I have a couple of reflections on the "Changing Stripes?" article of May 17.
Why all of a sudden are LSU backers and state government officials with LSU ties concerned about a pro-UL power bias? Where were they in the entire previous history of our state, when governors and state government did nothing but support LSU with obvious bias, and at the expense of other institutions of higher education in Louisiana?
How can LSU call itself a flagship school when it does nothing to exhibit leadership and shows more greed and good-ole-boy cronyism? Dare I say that LSU (Baton Rouge) is the flagship of only the LSU system? UL (Lafayette) is the flagship of the UL system. If LSU-Baton Rouge really had a desire to be a true leader and not a greedy money-monger, then why don't they try and distribute state funds more evenly? Oh wait, that's not possible, considering the state government is pretty much taken over by LSU backers.
Sen. Jay Dardenne is quoted as saying that LSU can jettison the Eunice and Alexandria campuses because they are more akin to other systems, but not UNO's campus? What he really means is that UNO has a whole lot of money and the other ones don't.
The name issue even comes up, too. If LSU wasn't so damn greedy for money and attention, then why did they refuse to let us change our name? Say what you want about laws and legality, the fact of the matter is that LSU-Baton Rouge didn't want us to gain stature or prominence and is too chicken to share the spotlight, and that's why they did what they could through whoever they could to prevent us from getting the name that is rightfully ours, and that we will have one day: the University of Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns.
I think the moral of this whole story is: "Shame on you if you try to help your own university and others, and LSU's well-being is not your foremost concern."