Story by James Gaddy, Photo by Collin Richie
Students credit smaller crowds to Jazz Fest, Cinco de Mayo
University students filled Tigerland bars to capacity Friday night, their cars jammed around the median in an unbroken oval waiting for a parking spot.
The LSU chapter of the NAACP called for a boycott of Tigerland bars Friday after The Reveille’s story Thursday, in which students accused the bars of racial discrimination in their dress code policies.
In all respects, students said, Friday night was a typical night on the town, the students’ last weekend to party before the finals crunch.
Saturday night was more subdued. Reggie’s and Fred’s parking lot did not fill until late, a little behind a typical Saturday night.
Students preparing to enter Tigerland bars Saturday night agreed the Reggie’s dress code sign The Reveille mentioned in last week’s article was discriminatory, but they defended the bars’ policy and were skeptical that an NAACP-driven boycott would be effective.
Most attributed the Saturday slump to events other than the controversial boycott, like Jazz Fest and Cinco de Mayo.
“I think the majority of the people who come here anyway don’t have any issues with the dress code,” said David Gautreaux, a microbiology senior. “It’s not an issue for them.”
Eric Smith, a landscape architecture senior, agreed but said the sign was in poor taste.
“I think the sign is discriminatory,” Smith said. “I believe in dress codes, but that was pretty blatant as to what they wanted.”
Robyn Boudoin, a dietetics junior, said the sign was obviously discriminatory in its description of dress code policy.
“It’s obvious they don’t want blacks,” Boudoin said.
Smith said people go to bars where they feel comfortable, not where they are a part of “the FUBU atmosphere.”
“I think the majority of the people who come here don’t want to be associated with what would be described as that type of atmosphere,” Smith said.
Lee Landry, a black general studies senior, said the people who wear that type of clothing are the ones who generally start trouble.
“I don’t wear those clothes,” Landry said. “I’ve never had any trouble here.”
Theresa Lee, a general studies junior, said the bars can make up their own rules sometimes, according to the people they want to attract. She emphasized a difference between Reggie’s, where she said discrimination occurs, and Fred’s, where she has not witnessed any discrimination.
Both Lee and Boudoin said a white friend of theirs was denied entrance to Reggie’s because he was wearing a chain, and neither one has been returned since the incident.
“It’s not their right, but from their viewpoint, I agree with it,” Boudoin said. “People who wear that kind of attire are more likely to start trouble.”
Landry said he has seen both white and black people denied entrance because of dress code violations.
Two other women, who asked to remain unidentified, said they go to bars where they feel safe. People who wear the clothes prohibited by the dress codes do not contribute to an atmosphere of safety, they said.
Gautreaux said the bars are trying to deter a certain type of clientele, and they have the right to refuse service to anyone they want.
Neither Gautreaux nor Smith thought a boycott would be effective.
“Not enough white people would listen to the NAACP,” Gautreaux said. “If they even read about the boycott, they immediately thought about black people.”
Smith said the bar owners have to keep their customers happy. If they do not, the bars will go out of business, he said.
“If people don’t feel comfortable, then the bar’s going to cater to the majority of the people that does their business.” Smith said. “They have to keep a majority of their customers happy.”