Dallaslsufan, How in the heck did you come up with such a negative view of your home state? You have been gone too long. Don't get me wrong, there is plenty wrong with the state, and some might even say things are gonna get worse now that Kathleen Blanco is in office, but I choose not to be pessimistic about it. I honestly think things are getting better. Now, maybe we're only crawling forward, but you have to crawl before you can walk. There is still much to be proud of about this state. Frankly, if all you hear from your neighbors and friends is how crappy Louisiana is, perhaps you need some new neighbors and friends. But I think their perception might be partly influenced by your negative attitude. Lighten up, man. Things really aren't that bad. Also, I would tend to agree with SabanFan on the college loyalties and rivalries within the state. Yes, there is a vocal minority of the fanbase for each in-state school who, for whatever reason, hate LSU with a passion. At UL-Lafayette, the LSU haters might even constitute a majority, because of the perceived history of "oppression" at the hands of LSU. No, we are not always one big happy family here in Louisiana. There can be a lot of division in this state, whether it be rich/poor, black/white, North/South, Catholic/Protestant, Cajun/Redneck, public school backers/private school backers, etc., etc. At times, that division can show itself in very ugly ways, and no one denies this. But more often than not, when push comes to shove, Louisianians don't split up and fight each other, but we unite. Just like the nation at large. Would life be easier if Louisiana were more like, say Vermont or Minnesota, where everyone all looked the same, talked the same, went to the same church, believed in the same things, had only one state university to go to, and just in general were all alike in most every way? Sure. It would be easier, but it would also be SOOOOOO BORING! The fact is, I and most LSU fans have no animosity towards the other state schools, except maybe old rival Tulane, and even that has faded with time. And despite UL-Lafayette's protestations otherwise, we LSU folks do not spend every waking moment hatching diabolical plots to keep them down. Maybe we did once, a long time ago, but not anymore. We just won a national championship in football, have more than a dozen national championships in other sports in the last decade, and, despite Chancellor Emmert's depature, have made great strides academically. The belief at UL-Lafayette that LSU is obsessed with tearing them down and keeping them from being all they can be is simply not grounded in fact; they have all the room to improve that they want, and the only people holding them back are themselves. That's why they need to concentrate on what their doing, and concentrate on academic and athletic achievement, instead of screamin' and hollering about what their name should be and how LSU's keepin' them down. They are the ones with the obsession, not us. I have nothing against UL-Lafayette and would like to see them win and succeed, but they need to drop this unhealthy fixation with LSU. I'm not going to say it's impossible for them to be our equal one day; they just might. But not as long as they scream and holler about LSU's conspiracy to destroy them when something doesn't go their way.
Also, a little counter-punch concerning UL-Lafayette's name change. This is from a McNeese State fan, so it's not exactly pro-LSU. But it does show how UL-Lafayette is carrying this too far. I don't believe for a second UL-Lafayette doesn't have an agenda with this name change. They want to be the lead dog of the UL System, at least in practice if not by legal definition. And they want to be the equal of LSU and think Louisiana should be a two-flagship state for colleges. And I'm not necessarily against that, but I can understand if some people are. If we are to have radical change in the way Louisiana higher education is structured, fine. Let's put it to a vote of the people and settle it once and for all. Of course, UL-Lafayette might be in for a rude awakening. Mark my words, they will be denied the University of Louisiana name, maybe even forced back to USL. And the final blow won't come from LSU. It will be their own ULS sister schools, fearful and fed up with their dreams of empire, who will put the knife in their back. "Well, you don't even have to go outside of the document itself to show that one statement isn't true. The statement is, "Univeristy of Louisiana was now a reality." It wasn't. "University of Louisiana at Lafayette" along with "University of Louisiana at Monroe" was the reality. I wouldn't buy the discussion of the state constitution without further information either. The author claims the state constitution allowed the name change back in 1984 but the matter went to court and the author's side lost. The author tries to argue that the decision was wrong by mentioning that the judge was an LSU grad and LSU supporter. That, my friends, is classic ad hominem argument. It does not show that the judge was wrong. Then there's the fact that the State Supreme Court thought so much of the USL side's case (presumably including its interpretation of the state constituion) that it refused to hear it. I'm one who thought LSU was being silly back in 1984 when it got upset about the name change. However, the issue is settled legally and now the "silly" hat goes to UL Lafayette people for continuing to insist that there's no "Lafayette" in the name of their school. They took their shot in court and lost. They tried the State Supreme Court and it didn't work. Clearly, the intent of the referenced law with the "LSU Rule" is to prevent any University of Louisiana System school from being known as "University of Louisiana." Case closed. The name of the school is "Louisiana at Lafayette" until somebody either finds a way to change state law or get the Louisiana Supreme Court to hear the case. Even that wouldn't work as LSU is very powerful. If they have to, they'll just get the State Constitution amended to support their point of view. Also, reading it made me realize something I've never thought of before. USL needed Northeast Louisiana to change its name before it could change its own. The piece makes it sound like they lobbied NE LA to do that and says the northern school finally "agreed" to change its own name so USL could do the same. So what's the UL Lafayette community doing now? Why, stabbing ULM in the back of course. Now that they've got their foot in the door they want to have THEIR school known as "Louisiana" with ULM being consigned to second class status. And there's a more general ethical problem to me. To me, when somebody compromises with you you should honor the compromise. You should not use it as a way to get a crease so that you can get all of what you originally wanted. The agreement was that USL could change its name IF circumstances were created so that it wouldn't be known as the University of Louisiana. But now the UL Lafayette community is trying to see to it that that's what happens and thereby violating the spirit of the compromise aggreement. It's dishonest. It is failing to deal in good faith. If they want the name changed to what they really want they should pursue the issue through the legislative process. And if being called "USL" was such a "hinderance to further advancement," how did it accomplish all the stuff presented in the latter part of the article? How, for instance, did it become "the state's first Doctoral II institution" when its name at the time was "USL?" By the way...I know the University of Texas at Austin is officially established as the University of Texas' main campus. University of Texas system offices are there. I've actually looked into this before and if I remember correctly that's how it is with Arkansas and Tennessee is well. There is no "main campus" of the University of Louisiana system and the system offices are in Baton Rouge. The situation is not comparable to those of Texas, Arkansas, and Tennessee. I don't think I looked at North Carolina. Car-Berkley is comparable in that there's no main campus for the University of California system either. Then again...Cal-Berkely doesn't mind being called "Cal-Berkley" and I also doubt California has state law clearly with language and history clearly reflecting an intent to keep Cal-Berkley from calling itself just "Cal." "
And by the way....who is Louisiana? Do they mean UL-Lafayette? Why don't they just go ahead and change all of their printed merchandise, logos, etc. to University of Louisiana, and just drop the Lafayette. Oh, I'm sorry. They already have. Case in point: their website name http://www.louisiana.edu/, which also has Gov. Blanco's support right there on the home page....but that's another topic, or is it?
Hey!!! Who is this dallaslsufan? I love the guy. Most everyone I know thinks Mississippi is the butt wipe of the nation. I pick at friends and tell them that if the US took a dump, it would have to wipe south La. But that is just a joke. I would like for dallaslsufan to take a picture standing in front of a US map giving the finger to Louisiana and autograph it for me. I could use it to start the first fire in the fireplace next year. SOMETIMES IT IS BETTER TO BE SILENT AND LET THE WORLD THINK OF YOU AS A FOOL, THAN TO OPEN YOUR MOUTH AND PROVE THEM RIGHT.
I've been a lurker here the last few years. Mostly cause all my posting time is spent on a Rock and Roll forum I frequent. But I just gotta say Dallas if you think the state of Louisiana is in such poor shape, and I agree that it is . Don't you think part of the problem is that people like yourself rather than trying to lift Louisiana up to were it should be, instead move out of state to places like Texas? If you want to help Louisiana out why don't you move back home and help contribute to our states economy? Out migration espically to Texas is a big problem facing Louisiana so your complaining about Louisiana while your living in Texas falls on deaf ears. As far as LSU vs ULL. Sorry I just don't see it. I was born and raised in Lafayette I still live here to this day. I never went to LSU or ULL or college at all for that matter. But I've always been and LSU fan, I wear my LSU T Shirt when I go out and I've never once gotten any crap from any of my friends who go to ULL or anyone else for that matter. In fact there are just as many LSU fans if not more here in Lafayette than there are ULL fans. I am glad to see though that the LSU fans whom don't like ULL have finally seperated their dislike of ULL from that of the city of Lafayette. Which in my humble opinion is the best city in the state of Louisiana where as LSU is the best College in the state.
Ryan I agree with what you say in principle. Here's the problem though.... I am going to have a degree in 18 hours, or next fall. I've been doing some major thinking and looking around for jobs in my field. I will have a management degree and my focus is on IT work. Seems like I could find a job with somebody, somewhere since it's a basic and moderately demanding field still, right? Guess what, no jobs availabe here. Plenty are available in Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, etc. Now if I were going to have a nursing degree or an MD, I'd be in good shape. Something needs to be done about this, and I am very skeptical that Blanco will even get the ball rolling on it. She seems to be like Morial was in New Orleans, all focussed on the tourism angle. Meanwhile, every Fortune 500 Company was run the you know what out of New Orleans and we are losing business big time. But we do have a tourism industry.... All this being said, I still consider Louisiana my home. I've done the moving away thing already and came back. Most people I know that have moved away, made the return trip back. I'm sorry, but the education issue is garbage. We have a larger percentage of minority students than Texas, per capita, that our education (literacy and graduation) rates are based on. I am a product of Louisiana education and have done quite well. I'm a believer of the saying "you can lead a horse to the water but can't teach him to drink..." You can force a student to the classroom, but don't expect all to want to learn. That's the problem with our education, not the teachers. The teachers do what they're supposed to do. All this being said, if I do move will I join DallasTiger and slap the face of those that brought me up on a social and educational level? Hell no. Louisiana will always be "home" to me.
I fund this quite funny. Whenever someone tries to have a serious discussion and has a thought that some folks don't agree with in Louisiana, I get branded a Louisiana basher. Common! Get off it...Wake up people. I told you already, I love Louisiana even with the negatives that I have mentioned. You say it is people like me moving away that is the trouble with the economy. If there were ANY jobs available I would have never left. I am currently living in Dallas, TX, working for TI and getting my PHD so that I can move back to LA and be a university professor. I want to come back! My point is is now that I have moved away and see what is outside of Louisiana, it gives me a different perspective. It really makes the things that are wrong with Louisiana stand out. It doesn't mean that those things can't change! I just wish everyone was able to move away and have a different perspective on life in general. Anyways...Enough of that. Thanks for the discussion and go Tigers, Cajuns, Green Wave, etc...!!! God bless!
Ryan, 2 things. First, people like myself who moved away from LA may have had toi move in order to make a living, get a promotion, etc. It's done by millions all around the country even though most who do move would rather stay home if they could. Second, I agree with you about Lafayette, I love that city and it's people..
News Flash I graduated from a Louisiana college, went out of state for my next degree (only because it wasn't offered here), and get this....moved back to Louisiana! No, not because I love Louisiana and LSU (which I do), but because other states, couldn't beat the salary I was offered here. And to top it off, I have had a 56% increase in that salary in less than 5 years. Still can't be touched. I'm in the medical profession, and alot of it has to do with the great company I work for, but I also know competitors in the area that offer similar salaries. Louisiana is great, for all that's good about it, and for all that's bad about it. That's what makes us unique. LSU fans are the best! :lsug:
Give you my view on the medical profession: My wife is an LVN. She received her degree while living in Lafayette, LA. She worked at Lafayette Regional Medical Center making $8.75/hr. We move to Dallas, TX and she is now making $22.50/hr in a doctors office!!!!!
