In light of major budget cut reductions to the entire LSU System, University of New Orleans students held a protest last week that garnered about 200 attendees and national coverage.
 
Such outspoken anger only 80 miles away from the University has left many people wondering why there hasn’t been outspoken opposition in Baton Rouge.
 
Jordan Barton, English literature and French junior, said she doesn’t think LSU students are apathetic about the grim budget cut situation.
 
“I hear people whining about it a lot,” Barton said. “I think everyone is just more concerned about football.”
 
In New Orleans, “whining” turned to action when students marched across the campus and through the UNO administration building, where the UNO chancellor’s office is located.
 
“They started going up the stairs, and the cops lost their shit,” said Travis Sudden, a UNO sociology junior who participated in the protest.
 
Sudden said four cops started beating and macing one student who was peacefully chanting in the stairwell. One student and one former student were arrested but released later that evening.
 
“I think [the cops] got really freaked out because it was where students were challenging authority in an unintimidated, offensive way,” Sudden said.
 
Adam Norris, UNO director of public relations, said the university is fully supportive of the students’ rights to demonstrate, but he thinks the police handled the situation in a proper manner.
 
LSU Student Government President J Hudson said the UNO protest was directed at the wrong people and in the wrong place. Rather than addressing the LSU System, messages should be directed at the state legislature.
 
This is not the first time LSU has fallen silent while others protest cuts. In March, a national day of action sent thousands of students marching across campuses, while LSU could only muster 20.
 
Rather than address administrators who are already “busting their ass” to fight budget cuts, Hudson said the student message would have been better directed to legislators in Baton Rouge.
 
“I believe it was more destructive than constructive in that it was aiming the message at the wrong people,” Hudson said.
 
SG plans to increase student involvement with a massive letter-writing campaign to legislators and march to the Capitol at the opening of the next legislative session.
 
“We will work with the administration and make the message the right one for the University,” Hudson said.
 
Some LSU students, like English literature junior Jillian Musso, don’t think there’s apathy among students as much as there is a lack of action.
 
“I think we’d get a lot more attention if we were more rowdy or outspoken,” Musso said.
 
English instructor and Save LSU administrator Tania Nyman said students are beginning to find their voices, and she’ll do whatever needed to support them.
 
“I do think it’s the students who have the most at stake, and I hope they take an interest,” Nyman said.
 
But some students are apathetic about the budget cut situation and might not take any interest until cuts affect their programs.
 
Tyree Canty, biology freshman, said he would take action when budget cuts become a problem for a lot of students.
 
“People like me don’t care because I don’t worry about all that stuff,” Canty said.
 
Besides the SG’s walk to the Capitol, LSU’s Faculty Senate will host a forum Sept. 28 with the chancellor in Shaver Theatre of the Music and Dramatic Arts building. Faculty Senate President Kevin Cope said in a broadcast e-mail there will be a community-wide panel composed of at least two faculty members, one administrator, one staff member and one student.
 
In New Orleans, the budget cut opposition will continue during the week of Oct. 7, which is a national week of action for all Universities, according to Sudden.
 
 
 
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Contact Catherine Threlkeld at [email protected]