With the state’s budget in crisis, the University has taken the brunt of cuts being made across Louisiana. Teachers, students and activists are trying to reform the way the state gives out money so higher education isn’t one of the first things to suffer cuts.But what if the University didn’t depend so much on state funds in the first place?”The state should always pay its share at LSU because the state benefits enormously,” Chancellor Micheal Martin said last week. “On the other hand, if we are so dependent on the state that every time we hit this kind of ripple we have to go through this type of anguish, its going to be damn tough for the long haul.”Like Martin, we believe efforts to lobby legislators and other public figures to support higher education even in tough times are important. But there are other ways to keep LSU well-funded and our education well-supported.Martin’s plans to decrease our reliance on state dollars will ease the problems caused when those dollars suddenly disappear. Partnering with private businesses on Nicholson would allow the University to infuse money without the need to petition the legislature. Increasing the number of online degrees, which are more cost-effective than traditional educations, would help the University increase funds raised by tuition. And integrating companies into the educational environment — the high-profile partnership between LSU and EA Games is a shining example — would provide the University the ability to add to its income while gaining valuable experiences and opportunities for its students.Finally — and most deliciously — an on-campus brewery would provide a refreshing opportunity to make some additional money, while simultaneously adding classes in brewing that students would rush to signup for.We applaud Martin and his staff for thinking outside of the box for solutions to our budgetary woes. We certainly still advocate legislative changes, but these are innovative measures to make the University less dependent on the state — which, during these hard times, we can all agree is a very good thing.—————Contact the Editorial Board at [email protected]