Foreign languages are essential to a flagship university
A front page article of Sept. 3 in The Daily Reveille ran under the title: “‘Vast majority’ of instructors will keep jobs in the spring.” While I’m happy for the instructors who’ve been retained, I’m dismayed by the fact that the only instructors laid off were from the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures. Regardless of the need for budget cuts, their firing is a sad commentary on the utter lack of support for foreign languages in the state.
As for why foreign languages have long been targeted for cuts, low enrollment has often been cited. If critics of foreign languages were honest with themselves they’d have to admit that subjects like Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Swahili, Japanese, Portuguese, Chinese, Arabic, Russian, Italian and German will never win the competition for students against larger programs such as English, math and chemistry. But isn’t a university precisely the place for students interested in these languages?
Remember, the University is neither the “flagship technical college” nor the “flagship community college” — both of which serve a valuable need in Louisiana. LSU is supposed to be the “flagship university” in Louisiana, and if it truly hopes to be that to the citizens of the state and beyond in more than name only, then it should insist on foreign languages having a place.
A second reason for traditionally targeting foreign languages is the misconception that a majority of students regard the foreign language requirement as merely a hurdle to overcome on their way to a degree.
First of all, this argument insults students by failing to give them credit for seeing the value of studying a foreign language within a broad liberal arts curriculum. Second, in my 40 years of teaching German here at the University, I’ve come to know countless students who initially took German merely to fulfill their foreign language requirement, only to discover that 1) they enjoyed it, 2) they were good at it, and 3) they learned things about themselves and others they would not have discovered elsewhere.
Many of these students went on to participate in summer programs in Germany or in academic year abroad programs with life-changing benefits that would have been difficult to obtain if not for their study of a foreign language. I know my colleagues in the other foreign languages all have similar stories to tell.
Finally, even assuming for a moment that some students view the foreign language requirement as an obstacle to overcome, what of those students who genuinely wish to study Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, Russian, Swahili, Arabic, Latin, Greek, Hebrew or German – isn’t a university precisely the place these students have a right to expect that? If not a university, especially the state’s supposed flagship university, then where?
A final comment: In 2007 when German steel manufacturer ThyssenKrupp was considering building a multimillion dollar plant in Louisiana, then-Gov. Kathleen Blanco had someone from her office contact me to translate a brief welcoming statement to dignitaries from ThyssenKrupp whom she eagerly anticipated arriving in Baton Rouge to announce their decision to locate in Louisiana. The statement read in part: “Louisiana welcomes ThyssenKrupp into our family.” Unfortunately, Blanco never got the chance to try out the German version I’d sent her office. ThyssenKrupp located in Mobile, Ala.
I’m not so naïve as to think the state’s lack of support for German and most other foreign languages was the deciding factor, but it’s interesting to note that when foreign companies look to invest billions of dollars, creating countless jobs in the South, it’s rarely, if ever, Louisiana that’s chosen: BMW has assembly plants in Spartanburg, S.C.; Mercedes in Vance, Ala.; Honda in Lincoln, Ala.; Nissan in Smyma, Tenn. and Canton, Miss.; KIA is in West Point, Ga.
Clearly, there are significant economic factors at work as well.  And yet, I sense that our state’s long history of fostering such an inhospitable climate for foreign languages figures into the mix.
The responsibility and blame for that rests squarely on the shoulders of our Board of Supervisors, our legislators, and our governor.
Dr. Tom DiNapoli
Associate German professor
International relations rely on foreign languages
Some decades  ago, President John F.  Kennedy stood proudly in front of the Berlin Wall and announced, “Ich bin ein Berliner.” Most likely, neither President Kennedy nor his speech writer had any idea that the little word “ein” changed the meaning of what he intended to express.  Luckily for the U.S., the Germans loved President Kennedy!
On March 6, 2009, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton presented Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrow a gift which was to represent the Obama Administration’s desire to “reset” Russian/American relations.  
According to ABC News, the following transpired:  Sec. of State Hillary Clinton handed Foreign Minister Lavrow a red button which what she believed read ‘reset’ in Russian.  (Ask your Russian instructor what “peregruzka” means or plug it into your translator, whichever you prefer. Caution: your translator may spit out what is not appropriate in context!)  Luckily again for the U.S., the Russian foreign minister graciously averted this most embarrassing situation with humor.
Last week, President Obama announced he wants to use X amount of dollars to stimulate the economy by building roads, a high-speed rail system and develop clean energy. Wonderful idea, you may think. Let’s just hope we have enough people in the business world who speak the necessary languages in order to successfully undertake this adventure.  Why? Ask yourself – Who is the leader in high speed railroads? I’ll give you a hint – this language will no longer be taught at the University as of January 2011.  Who leads in clean energy? In recycling, etc? Why would you/we need to know their language? Does not everyone speak English? But, oh my, so much gets lost in translation, even from English to English.
Just this year, an office at the University was working on a multimillion-dollar center grant for LSU. Unfortunately, no one in that office could translate an audit letter. Fortunately for the University, the German department is still breathing and someone in that department and another native speaker could tackle the task.
Do you want to stimulate your brain cells? Is that not why you attend a university? Scientists recommend, among other things, the study of a foreign language. Do you want to improve your own English language skills? Want to think critically, analytically or logically? Take a foreign language or two!
A final word of caution: Next time you moan because you must conjugate verbs, rejoice – you are doing something for your brain cells. Next time you want to cheer that your language requirements have been reduced or worse are non-existent, go home and weep or at least ask, why?
Mazal tov if you still believe that studying a foreign language is a frill.
Angelika A Roy
German instructor
Budget cuts outweigh value of artistic pieces
Dear Editor,
Reading Thursday’s paper I found it interesting that beneath the article about the eminent $62 million budget cuts we are facing, there was a story about an $8 million picture book of birds in the Hill Library. Really? The fact that these two articles were directly next to each other is comical.
We are in danger of losing half of our colleges, 50 degree programs, 700 faculty and staff, and so on and so on. The very essence of our University is at stake, countless numbers of professors, students, and staff are facing potentially life-changing decisions in the near future, and yet we can afford to keep a book worth $8 million on hand? The number of jobs and programs that could be saved by auctioning this book far outweighs the artistic value of it.
If the University had a Monet, Picasso or Mona Lisa herself I would expect them to auction it. It’s a simple concept – people over material.
Sure, auctioning the book won’t solve the budget crisis, but if we can’t afford to provide a quality education anymore then we certainly can’t afford this book.
Millie Calzada
English junior