Academics: Testing center stops providing calculators, p. 3
Culture Club: An obituary for the dearly beloved “Cash Cab,” p. 9
Reveille The Daily
www.lsureveille.com
Baseball: Rhymes leads SEC in batting average, p. 5 Tuesday, April 24 2012 • Volume 116, Issue 131
Name Your Price University asks for hefty prices to name a campus building
‘Inside Watergate’ details scandal
Ferris McDaniel
Contributing Writer
photos by AUSTIN BENNETT / The Daily Reveille
Journalism Building
$14 MILLION Emily Herrington Staff Writer
What’s in a name? And have you ever wondered how the University’s buildings earned theirs? When it comes to University entities, it usually entails exemplary character and a significant contribution to LSU — monetary or not. With the recent completion of the Business Education Complex, sponsors have a few new opportunities to leave their name on a University landmark, which can come
Band Hall
School of Veterinary Medicine
Business Education Complex
$15 MILLION
$5 MILLION
to fruition in a variety of ways. While some facilities, like the Reilly Theatre, are named for gracious benefactors, the namesakes of most University sites are former professors, University officials or governors, according to Bunnie Cannon, executive director of institutional advancement. “More frequently they’re named after people who have excelled in the business community, in civic involvement, if they are outstanding in some way or if they’ve made a large contribution to LSU — not just financially,”
she said. But it’s natural for large donors to desire a University entity to be named for them, Cannon said. According to Policy Statement 70 regarding naming University facilities and academic units, individuals or organizations who want a building named for them must contribute at least 50 percent of the cost of constructing a new building or at least 75 percent of the cost of renovating an existing building. Policy also states that, for a college, at least $20 million should be contributed into the specific
college’s endowment and at least $10 million in the endowment for an academic department. Cannon said the smallest item that can be named is an auditorium chair in the Business Education Complex for $5,000, and the largest nameable item is the field of Tiger Stadium, which doesn’t have a set price. The entire Business Education Complex can be named with a $15 million donation, according to a brochure released by the Office of
$20 MILLION
NAMING, see page 4
HVAC systems in desperate need of repairs Stairs, doors don’t comply with codes
Assessing Editor’s note: academic buildings. is the secMany of the problems on the Our Buildings This ond in a three- list are compliance issues like doors A three-part series
part series detailing the state of the University’s academic buildings, which have not been evaluated since 2005. Kevin Thibodeaux Contributing Writer
When a piece of deteriorated concrete from Hill Memorial Library’s outer wall fell to the ground in February, it turned students’ attention to the structural integrity of campus buildings. But aged and damaged siding is just one concern. There are a number of documented, yet untouched, issues lurking in the University’s
or countertops that aren’t up to standards. Door frames are listed on the report as deteriorating, while stairwells are cited for not having guardrails. While these problems aren’t the worst, other items on the list involve bigger systems that would cost a significant amount of money to fix. Many buildings on campus have outdated heating, ventilation and air conditioning, or HVAC, systems that require thousands or millions of dollars to repair. Public records from facility REPAIR, see page 4
A scandal many students know only through history books invaded the Journalism Building on Monday night during the Reilly Center’s “Inside Watergate” retrospective. The panel discussion featured Barry Sussman, the Watergate editor for The Washington Post; Earl J. Silbert, the first Watergate federal prosecutor; and Max Holland, the author of “Leak: Why Mark Felt Became Deep Throat.” The trio provided insight into the scandal, Deep Throat and Richard Nixon. “It started off as a break-in, and almost immediately and endlessly the scandal was peeled like an onion,” Sussman said. Silbert said most people shallowly perceive Watergate as an investigation of the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters, but it goes deeper. “It turned into an investigation of a mammoth, extensive and incredible cover-up,” he said. Holland said the scandal, as told in the book and movie “All the President’s Men,” is the story of two Washington Post reporters, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, and a whistleblower, Felt, who helped bring order to the chaos. But Holland revealed that there is more to this “fairy tale.” Felt, who was Woodward’s prized source, the mysterious Deep Throat, was persistently called a truth-teller by the journalist, but Holland suggested that’s not the case. Holland said Felt often provided the Post with misleading information. According to Holland, Felt’s intention was to destroy his rivals and claim the FBI directorship. Sussman said two main factors eventually led to Nixon’s resignation — Nixon’s tax fraud and public opinion. Nixon was paying income taxes at a rate equal to a janitor’s, which in turn enraged the public’s opinion, he said. Congress decided it was riskier to keep Nixon in office than to impeach him, Sussman said.
Watch a video of the discussion at lsureveille.com.
CATHERINE THRELKELD / The Daily Reveille
The side of Prescott Hall in the Quad is covered with spots of black mold.
Contact Ferris McDaniel at fmcdaniel@lsureveille.com