Students walked from commuter lots, biked down sidewalks and waited for UL buses Thursday, the first day the school has been open since Gustav struck.

It may have been only three days since the storm's 60 to 70 mph winds whipped through town, but students and administrators said it was time to get back to business.

Brandon Waltman, a natural resources and environmental quality sophomore, said he was surprised when school officials called for a return this week.

He, his fiancé and his roommate from Slidell evacuated to Waltman's hometown of Shreveport.

But once the trio returned, Waltman said, he supported administrators' decision. Waiting longer would only have made going back to class more difficult.

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Adam Kealoha Causey • The (Shreveport) Times • September 5, 2008