Our University has been the focal point of activity in the relief efforts in response to Hurricane Katrina. Organizations from the American Red Cross to FEMA have established themselves on our campus, and many displaced people have made temporary homes in everything from our dormitories to Greek houses.
Through all the chaos, University students have, for the most part, been tireless in their efforts to assist the victims of the storm.
We applaud our fellow students who have given their time, homes, money and even their own blood to the victims of this tragedy. It is the actions of these conscientious students, who are helping to show the world that our state should not be judged by the foul behavior of those who have turned to loot their own city. These students, instead of spending their break partying, are out getting a real-world education in preserving life.
New Orleans, to these people, is no longer the endless revelry of Mardi Gras, the thrill of a Sugar Bowl or the sounds of Jazz Fest. To them, the city is now its people — the people who have suffered and those who have lost everything.
Never again will critics be able to say that LSU students are shiftless and disconnected, apathetic and self absorbed.
The sheer number of students giving their free time and energy, combined with the amount who have been turned away because of the sheer volume of help offered have shown that our generation has in it a will and spirit of iron — and a heart of compassion.
These young men and women have earned the name Tigers.