Fee detrimental to students
I am writing today about the proposed Academic Excellence Fee increase that would, if passed, require all students to pay $240 more per year in fees. I am strongly opposed to this fee increase in light of all the other fee increases that will take place next year, including the union fee, a tuition increase and housing rate increase among others.
I am equally disturbed by Chancellor Emmert’s statement justifying the need for the fee saying,”
The Academic Excellence Fee could prove to be critical this year because just last night the Senate Finance Committee cut the budget for all of higher education. If these cuts hold, it will place all universities in very difficult positions.” I guess the irony in this statement is the reason for higher education cuts are Chancellor Emmert himself.
The story began last summer when Chancellor Emmert threatened to leave the University for a higher paying job with the University of South Carolina.
After he threatened to leave, the LSU Board of Supervisors sweetened the deal to entice Emmert to stay by giving him a pay increase to $590,000 per year (which we later found out includes a $100,000 per year interest FREE loan. This raise not only violated established regulations at LSU, but also broke the law established by the legislature regarding administrative pay increases (which ironically enough was in response to an exorbitant pay hike for LSU administrators in 1998).
What we see now is the legislative response to this pay increase. The thinking is that if Emmert can make $4.73 per minute, then higher education must have a plethora of money to throw around. So when higher education is cut this year and the fee increase goes into effect, at least the students will know who to thank for having to pay more.
Donald Hodge
LSU Law Student
Law Enforcement did its job
In response to the letter written by Ms. Hamlin, I would like to express my disgust. The accusations she made that the Baton Rouge Police Department and the Serial Killer Task Force made mistakes resulting in needless deaths was quite disturbing.
The fact that she made these accusations is enough to upset me, but she made these accusations based on a national TV special which only adds salt to the wound.
I watched the TV special hosted by Diane Sawyer which examined the Baton Rouge Serial Killer, and it was quite accusatory. This special, we might note, was aired after the alleged Serial Killer’s arrest, and we might also note that hindsight is 20/20.
To the untrained eye, including my own, it is easy for us to point fingers and say that the last 2-3 deaths could have been prevented had certain “facts” and “tips” been more carefully investigated. But who are we to say that the BRPD and the Serial Killer Task Force were not doing their job?
Dozens of people were members of the Serial Killer Task Force and they gave months of their lives to the investigation and capture of the serial killer which has, in fact, taken place.
The BRPD, in addition, not only played a role in the capture of the alleged serial killer, but these men and women were also busy protecting Baton Rouge citizens from the other criminals in the community.
And why not blame the serial killer rather than the BRPD and the Serial Killer Task Force? I am pretty sure that the alleged serial killer is the person who could have played the largest role in the prevention of these deaths.
In conclusion, I would like to thank the BRPD and the Serial Killer Task Force for their tireless efforts. Whether or not they were the group to discover the main “tip” that resulted in the arrest made is quite a minor detail. Had these community heroes not put forth months of investigation, the DNA link provided by an outside source would not have been relevant.
And to the families of the victims, my prayers are with you. The loss of a loved one is a hard trial to face, but I hope that comfort may be found in God’s grace and sovereignty.
Sarah Joy Hays
Junior
Marketing
Where are all the Greeks?
Kappa Delta, Chi Omega, Kappa Alpha, Sigma Chi, Kappa Sigma and, who could forget, Delta Delta Delta? Chances are you’ve seen some of these Greek letters ironed onto T-shirts around campus. But have you seen enough of them? The answer is no.
When I think of all the wonderful things sorority girls do for the community, such as unsuccessfully parking an SUV, and the equally great things frat boys accomplish, such as enlightening us with their hilarious jokes and comments in class, I must wonder just why there are so few Watermelon Bust shirts walking around campus.
Maybe I’m crazy. Maybe the fact that the vast majority of girls in Dr. Jay’s Biology 1202 class are talking about their new pastel dresses means that we do have enough Greeks after all. Maybe the people wearing DKNY at the Rec or the fact that Jason Doré used to be in student government means the LSU Greek system doesn’t need to be growing anymore.
No, I think I was right the first time. We do need more Greeks at LSU. We need more Greeks at football games for one thing. There are not enough of them there!
We need more frat boys to make fun of people who don’t wear Abercrombie and Fitch and more sorority girls in the education and mass communications colleges.
We need more KAs so the Progressive Student Alliance will have someone to keep calling white supremacists. We need more Kappa Sigs to tell us they are really different from all the other fraternities. And, of course, more hot Tri-Deltas so that I can keep telling people that I used to be friends with its president.
Look around today in class and around campus. You’ll be surprised at the lack of T-shirts with Greek letters.
Gustavo Douaihi
Senior
Geology
Gays should have the same freedoms
Although I am heterosexual, I can totally understand how Danny Watts feels. I think that homosexuals should be allowed to enjoy the same freedoms and rights as heterosexuals.
Although no one wants to see someone makeout with their significant other, regardless if it’s a heterosexual or homosexual couple, homosexuals should feel comfortable showing affection for their mate without worrying about getting attacked for it.
Faustinn Brown
Freshman
Sociology