“WhatNow Lsu” was revealed Thursday as a student-run campaign group designed to combat the budget crisis through a letter-writing program.
A crowd of about 350 curious University students sat in the Cox Communications Academic Center for Student Athletes on Thursday night for the revealing of “WhatNow Lsu” and “The Event.”
The secretive group has advertised “The Event” through Tiger Trails, T-shirts, sidewalk chalk and Facebook without revealing its true meaning until Thursday.
“For those of you who thought the ‘Twilight’ cast would be here, I’m sorry,” joked Zac Lemoine, WhatNow Lsu member and mass communication senior, as he discussed the various predictions about the campaign. “We’re going to talk about budget cuts.”
All advertising for “The Event” was funded by donations, and the group said it is not associated with Student Government.
Purple sheets of paper were passed through the crowd as WhatNow Lsu representatives asked students to begin writing letters expressing their feelings and opinions about the budget crisis.
Student Government President J Hudson said the team plans to deliver letters to Gov. Bobby Jindal today at 3:30 p.m., despite the fact that he does not have an official meeting with Jindal scheduled.
“This purple piece of paper is the same color legislators will start seeing tomorrow and until they decide to make decisions about education,” said Student Government Vice President Dani Borel. “Thirty-thousand is a powerful number.”
Lemoine emphasized the funds that have been cut from the University’s budget before introducing Chancellor Michael Martin.
“This is not a blame somebody session,” Martin said. “This is a ‘let’s find solutions’ session.”
Martin discussed the state of higher education, explaining the “huge challenge” the University and students face.
Martin offered six key pieces of advice to students: Be aware, be engaged, be part of the solution, be respectful, be committed and be persistent. He said these things, if accomplished, can make a difference.
Hudson agreed that students need to step up.
“I wrote a letter two weeks ago that reached national attention, and we need to do the same thing here,” Hudson said. “One letter is not going to cut it.”
Lemoine told the students the group was going to do “something that had not been done before” as he placed Louisiana House of Representatives Speaker Jim Tucker’s e-mail address on the projector.
“I want you to e-mail this guy,” Lemoine said. He then asked the students to take out their phones and begin e-mailing Tucker.
The audience mimicked Borel as she began e-mailing Tucker from her iPhone.
“I would hate to be [Tucker] in the morning,” laughed Lindsey Schexnider, English freshman.
Another new student group, Flagship Advocates, was also introduced. The group, which is now accepting applications, hopes to recruit a member from every Louisiana district to communicate with representatives.
 
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Contact Sydni Dunn at [email protected]