LSU, SU resume classes Monday

• By JORDAN BLUM
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Sep 7, 2008 - Page: 1B - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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Despite much of the region still floundering without electricity, LSU and Southern University are resuming classes Monday on their nearly full-powered campuses.

LSU Chancellor Michael Martin said he saw McDonald’s serving hamburgers a day after its power was restored in the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav.

“Well, we’re in the education business,” Martin said. “The minute that we can, we’ve got to deliver education.”

University officials are arguing that debris from fallen trees and broken windows on campuses have been cleaned up enough to safely bring students back to class.

“We have carefully considered safety,” Martin said during a Friday interview.

“But there’s going to be some buildings we can’t hold classes in for safety (reasons),” he said, mentioning the new music building as an example.

But in order to make up for lost time, LSU and Southeastern Louisiana University are both canceling the students’ two-day fall breaks in October. LSU will require students to come to class on one Saturday.

LSU freshman Kodili Okenchukwu of New Orleans said she is happy to start classes on Monday after having little to do last week in her dormitory.

But returning to class may be difficult for many students who are out of town with family or who are stuck in off-campus housing with no electricity, she said.

Okenchukwu is more upset though about losing fall break.

“It’s stupid making us suffer for something that wasn’t our fault,” she said.

Martin said, “I believe fall break is the price we have to pay for one of the most powerful weather events Baton Rouge has ever experienced.”

“We are unambiguously committed to giving the students a full semester of work,” he said.