When I first got to college, I, like most other students, expected everything would be bigger and better. In many areas, I was mistaken, but LSU has made great strides during my time here, and I have been fortunate to experience it. One example of a positive change is the 2001-2002 Gumbo. Today, a friend and I walked to the Quad to pick up our copies of the yearbook, and I was expecting the same old, haphazardly slapped together piece of a book I had come to know and be disappointed in, but this year I was pleasantly shocked and surprised. I opened the yearbook, and there was an abundance of color pages, copy, quotes, headlines and pictures of more than the Gumbo staff and their friends.
This yearbook truly captures the 2001- 2002 academic year, the spirit of Louisiana State University and the current events of our nation.
I always have wondered how I would be able to pack my four (or so) years up and share it with my family and friends who do not know what it really means to be an LSU Tiger; this book certainly puts me in a position to articulate my feelings and experience to others and for them to have a way to see what or who I mean. It also alleviates some of the pressure for me to create a scrapbook of my own.
The Gumbo is to be congratulated for its excellent use of student fees and other monies used to create this masterpiece. Thank you for an incredible yearbook.
Emilia Gilbert, Senior — Mass Communication
On Saturday after the game, more than 50 students from Christ the King Catholic Center stayed to clean up in the blistering cold. This clean-up effort would last until 3:30 a.m. The reward for doing this — $2,000. Two thousand dollars for four hours of cleaning more than 90,000 seats.
This is absurd. This works out to being paid less than 4.5 cents a seat. How can the University be alright with this? If they had hired workers to do it, they would have paid more than twice as much. How can the directors of an Athletic Department live with themselves, knowing they shafted students so badly, when they have a budget surplus that can pay the football coach more than $1 million?
But, I guess if the University can shaft students in so many other ways, why not this time too? We all know its only concern is to make money like so many others in this world.
Charles Beard,Junior — Religious Studies
This is in response to the negative letter about the football team written by Mr. Fox on Tuesday. It is great you are a fan willing to travel and attend every game of the season, yet you complain when we lose a game or two. If you haven’t noticed, the football team is 7-3 — you win some and you lose some. Is that not what sports are all about?
Yes the loss Saturday to Alabama was a bad loss, but you need to give these boys some credit. Have you ever studied really hard for a test and then went in and failed it? These athletes go out to practice every day to get better and fix the problems they are faced with, not to mention the countless hours spent off the field lifting weights and studying film to prepare for the next game. Fans need to realize what an athlete has to endure and overcome during the season. There are ups and downs where many adjustments have to be made, and I’m sure the Tigers and coaches are working hard to improve in those areas that need to be focused on.
And another thing, do you actually think the plan was to go out there in front of more than 92,000 fans and lose? I don’t know if you realize how special it is to win a championship, especially the SEC championship, and not to mention repeat the next year. It is obvious fans like yourself have never been in those situations before. Also, if you think it is that easy and you could do better, please put on a jersey and tell Coach Saban to put you in so you can show us all how its done.
Heather Blanchard
Sophomore — ISDS