2013 Staking a Claim for Louisiana

[Turbine]

If they FIX the loophole, move for a name change. As Basin Bear said, change to Louisiana University, so there is no confusion on our being remotely considered the Flagship of the UL System. It is something we should have done anyway. All of this could have been avoided with just the tiniest bit of vision by Dr. Authement.

I think he had tremendous vision but was unable to make half time adjustments.

No one on earth could have dreamed up that a judge would nix it on the basis of an executive body taking an everyday vote and calling the groups near unanimous decision "legislative" simply because they operate on a vote tally.

[Duggie35]

Everyone:
As someone who has worked with both the State and Federal Legislative bodies, the quote from State Sen. Francis Thompson, D-Delhi makes me nervous:

".Thompson., who served in the House when it was passed, believes UL is violating the intent of the law."

“It’s a definite abuse, and it needs addressing,” said Thompson, who helped draft the bill. “The time may have come when the Louisiana board needs to address it.”

I was at USL in 1984 when we complied with all of the laws, regulations and procedures and changed our name to UL - only to have the current law passed retroactively by mostly LSU grad legislators to put us "back in our place." I have despised LSU and all things LSU ever since. There cannot be a stronger supporter of the LOUISIANA name for UL than I.
I aslo COMPLETELY agree that using "Louisiana" and "UL" in NO way violates the existing law.

HOWEVER, working with the Congress and (to a lesser extent) the LA legislature over the past 30 years, I painfully understand that these bodies can do what they want to make changes to laws in order to "fix" any "unintended interpretations" or "abuses of loopholes." They do it all the time. All is required is enough Northern LA legislators aligned with BR and NOLA legislators -- and they amend the law to "fix this loophole."

This makes me very nervous.

Dont have a solution to my concern -- but I am concerned with this article in Monrow and the attention it is getting from Northern LA politicians and other people of interest

If any State Legislators waste their time on trivial matters like this, it will just prove how useless they are. You would think that they have much bigger fish to fry in this State! If they want to address the issue and put it rest, just make it official, and change the name to Louisiana!!!!!!!!!!!!

[SlickRick]

"The article says" does not make it so and lumping the three terms together is deceitful spin.

As far as branching into different schools is concerned, only in Louisiana is it possible to start a "brand new to you too U." every time an existing university needs to expand.

In 1939 UL became the second largest school in the state and needed to expand, the State established McNeese that very year. After WWII, UL was busting at the seams and needed to expand, Nicholls was established. When the same thing happened again a school was opened in Eunice. All those areas were in UL's original charter back in 1898.

In ANY other state those would be UL schools.

On the other hand ULM never received the 2/3 vote required by the Louisiana Constitution to become a school in the first place.

Turbine.I didn't know the history. It would be awesome if you created a history thread on this subject. You know it would be viewed by a ton of folks now that the name thing is fully in uproar mode. I know a lot of folks outside of La would be interested in reading it as well. IMO, the factual history would garner us more allies than enemies and could possibly get us some national exposure. Just a thought.

[tdncz]

If the LA Legislators did not and would not go for University of Louisiana in 1984, and the same folks (and/or their successors) put the ridiculous statute in place in 1998, AND noting there has been considerable recent irritation displayed by North LA politicians and Tigger supporters (just read through some of the recent posting at Tigger's Drippings) about this subject, I do not think that a name change to Louisiana University would succeed either.

[HoustonCajun]

I think he had tremendous vision but was unable to make half time adjustments.

No one on earth could have dreamed up that a judge would nix it on the basis of an executive body taking an everyday vote and calling the groups near unanimous decision "legislative" simply because they operate on a vote tally.

Not talking about the original name in 1984, because I agree with what you said. But, when we figured out that we could never get the University of Louisiana name again and would have to partner with another school and add a city tag is when we should have sought a variation of the name like Louisiana University or a more distinctive name like Acadiana University or even the University of South Louisiana and kept USL instead of going into bed with a school like Northeast Louisiana (a name they would have kept), letting them in the conference, and sharing an identity as ULX schools tied at the hip with a statewide and national perception that both schools are of equal standing academically and athletically.

[Cajunrunner]

Everyone:
As someone who has worked with both the State and Federal Legislative bodies, the quote from State Sen. Francis Thompson, D-Delhi makes me nervous:

".Thompson., who served in the House when it was passed, believes UL is violating the intent of the law."

“It’s a definite abuse, and it needs addressing,” said Thompson, who helped draft the bill. “The time may have come when the Louisiana board needs to address it.”

I was at USL in 1984 when we complied with all of the laws, regulations and procedures and changed our name to UL - only to have the current law passed retroactively by mostly LSU grad legislators to put us "back in our place." I have despised LSU and all things LSU ever since. There cannot be a stronger supporter of the LOUISIANA name for UL than I.
I aslo COMPLETELY agree that using "Louisiana" and "UL" in NO way violates the existing law.

HOWEVER, working with the Congress and (to a lesser extent) the LA legislature over the past 30 years, I painfully understand that these bodies can do what they want to make changes to laws in order to "fix" any "unintended interpretations" or "abuses of loopholes." They do it all the time. All is required is enough Northern LA legislators aligned with BR and NOLA legislators -- and they amend the law to "fix this loophole."

This makes me very nervous.

Dont have a solution to my concern -- but I am concerned with this article in Monrow and the attention it is getting from Northern LA politicians and other people of interest

When is Francis Thompson going to join his brother as a resident of the Oakdale jail?

[Frenchie35]

ESPN got the message load and clear during the week before the ASU game. Joe Davis said, and I am paraphrasing, "I am employed by ESPN and I follow the rules of the SBC", which states that they have no control what ESPN calls us. Sandra Woodley, University of LA. president, said that she could not enforce what ESPN calls us. So we have to live with the fact that we the fans on this board and our SID are the only ones fighting this issue. Joe Davis and his side kick has no respect for this university, as you can well tell on the broadcast last night. I go back to when we changed out name to "University of Louisiana" for a whole year. The elite in Baton Rouge got Peed off and change the rules after the fact. Now tell me if that wasn't behind closed door corruption at it's bestThis matter should be brought up again, with better lawyers, if we have the money.

[SlickRick]

I wonder what would happen if our representatives pushed this issue?

Good Question. Tit for Tat!

[CajunAmos]

You beat me to it. Todd Berry is the biggest douchebag of them all in this article. Maybe he should worry abotu his coaching abilities and trying to avoid looking like a fool in national TV. Maybe Tabby should stick to asking sports questions such as "Coach Berry, why did you blitz 11 players in a game that was already lost and leave receivers uncovered to run free to the endzone and make you look like a foolish _____?"

And then there's the Tech fans. You knwo those great "partners" that only have the best interest of ulm at heart. The same Tech fans who refused to play them in all sports because ulm was so beneath them academically and athlettically. The same Tech fans whodreamed of taking over LSUS and its medical school and proclaimed themselves the "flagship" of north Louisiana. The same Tech fans who the stated that as the "flagship of north Louisiana" one of the first orders of business would be to close Grambling, absorb the pharmacy school and close ulm or make it a 2 year feeder for Tech. Yeah, ulm shouldlisten to their great buddies at Tech and worry about what UL calls itself. If they let Tech use them like a sock puppet to do th edirty work that Tech doesnt want to do themselves then they are bigger idiots than I thought.

These are not the droids you are looking formove along

[Hammer58]

I agree. La politics and jealously are lethal combinations. I like Louisiana University just fine, but could we get it done?

They will oppose that as well because it will still result in us using Louisiana. They want to try to tag us as a small regional school. It's the same old petty jealousy in this state. Rather than face up to their own shortcomings and their role in them, they want to blame it on us. Is ulm going to be any bigger or better if we aren't called Louisiana? Is Todd Berry suddenly going to be a better coach because we have to use the city tag? Will tech suddenly capture the Shreveport market because we have to use the extra "L"? Will mcneese players suddenly get more than a giant sized Snickers bar because our Jerseys have a city tag on them?

Screw them. I am wearing my UL gear with pride. And people intelligent, educated people from all over the country, grads of Alabama, LSU, Texas, etc are talking about how well UL played last night. And they don't don't like they are stuttering when they refer to us.

[tetragrammaton]

I know I might be the minority here, but I didn't have a problem with ULL. It was a condition of changing the name.

WITH THAT BEING SAID, when you have two school systems (the University of Louisiana System and the Louisiana State University System), it makes no logical sense to argue there can't be a school which views itself as THE University of Louisiana. Well, it does, but only because North Louisiana and Baton Rouge folks insist on defending to the death the "flagship" status of LSU A&M@BR.

In any case, I would have no problem with ULM referring to themselves in athletics as the Louisiana Warthogs (whoops I mean Warhawks). Apparently, though, the school is perfectly content with being ULM. I say, let those who aspire to greatness achieve it.

[wcd35]

How can someone be so thick. WE'RE NOT USING "UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA," WE'RE USING "LOUISIANA." Find a law preventing that. Or better yet, sue us.

So stupid

[Hammer58]

I wonder what would happen if our representatives pushed this issue?

Our representatives need to be made aware of this and be prepared to fight it. If any changes to the laws are passed our guys need to insist that it read that only the full official name of the university can be used and that it applies to all universities in the state with no exceptions. Equal protection under the law.

[CajunEXPRESS]

Why is Francis Thompson not fighting the good fight to provide funds to LTUR,ULM, Grambling, Northwestern State, instead of cutting all these colleges to the bone? Hell he should even be doing for good old EllisWho. Nobody seems to care about anything except names, not actual education.

I ask those people at ULM, LTUR, and NWestern State who actually think about their university. Why are your representatives not fighting for your schools diplomas to mean something instead of your diplomas having an equal name?

[billbeck451]

Reality ulm is s bump in the road that w ould be a junior college anywhere else or a satellite campus of latech