Time Magazine released its annual list of the 100 most influential people last week, and the reactions have been mixed. While some are ecstatic to have individuals such as “Orange is the New Black” creator Jenji Kohan listed alongside icons like Beyonce, others are angry to see oppressive figures like Russian president Vladimir Putin also on the list.
But this look into the spectrum of human goodness is critical when evaluating those who influence our world.
College is the first time many of us experience a community we cultivate rather than one that is chosen for us. It can be difficult to navigate between the good and the bad influences in our lives because humans are capable of being both.
Listing Putin alongside Kohan allows us to delve greater into the related themes of the two influences. While Putin is known for his outrageously oppressive beliefs regarding homosexuals, Kohan writes complex and humbling homosexual characters.
Though we would like to believe that Putin is an entirely bad human being, it’s important to remember that criticism of an individual does little to change our world. We as a society benefit most from a critical analysis of our systems and cultural ideals, rather than criticism of an individual.
I have compiled my own list of influential people, a list of individuals in the LSU community who I think made a difference this semester. But as you read it, keep in mind that the ones who made mistakes were still influential.
6. Adam Roethele
In late March, minimalistic Christian propaganda began appearing around campus, leaving many students curious about who Adam was and what everyone agreed with. The few weeks campus was torn in a religious war over the Christianity awareness were some of the more confusing weeks of this semester, leading to kinesiology senior Adam Roethele’s debut as the famous Adam.
Perhaps one of the most overstated fashion trends in University history, the orange “I Agree With Adam” shirts ultimately amounted to little more than visual pollution. That and fuel for debates across all platforms.
5. John Woodard and Taylor Parks
Though the Unite LSU ticket faced scandal during the 2013 Student Government election, Woodard and Parks followed through with several initiatives promised to the student body. The most impressive being the resolution passed that allows students to specify a preferred name for University records.
University LGBT organization, Spectrum, supported the bill as it helps to protect the privacy of transgendered students who could otherwise be outed by first day roll calls. A student government working to ease anxieties for all students is an effective student government. I applaud Woodard and Parks for their progressiveness.
4. Leila Wolfe
In late February, the LSU Emergency Text Messaging system notified the LSU community of an attempted abduction near Patrick F. Taylor Hall, by a black male with no facial hair and a black van. It took all of two days for Wolfe to admit her allegations were false.
This hoax sparked several racially charged debates over the criminal justice system and racial profiling, including my own series of columns regarding the myth of a post-racial America.
3. Roy Chavalitlekakha and Justin Brocato
Though the two teens were not LSU students, they managed to serve up more of a disappointing, anti-climactic mess than the Starbucks barista who gets your order wrong on the first day of exams. Chavalitlekakha and Brocato were arrested after admitting responsibility for the “suspicious package” that caused Thomas Boyd Hall to be evacuated in early April.
While it may seem like nothing more than a harmless prank, these two tested the emergency response policies and LSU Alert systems, which, luckily, were up to par.
2. The LSU Hamburglars
After months of investigation, LSUPD arrested several employees of the McDonald’s in the Student Union in March. These hamburglars were part of a Tiger Card scheme that resulted in the theft of a reported $30,000 from LSU students.
Those students who fell victim to the scheme quickly turned from infuriated to celebratory when they were reimbursed by LSU Dining. Some even felt a little shame as they realized how often they would’ve had to dine at the burger and fries establishment to rack up the $100-plus deposit.
1. Art School Protest Group
University art students and faculty executed a funeral-themed march in protest of the deteriorating 90-year-old Studio Arts Building. The Twitter hashtag #schoolofdecay quickly went viral as the event unfolded.
For reminding us that we can make a difference and not passive participants in our University, the art students and faculty members take the No. 1 spot for most influential persons in the LSU community.
Jana King is a 19-year-old communication studies sophomore from Ponchatoula, La.
John Woodard (left), Taylor Parks (right)
