Four hours and 20 minutes — with rain. Three hours if I catch good weather and smooth traffic.
 
These are the times it takes me to drive from Baton Rouge to Houston, my home town.
 
I recently packed up my belongings and drove to my new home — LSU’s campus. But lately, I’m beginning to wonder: “Will I have to head back home before I’ve finished my education here?”
Sounds outlandish, but the concept is not too far removed from reality. And with the University trying to find a place to dump the financial burden on their backs — budget cuts — there has to be at least a mild concern for students not from the state of Louisiana.
 
Boasting a very low out-of-state tuition cost for a flagship University at $16,549, compared to the University of Texas at Austin at $31,218, LSU is attractive to students from surrounding states who don’t want to venture too far from home. This could easily change, however, within the next year.
 
In an e-mail sent to staff, faculty and students, Chancellor Michael Martin explained the possible scenario as plain as possible in a report demanded by the Louisiana State Division of
Administration, although it’s pretty vague. The report goes over “hypothetical budget reduction scenarios” (also known as wild guesses at how much money is going down the drain). When the first report came out in July, there was a guess of $46 million to be lost in state funding. Only two months later, the number jumps up $16 million to a chilling $62 million.
 
The jump in estimation is not too surprising. The biggest surprise is that I had no idea things were unfolding this way when I was a high school senior considering LSU.
 
I’m not saying I was lied to, but it would have been nice to know about the $42 million lost over the last 21 months before I chose this place.
 
Now, I’m faced with the possibility of being sent home from college because the University and I are catastrophically disadvantaged (broke beyond measure) and the governor of Louisiana agrees. I vaguely remember reading a budget-related e-mail on the gloomy situation sometime in the early summer when I was at the beach in Seaside, Calif. — and not worrying about the possible impending doom of my University of choice.
 
On LSU’s website, under the Budget Impact link, there also is the actual report listed. On all three levels or stages of the budget cuts, there is an estimate of 628 employees being cut. Also known as 628 fewer openings for employment for students. Or 628 fewer smiling faces interested in our education, whether it be the nice old ladies in “The 5” or your tenured professor who engaged you in every level of class and helped you find your voice among 20,000 other students just like you. Dire straits, anyone?
 
Keep in mind I am in no way calling for a UNO-like rally — at least not with the arrests. I would rather like to warn my fellow travelers from Texas, Arkansas, California and even Wisconsin, as well as all states outside Louisiana, that they should keep their eyes wide open to the events unfolding that may cripple this place.
 
“Please keep in mind that these reports are hypothetical,” Chancellor Martin said in a Sept. 15 e-mail. “It will be months before we know what lies ahead for LSU.”
 
Sure — now you tell me.
 
Trevon Nwankwo
Mass communication freshman
 
 
 
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Contact The Daily Reveille’s opinion staff at [email protected]