It was the arena Lynyrd Skynyrd were traveling to in 1977 when their plane tragically crashed in Mississippi.

That same year, a robotic pig malfunctioned during a Pink Floyd show, a scene worthy of Spinal Tap.

It all happened at the PMAC, and as Brett Bodin shows us, the Assembly Center will always hold a place in rock n’ roll lore.

In the late 1970′s, LSU students like Doug Troxclair witnessed the peak of rock and roll history.  And the center of the music scene in Louisiana was the Assembly Center on campus.

“I’m sure everybody, at some point, feels that they were born at the right time and had all the things that worked out perfectly for them,” Troxclair said.

“When the PMAC was the biggest arena in south Louisiana, that was the place,” said Jeff Campbell, former Associate Director of the arena.  “That was the happenin’ place for concerts.”

What began with a 1975 Rolling Stones show exploded into a Who’s who of talent during the following 20 years, each act enjoying an evening on North Stadium Drive.

“Baton Rouge,” screeched vocalist Robert Plant at a 1975 Led Zeppelin show.  “I said Baton Rouge!  Has it been OK?”

It was– until the obstacles arose.  Money, student interests, athletics, advancements in the music industry and new arenas in the region– they were all just bricks in the wall, sealing away an era that students of the time will never forget.

The ramps at the PMAC once bustled with energy and anticipation for such acts as Elvis, Bob Dylan and Fleetwood Mac.  But the last time a major act rolled through the Assembly Center was Garth Brooks in 1999.

“I think it’s definitely something the students are being deprived of,” Troxclair said.  “It makes your college days a complete experience.  That area there represented to me the sole out-of-class experience as an LSU student.”

It’s been a long time since the Assembly Center’s rocked n’ rolled.

Even the Bayou Country Superfest next month will be across the street, in Tiger Stadium.

“I think really the concerts have really fallen off at the PMAC,” Campbell said.  “I dare say I can’t remember the last time they had one.  As far as an athletic venue goes, I think it’s still got lots of life in it.  As far as a concert… probably not so much.”

Campbell added that he is still in touch with many former PMAC workers, and they plan on getting together soon to reminisce about the long days and nights they devoted to concerts.

Click here to view a timeline featuring many of the performers who appeared at the Assembly Center. (Best viewed under Flipbook tab)

Click here to download tracks from the February 28, 1975 Led Zeppelin concert at the PMAC.

Last month, doctors in London announced the opening of the “Young Person Technology Addiction Clinic.”

So were our parents’ concerns over our gaming habits really valid?  Brett Bodin explains how the outlook on video game addiction has changed in recent years.

In the early days of the video game industry, young consumers received grave warnings of the dangers of gaming.

“There’s certainly evidence that, as a whole, video games don’t rot your brain,” said psychology graduate student Patrick Lingenfelter.

But harmful, compulsive video game usage can result from the same poor judgment that leads to other addictions, like gambling or alcohol.

Lingenfelter studied this behavior in his graduate thesis.

“There are a lot of individuals that develop the compulsive disorder because (a video game) really does prey on the way our brains have evolved,” he explained.

Robert Kooima teaches a video game development course shared by programming and art students from LSU and the University of Illinois-Chicago.

“(Developers) feel a sense of pride in creating something that enthralls people,” he said.  “If people spend eight hours a day experiencing your work, your work must be good.”

As video game technology progresses, the line between ourselves and our virtual alter egos grows thinner.  But experts like Lingenfelter stress it is ultimately up to the gamer to put the controller down.

“That’s the real thing to watch for,” he said.  “It’s not the amount of time you spend doing something, it’s whether you can control your compulsion to do it.”

Kooima emphasized that as the gaming industry develops into a cultural mainstay alongside film and music, advancements in video game education are essential to understand the importance of computer science… and dispel the fear of video game addiction.

“Video gaming is just the next scapegoat,” he said.  “We’ll have another one.”

Click here to view Dr. Kooima’s demonstration of the touch-sensitive gaming platform used by his students in the video game development course.

Click here for additional content from Dr. Kooima’s interview in which he discusses the roles of  immersion and novelty in the video game industry.

Earlier this week, national weather experts warned of historic flooding that could impact most of the nation.  But closer to home, it appears that Spring has sprung.  Brett Bodin explains how these weather patterns may be effecting locals.

The more the weather changes, the more people discuss it.  And this past winter has provided no shortage of comments from Baton Rouge residents on social networking sites.

Agriculture and Geography professor Luigi Romolo, who is from Canada, has marveled at the city’s response to this unusually busy season, especially with the recent snowfall.

“The entire city will basically shut down,” he said.  “From a logistics point of view, I’ve never seen anything like it.”

But it’s not just logistics that the eather has impacted.  As many as one person in five may experience symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder, a form of major depression that manifests throughout the winter months.

Elaine Maccio discusses this disorder among many others in her Differential Diagnosis class at the LSU School of Social Work.  She stresses that the cause of Seasonal Affective Disorder is based on the shortened amount of daylight hours during winter.

“These feelings are normal,” she said.  “Why wouldn’t you want to find some relief for feelings of discomfort in the same way that you would want to find relief for physical symptoms?”

The unpredictable nature of the weather only intensifies the influence of Seasonal Affective Disorder.  But as Baton Rouge residents discovered this week, some change can certainly be welcome.

Although the El Nino pattern that governs winter weather is still holding its ground, it recently provided a sample of warmer days to come.

“If El Nino releases its hold, we could just jump into the early part of summer,” Romolo said.

For those struggling with Seasonal Affective Disorder, that promise of relief is a shining light against the winter blues.

“There’s a lot to look forward to in the spring,” said Maccio.  “Leaving the darkness behind, the winter and the cold, and all the things that we have negative associations with.”

For additional footage of the LSU Quad during an early spring day, click here.

As a 12-week-old Boston Terrier, Harvard has his whole life ahead of him.  But he is already forging the special bonds that will last far beyond his lifetime.

Harvard’s owner is Natalie Chandler, a social worker who has served as a counselor for Best Friend Gone, a bereavement therapy program run by the LSU Veterinary School.

Mental health experts recognize that the grief response to animal loss can be just as significant as the grief response to human death.

“(Pet owners) are not crazy for asking that question because (they are) not the only one,” Chandler said.  “That’s a big part of it: you’re not alone.  You’re not crazy for being sad.”

The trained counselors at Best Friend Gone provide the necessary therapy over the phone, in private or even in group settings.  One clinic associated with the program is Highland Road Animal Hospital, whose doctors must approach every sensitive situation by gauging the pet owner’s emotions.

“That’s part of our job,” said veterinarian Adrian Bergeron, “is feeling out how people are responding to this, and what they need to hear.  A lot of times people just really want to know that they’re doing everything they can for their pet.”

While Chandler and Bergeron agree that each owner reacts to a pet’s death differently, they also stressed the importance of closure as a way to remember the pet’s legacy.

“I think there’s something to be said for that final act,” Bergeron said.  “And it’s hard to put words around it, but there’s some kind of finality or closure to laying physical remains to rest.”

“It’s a way to remember our loved ones,” Chandler said.  “To know that they’re in our hearts and not just passed away or gone forever, no more.  It’s the same thing with animals.”

The reason is that what pet owners cherish forever is more than just the dog, the cat or even the rodent.  It’s the lifelong bonds formed with their special companions.

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If you or someone you know is grieving over the loss of a pet, counselors are available at the Best Friend Gone program.  To set up a private meeting or even just a quick talk over the phone, contact Stephanie Johnson at (225) 578-9547.

Pet Bereavement Slide Show

Before construction has even completed at the LSU Student Union, budget cuts have forced a change in the scenery.  The university had allocated one percent of the renovation budget for a hanging sculpture to be created by the School of Art, but even that has been nixed.  Economic struggles have forced local artists to get creative.

When Laura Young moved to Baton Rouge from Arizona in July, she hoped to leave behind her desk job and follow her passion: art.  In December she became an instructor at Corks N Canvas, a local company that encourages groups of friends to get together, drink some wine, and paint.  For Young, the adjustment was quick but welcome.

“I’m new to Louisiana,” she said at a painting class on January 28.  “I learned what a fleur de lis is when I got here, and I’ve painted quite a few of them.”

In a time when fewer people have money to spend on lavish decor, Corks N Canvas and Young find themselves in an advantageous situation.

“Business has been great,” she said.  “This could be the new wave.  This is what people are doing to put the art on their walls.”

The idea of do-it-yourself art is just one way people are adjusting to the stringent economy.  And it’s just another reason for the barren hallways found in art galleries such as Foster Hall on campus.

Gallery Assistant Colin Ash has had a front row seat to the decline of interest in art throughout the recession.

“I think there’s been two people here in the last hour,” he said during a recent morning shift.  “I think when people have more money they have more time to think about doing anything.”

LSU budget cuts erased about 10 percent of the School of Art’s spending.  The evidence is manifested in the small group of workers like Ash who are struggling to keep their galleries running.

“Arts are an easy thing to throw away when people are thinking fiscally,” Ash said.

The downturn has even impacted some of the largest auction houses in the world.  Sales of contemporary art dropped 75 percent in 2009 for Sotheby’s and Christie’s International.  This resulted in losses of almost 1.5 billion dollars compared to 2008.

Those humbling statistics have put into perspective just how fortunate workers such as Young are.

“This is my passion,” she explained.  “All I want to do is color, and here I get to do that.”

Those wishing to do their part to support the LSU School of Art can attend a free exhibition on February 8th at the Shaw Center downtown.  The event will serve as a fundraiser for the school, and will feature an auction of Mardi Gras masks created by local artists.

The current economic crisis has set back industries across America, and film production has not been an exception.  Hollywood Rentals on Coursey Boulevard and Celtic Media Group off Airline Highway are two local companies feeling the brunt of the recession.

“A lot of workers want to be here,” said Rental Coordinator Brandon Swain.  “They enjoy it here.  It’s more (about) the producers:  where are they going to get the best deals?”

And the best in-state deals during the recession involve low-budget films, which means less need—and less money—for local services.

“There’s a scale back of everything,” said Celtic Operations Manager Kevin Murphy.  “There’s going to have to be a re-adjustment of priorities, in terms of what people think their rates are.”

Those re-adjustments are also affecting the Screen Actors Guild strike, and investors are losing confidence.

Many film groups are now trying to lure multiple investors on individual projects in order to reduce risk.  To keep up with all the happenings in the Louisiana film industry, visit LAFilm.org, or visit the NOLA.com’s Film Business blog.