22:17:50 GMT
    The Internet is more accessible than ever before. For the one in 25 college students addicted to the Internet staying away is a constant battle. By Helen Headlee

  • Saturday, January 28 2012 5:13 PM EST2012-01-28 22:13:53 GMT
    While customers stroll through Honeymoon Bungalow, Baton Rouge's only vintage department store, they peruse items while cradling a soft kitten. By Caroline Gerdes

  • Saturday, January 28 2012 5:10 PM EST2012-01-28 22:10:27 GMT
    The dispute surrounding the 160-year-old historic Mandeville lakefront home has been laid to rest — on Carroll Street. By Caroline Gerde

  • Saturday, January 28 2012 5:06 PM EST2012-01-28 22:06:33 GMT
    Laughter yoga currently is practiced internationally and is used for a myriad of reasons surrounding physical and mental health. By Caroline Gerdes

  • Saturday, January 28 2012 5:00 PM EST2012-01-28 22:00:50 GMT
    A lawyer's delivery is an important factor in influencing a jury's verdict, which is what brought aspiring lawyers and second-year Master of Fine Arts (MFA) acting students together recently. By Ryan Buxton

  • Saturday, January 28 2012 4:57 PM EST2012-01-28 21:57:24 GMT
    Carol Friedland and a group of engineering graduate students are in the process of launching an initiative designed to measure the strength of natural disasters and the damage they cause. By Chris Seemann

  • Saturday, January 28 2012 4:50 PM EST2012-01-28 21:50:29 GMT
    In just under a year, the Drum Corp – Starette Dancers has grown from a struggling, low-income community program to a flourishing after-school activity that has become a magnet for community support. By Jake Clapp

  • Saturday, January 28 2012 4:41 PM EST2012-01-28 21:41:36 GMT
    It started out in a shed in Baton Rouge and has since expanded to a wood mill in Pennsylvania. Jack Marucci's baseball bat company, Marucci Bats, grew from the ground up. By Kate Royals

  • Saturday, January 28 2012 4:33 PM EST2012-01-28 21:33:33 GMT
    Film and Media Arts (FMA) can now be added to the list of majors available at Louisiana State University. How did this curriculum addition occur in a time of budget cuts and majors being slashed? By Elizabeth Neuner

  • Saturday, January 28 2012 4:29 PM EST2012-01-28 21:29:32 GMT
    Open Mic Nights in the newly remodeled and expanded LSU Student Union building provide students practice runs for the real stage lights they crave. By Chris Branch

  • Saturday, January 28 2012 4:25 PM EST2012-01-28 21:25:50 GMT
    LSU coach Les Miles might need a private escort when he leads the Tigers onto the field this weekend in Oxford, Miss. Foreign confines haven't been kind to "The Hat" this season. By Chris Branch

  • Saturday, January 28 2012 4:18 PM EST2012-01-28 21:18:58 GMT
    Finding a well-rounded college student can be difficult to find. But LSU track and field has one in redshirt freshman distance runner Michelle Mobley. By Rob Landry

  • Saturday, January 28 2012 4:13 PM EST2012-01-28 21:13:32 GMT
    Louisianans in need of a job may be in luck. The state's current movie boom is creating a need for movie extras. Extras are people seen in the background of movies. By Thomas Morrison

  • Saturday, January 28 2012 4:09 PM EST2012-01-28 21:09:44 GMT
    There is no greater feat for a football coach than leading a team to an undefeated, championship season. Few reach this sports pinnacle, but for those that do their legacy is forever cemented. By Rob Landry

  • Saturday, January 28 2012 4:04 PM EST2012-01-28 21:04:35 GMT
    At the beginning of the year, lawmakers passed a bill slashing federal funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. PBS officials say places public broadcasting in jeopardy. By Caroline Gerdes

  • Saturday, January 28 2012 4:00 PM EST2012-01-28 21:00:31 GMT
    In December 2003, Frank Warren went to Paris and bought three postcards. As Warren slept, he had a vivid dream in which he modified the postcards with a different message written on each. By Elizabeth Neuner

  • Saturday, January 28 2012 3:56 PM EST2012-01-28 20:56:53 GMT
    Some athletes like to do their talking through the news media. Others prefer to voice their two-cents via social media. By Rob Landry

  • Saturday, January 28 2012 3:53 PM EST2012-01-28 20:53:45 GMT
    Amid consternation and cries of anguish lobbed at CBS for forcing LSU games to be played in the afternoon, one sector is profiting by the action in the sunshine – restaurants. By Chris Branch

  • Saturday, January 28 2012 3:47 PM EST2012-01-28 20:47:46 GMT
    The Cuban-African based religion of Santeria is a part of the southeastern Louisiana culture and one of its best kept secrets. By Thomas Morrison

  • Saturday, January 28 2012 3:30 PM EST2012-01-28 20:30:34 GMT
    As nominated by department heads and professors, these six LSU fine arts students exemplify who have made the distinction between art admirers and art creators. By Elizabeth Neuner

  • Jan 16, 2012 09:56 AM 2012-01-16 17:15:31 GMT
    The "guy in the yellow wig" has become a staple of LSU athletics. He shows his Tiger spirit by cheering his team or by taunting the opponent.

  • Monday, January 16 2012 11:44 AM EST2012-01-16 16:44:09 GMT
    As social media sites continue to pervade the lives of college students and the world in general, LSU is looking to make the grey area of the Internet a little more black and white. By Ryan Buxton

  • Monday, January 16 2012 11:37 AM EST2012-01-16 16:37:42 GMT
    In the past 20 years or so the airwaves have crashed to the same beat. With few exceptions, pop music has dominated the Billboard Charts. Until recently. By Elizabeth Neuner

  • Monday, January 16 2012 11:03 AM EST2012-01-16 16:03:28 GMT
    It is common to hear of an athlete going to perfect their trade in a different country. But an athlete leaving the United States to join the circus?

  • Monday, January 16 2012 10:49 AM EST2012-01-16 15:49:52 GMT
    Pre-workout supplements meant to increase the benefits of fitness workouts may do more harm than good, according to scientists at LSU.

  • Monday, January 16 2012 10:44 AM EST2012-01-16 15:44:02 GMT
    Teach for America is offering data to show its teachers are more effective in the classroom than other new teachers in Louisiana and two other southern states.

  • Monday, January 16 2012 10:39 AM EST2012-01-16 15:39:18 GMT
    The low hanging branches of the majestic Live Oak tree are a staple of the Baton Rouge area and can be a valuable asset for home owners.

  • Monday, January 16 2012 10:06 AM EST2012-01-16 15:06:50 GMT
    A dozen unsolved civil rights-era murder cases committed in Louisiana and southern Mississippi remain open investigations with the FBI.

  • Friday, November 25 2011 3:43 PM EST2011-11-25 20:43:42 GMT
    For those who have everything--a visit to the "Fangsmith."

  • Friday, November 25 2011 3:30 PM EST2011-11-25 20:30:22 GMT
    A new seminar-type class at LSU could produce a new wave of winning politicians.

  • Saturday, October 15 2011 3:34 PM EDT2011-10-15 19:34:44 GMT
    Traffic patterns on the North Gate of LSU's campus have changed over the past couple of years thanks to State Street development. The business enclave is now primarily restaurants. By Caroline Gerdes

  • Saturday, October 15 2011 3:28 PM EDT2011-10-15 19:28:01 GMT
    Larry Foster has felt the highest of highs, the lowest of lows and everything in between. Now he is taking life experiences and turning them into a learning experience for others. By Rob Landry

  • Saturday, October 15 2011 3:20 PM EDT2011-10-15 19:20:53 GMT
    A recent survey of LSU students shows a link between alcohol consumption and depression, a growing problem nationally for undergrad students. By Thomas Morrison

  • Saturday, October 15 2011 3:07 PM EDT2011-10-15 19:07:30 GMT
    Shanna Bankston Hanner has clients worldwide. Her office? A crafts corner in her home. "Homepreneurs" are selling goods through websites. By Caroline Gerdes

  • Monday, October 3 2011 11:31 AM EDT2011-10-03 15:31:27 GMT
    Studying abroad has become a staple of college education, but it might not be as simple a fare as it has been in the past and participation has decreased. By Chris Branch

  • Tuesday, September 27 2011 9:40 AM EDT2011-09-27 13:40:36 GMT
    As of Aug. 1, the GRE shuffled its question types, changed the way the computerized exam adapts as test takers progress and extended its length by about an hour. By Ryan Buxton

  • Tuesday, September 27 2011 9:34 AM EDT2011-09-27 13:34:28 GMT
    The number of students nationwide applying for law school decreased drastically for the 2011-2012 academic year, including at Louisiana State University. By Kate Royals

  • Sep 26, 2011 11:28 AM 2011-09-27 13:26:38 GMT
    With a growing number of the nation's colleges implementing bans on campus smoking, there is a movement at LSU to adopt a similar policy. By Chris Branch

  • Sep 26, 2011 11:19 AM 2011-09-27 13:25:21 GMT
    According to geologists at Louisiana State University, the state may be overdue for an earthquake and the results could be disastrous. By Thomas Morrison

  • Sep 26, 2011 10:37 AM 2011-09-27 13:24:02 GMT
    Louisiana State University students Garrett Collins, Russell Collins and David Jones are aiming to make history through philanthropy. By Elizabeth Neuner

  • Sep 26, 2011 10:30 AM 2011-09-27 13:22:45 GMT
    A semi-pro jump roper and kinesiology major will perform with a jump roping team as part of the circus-style production's holiday national tour. By Chelsea Brasted

  • Tuesday, June 21 2011 10:08 AM EDT2011-06-21 15:08:04 GMT
    The Tiger Transition Team, a fledgling program adopted by the First Year Experience Office at LSU, aims to help freshmen ease into college life by assigning student mentors.  By Jordan Walden.

  • Tuesday, June 21 2011 10:03 AM EDT2011-06-21 15:03:36 GMT
    Members of Greek houses at LSU have a slightly higher composite GPA than their the student body in general, but which sororities and fraternities are the brightest bulbs in the collegiate billboard?  A break out of the best and worst Greek GPA.  By Sidney Kleinpeter. 

  • Tuesday, June 21 2011 9:58 AM EDT2011-06-21 14:58:15 GMT
    The Coop book store has been a fixture at LSU since 1933 – longer than Louie's.  A history of the independent store and of the trademark controversy with the university over the "bennie tiger."  By Sarah Lawson. 

  • Tuesday, April 12 2011 11:20 AM EDT2011-04-12 16:20:50 GMT
    LSU's third annual UNPLUG energy conservation competition, held during the month of March, yielded a 3.7 percent and nearly $2,500 energy savings in its residence halls, according to Catherine David, Residential Life communications coordinator.

  • Thursday, April 7 2011 12:04 PM EDT2011-04-07 17:04:36 GMT
    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) has awarded Louisiana State University's  Response and Chemical Assessment Group's principal investigator, Ed Overton, with the 2010 Superior Accomplishment Award for efforts to mitigate effects of the Gulf oil spill.

  • Thursday, April 7 2011 12:00 PM EDT2011-04-07 17:00:27 GMT
    A lot has changed for Daniel Bradshaw since he signed with LSU in 2007 after winning the Louisiana High School Coaches Association Pitcher of the Year at Ouachita Christian School in West Monroe. And it has not been for the better. Still, the 23-year-old senior is optimistic.

  • Wednesday, April 27 2011 1:28 PM EDT2011-04-27 18:28:28 GMT
    The 2011 NFL Draft runs from April 28 to April 30 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. LSU will host its annual Pro Day on March 14.

  • Wednesday, April 27 2011 1:27 PM EDT2011-04-27 18:27:30 GMT
    Chad Jones entered a football field in early October to a standing ovation from thousands of fans.

  • Tuesday, April 5 2011 4:13 PM EDT2011-04-05 21:13:11 GMT
    Baton Rouge's alternative rock station 104.9 "The X" will sends its last broadcast across the airwaves on Sunday after 12 years on the air.  It is moving to talk news shows, says the management.  It leaves only KSLU, the student-run public station at LSU, as the sole provider for alternative music.  By Sidney Kleinpeter. 

  • Monday, April 4 2011 4:13 PM EDT2011-04-04 21:13:29 GMT
    From the Japanese disaster to a myriad of other worthy causes, LSU students, like the rest of society, contribute to relief funds even though they no the amount will not be significant.  LSU sociology profs explain why.  By Concetta Ingrassia. 

  • Monday, April 4 2011 3:57 PM EDT2011-04-04 20:57:48 GMT
    Quadrotor
    The statewide high school science fair was held at LSU.  Winners in individual and school team categories were announced, along with special awards.  Names from students throughout the state.  By Sarah Lawson.  

  • Friday, March 25 2011 6:32 PM EDT2011-03-25 22:32:53 GMT
    The allergy season came early to Louisiana this year.  Tips from the LSU Health Center on how to combat allergies in humans.  Sidebar explains how pets, too, can have allergies and how to spot it.  Both stories by Jordan Walden.

  • Friday, March 25 2011 6:25 PM EDT2011-03-25 22:25:08 GMT
    As consumers rush to stores to purchase new devices, a problem arises: disposal of their old, outdated computers.  The Capital Area Corporate Recycling Council of Baton Rouge accepts unwanted computers and breathes new life into them.  By Sidney Kleinpeter.