Academic Fee important to LSU
I am responding to those opposed to the Academic Excellence Fee, namely Mr. Donald Hodge. Mr. Hodge, I would like to bring up a side note. Please pardon the digression.
According to The Reveille, you are a law student here at LSU. From the immeasurable amounts of rants that you have contributed over the last few years, I am also assuming that you graduated from this university. One question, well actually, two questions.
First, if LSU, and every department in it that you have bashed, is so bad, why stay here so long? Secondly, if Louisiana and its politics are scandalous, why stay?
I am sure at least one of the other 49 states in the country would be more than happy to hear your advice on how to improve any situation it may be in.
Back to the task at hand, the Academic Excellence Fee increase. No one enjoys an increase in fees, especially college students who are usually living on a limited budget.
Before condemning this increase, how about we consider a few ideas? First of all, the bill to raise the fee passed the Senate by a margin of 31-6.
These Senators that voted to pass this bill were put into office by people like you and me and our parents.
Therefore, we cannot overlook the fact that the increase has been allowed by our legislators, not just drummed up and thrust upon us by the university.
If you have issues with the fee increase, maybe you should address them elsewhere, such as the state legislature.
If those opposed to the increase took time to see what the increase is going for, then the opposition may not be so strong.
The funds are geared toward hiring additional faculty members, which means more classes, which means more sections, thus aiding the scheduling process.
Doesn’t that always seem to be an issue? It is also set to fund the Honors College, graduate assistantships, and residential colleges, diversifying our academic offering. Isn’t that beneficial for the University?
How else would we be able to fund the academic expansion of the university?
I can just about guarantee that any sort of tax increase would be shot down, not only because it would be unfair, but also because many Louisiana tax-paying voters seem to be blindly opposed to tax increases as students are to fee increases.
Basically, I am asking everyone to consider all of the options that exist when items like fee increases come about.
Do not be so quick to judge something that will be beneficial to the University, especially if you claim to have school pride.
Do not be a fair-weather university supporter of LSU. Take some school pride and get behind the college you decided to attend.
Joey House
Junior
Sociology
Pageants more than stereotypes
I am writing in reply to Hannah Anderson’s article in yesterday’s paper titled “Government promotes stereotypes through beauty pageants.” First and foremost I would like to pose one question to Miss Anderson, “Have you ever entered a beauty pageant?”
I can almost guarantee her reply would be no, because anyone that presents such extremely false accusations about a subject obviously is completely ignorant.
The Reveille is a publication that thousands of students read on a daily basis. I wouldn’t write an article about assembling an atomic bomb because I have no experience.
Miss Anderson doesn’t seem to have any experience with pageants.
Pageant winners are awarded scholarships; however, what Anderson didn’t mention is pageant winners travel around the state working for volunteer organizations.
Such organizations include: The American Cancer Society, the Breast Cancer Awareness Society, D.A.R.E. and many more.
The pageant winners also travel around doing public speaking at schools for children to promote self confidence.
And in regards to her
statement about being judged while prancing around half naked … the swimsuit competition is only around 15 percent of the total competition score, and it promotes physical fitness.
One of the main components is the interview competition in which contestants dress very conservatively and are asked a series of very controversial questions that can be about anything.
Women gain many benefits through pageantry including: confidence, public speaking skills, self-discipline and amazing opportunities.
Athletes are awarded scholarships for their hard work, talent, and dedication, all of which are attributes of
pageant contestants.
Next time you decide to bash something, first make sure you have full knowledge of what you are ridiculing.
I think I have made it quite clear why the government does and should continue to award scholarships to women who are obviously working hard to
better themselves, as opposed to sitting there and criticizing those who do.
And in closing, a woman could very well become
president one day, but I have never heard a woman say that she wouldn’t want to be Miss America.
Courtney Tatman
Miss LSU USA 2002
Senior
Education
President of the College of Education