Student Government worked both in the spotlight and behind the scenes this year to fight University budget cuts after Gov. Bobby Jindal’s midyear cut to higher education.
J Hudson and Dani Borel, former SG president and vice president, were tenacious through the fall semester after several failed attempts to discuss higher education with Jindal.
Hudson sparked the chase after the governor by writing “Attention Gov. Jindal,” a letter to a New Hampshire newspaper asking Jindal to prioritize his own state’s problems ahead of traveling the country. The letter incited Hudson’s message to appear in national headlines.
The duo met with state legislators, who agreed with their worries about higher education and held their mysterious “WhatNow LSU” event, where they unveiled Flagship Advocates and asked students to write letters to their legislators about budget cuts personally affecting them.
When Hudson and Borel tried to deliver the letters, about 450 total, but Jindal was not at the Capitol, and they met with State Treasurer John Kennedy. Days later, Borel and Hudson joined Chancellor Michael Martin to finally talk to Jindal and articulate three propositions for him.
While Hudson said he was happy Jindal agreed to meet with them, Borel said they didn’t get the far-reaching answers for which they hoped.
“They were very quick to spout facts and statistics and not make it relevant to higher education,” Borel said.
Borel and Hudson continued their efforts during the spring semester. Early in the semester, both, along with their executive assistant John Parker Ford, appeared on LPB’s taping of “Louisiana Public Square,” where Borel and Ford sat on a panel discussing solutions for higher education.
Borel continued to lead Flagship Advocates, while Hudson and Ford moved to create EducateLA, a statewide organization to fight against budget cuts.
Behind the scenes, the SG Senate debated controversial legislation to support the Flagship Coalition, a lobbyist group for the University at the Capitol. SG originally failed the resolution to endorse the Flagship Coalition, as current SG President Cody Wells debated against the resolution, criticizing the coalition for lacking a student voice.
The Senate also brimmed with confusion about what exactly the Flagship Coalition advocated as far as increasing tuition and fees, while Wells called fee increases a loophole that allowed for disguised tuition increases.
However, weeks later, University Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Jack Hamilton and Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administrative Services Eric Monday explained the Flagship Coalition’s aims to the Senate and urged SG to endorse the coalition.
The Senate then passed a resolution to “urge the Louisiana Legislature to adopt the cost-cutting and efficiencies positions of the Flagship Coalition plan to sustain the competitiveness of LSU.”
Most recently, the Senate passed an SG economic proposal written by the SG economic advisers with the assistance of the executive staff and Hudson and Borel, which supposedly represents the “stance of the LSU student body.” The proposal addresses constitutional and statutory reforms, consolidating boards of higher education, mergers and autonomy using the LA GRAD Act 2.0.
While Hudson said he hopes Wells and his administration continue the fight against budget cuts, Wells has repeatedly said “we’re not going to let the focus of our administration be combating budget cuts.”
However, Wells has also said he and Kathleen Bordelon, SG vice president, will be at the Capitol lobbying for the University during this session.
 
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Contact Andrea Gallo at [email protected]