It seems like there aren’t a lot of things to celebrate at the University these days.
With impending budget cuts threatening the academic sanctity of this institution, the outlook feels bleak. Professors and instructors are being let go, programs are being eliminated and students are left to wonder if their degrees will mean anything — or if their programs will even be there in the next year.
But in this time of crisis, it’s important to remember what really matters — those close to you at this University.
Take this time to enjoy the friends you will make at LSU, as well as the memories you will share for the years to come.
And we suggest you do so every Saturday of this football season, especially this weekend.
This University has one of the most unique tailgating atmospheres in all of college football. Nowhere else will you find RVs and tents set up the Thursday before a Saturday game, nowhere else will you find alligator and jambalaya as tailgate staples, nowhere else will you see fans as fearsome as ours.
All the passion surrounding football in Baton Rouge boils down to this: While academics are the core of any university, football allows this University to shine on a national stage, as it has done for years.
Administrators are saying on what seems a daily basis that this University will be a shell of its former self if these devastating budget cuts materialize. These admonitions may sound like a broken record, and while we are encouraging you to let loose this Saturday, don’t lose sight of what lies ahead for LSU.
The University will always be here. It has too much importance for this state and too many proud alumni to let it die. But it could possibly be an unrecognizable version of itself in the near future, even within the next year.
However, we can assure you this: Barring any major catastrophes, the tradition that is LSU football, especially at Tiger Stadium, will never change. As our alma mater faces a dark road of budget shortfalls and program cuts, school spirit among the Tiger faithful is more important than ever.
For five days in each week for the next year or two, all of us should have our minds focused on what will happen to this University and the students that not only attend it now, but will come in the following years.
But for every Saturday this fall, each of us should deck ourselves in purple and gold and take the chance to drink in the atmosphere that is tailgating,  and remember what is most important to this region: family, friends and football.
Celebrate this weekend, and every weekend the Tigers play at home this season, because those Louisiana Saturday Nights will be short  but sweet for certain this year.
And make sure you rest up every Sunday so you can prepare to do it all over again the next week.
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Contact The Daily Reveille’s opinion staff at [email protected]