Politics: Republican race close in Colorado, Minnesota, p. 3
Recruiting: LSU hosts Junior Day, gains three commits, p. 5
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Entertainment: Madonna rocks Super Bowl halftime show, p. 9 Tuesday, February 7, 2012 • Volume 116, Issue 86
TRANSPORTATION
Bus stops to be done by end of February
Stops costs $80,000 to $90,000 each Kevin Thibodeaux
Yarn-aholics Anonymous Brian Sibille
Contributing Writer
some do. “Once I was knitting in my art history class, and my ball of yarn rolled off my lap all the way to my professor’s feet, but he kept lecturing,” said Doris Belleau, art junior. A self-described “close-knit” group of friends, the club’s officers constantly joke with one another as
Rain, sleet or snow, students will soon be able to wait for the Tiger Trails’ buses without being completely exposed to the weather. Former Student Government President J Hudson’s initiative to erect covered bus stops around campus will finally be realized in two to three weeks, according to Gary Graham, director of Parking, Traffic and Transportation. Graham said the project took so long to complete because plans had to be designed and approved before the two covered bus stops, which cost between $80,000 and $90,000 each, could begin construction. Areas that were in need of a covered stop and that had the largest number of riders were identified in a collaborative effort
KNITTING, see page 15
BUS STOPS, see page 15
photos by ALYSSA SIRISOPHON / The Daily Reveille
April Zola Emerson, history sophomore and member of the University club Yarn-aholics Anonymous, knits Feb. 1 at the organization’s meeting.
Student organization indulges in the art of knitting
Staff Writer
Colleen Kissel is addicted. Her habit consumes her daily life, as she carries around needles that she uses at home, in class or anywhere she can. Kissel is only one of many who are hooked on knitting — the members of Yarn-aholics Anonymous.
The idea was stitched together in a West Laville dorm room two years ago when a group of friends with a common interest in knitting decided to make their crafty habit an official University club. “We wanted to meet other people with the same interest,” Kissel said. Kissel is the founder and “grand poobah” of
Yarn-aholics Anonymous. She said she began knitting as a junior in high school to earn credit, but after her first lesson, she was hooked. She said she now knits constantly, whether it’s on a road trip, in class or in front of the television. Other members also admitted to knitting in class, explaining that some teachers don’t mind, but
FACILITIES
Pieces of Hill Memorial Library fall to the ground Facility Services to check for safety issues Rachel Warren Staff Writer
The everyday hustle and bustle of the Quad was interrupted Monday afternoon by the sound of concrete crashing against the ground. Facility Services employees roped off the area around Hill Memorial Library soon after several pieces of the building’s facade fell. Grady Caldwell, maintenance superintendent, said the side of the building had simply deteriorated, and damage wasn’t visible until pieces began to fall off. “Sometimes you just can’t see
it until it happens,” he said. “These old buildings, you can’t ever tell anymore.” Sam Territo, associate director of Facility Maintenance, said the building’s crumbling could have been caused by age, but it also could have been caused by rainwater seeping into the facade and breaking the bond between it and the structural wall. Caldwell said Facility Services employees are conducting a safety inspection of the rest of the building. Employees will repair any more loose concrete found on the side of the building, which could mean replacing the building’s entire facade, Caldwell said. Territo said it will probably take employees the rest of the week
to determine which parts of the building are structurally sound and which need to be replaced. “They’ll do a full assessment,” he said. “They’ll also determine any costs at that time.” Territo said small pieces fall off buildings once in a while, but this is the biggest piece he’s seen in several years. Caldwell said no one was hurt by the falling pieces. “I’m just glad it’s not in a high-traffic area,” he said. “That’s lucky.”
XERXES A. WILSON / The Daily Reveille
Contact Rachel Warren at rwarren@lsureveille.com
Facility Services roped off the front of Hill Memorial Library on Monday after large concrete chunks fell from the building’s facade.