Legislature: Talking on the phone while driving could be banned, p. 3
Football: SEC coaches answer questions in teleconference, p. 6
Reveille The Daily
STUDENT LOANS BY THE NUMBERS
7.4 million
students with federal student loans who will see their interest rates double on July 1 unless Congress steps in to keep them low
www.lsureveille.com
Wednesday, April 25, 2012 • Volume 116, Issue 132
Building ‘Higher education cannot be a luxury’ repairs
deferred since ’80s
$1,000
Future of audits seems uncertain
the additional debt the average student will rack up on these loans for each year Congress allows the rate to double
Assessing Editor’s note: is the third Our Buildings This in a three-part
$870 billion
amount of student loan debt in the third quarter of 2011, reported by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York
$85 million balance of past-due student loan debt, which is around 10 percent of the national student loan debt burden, as estimated by the New York Fed
$19,000 the average amount of debt that
students graduated with in 2006
$25,000
the average amount of debt that students graduated with in 2010 Sources: White House Office of Communications, U.S. News & World Report
Baseball: Cotton’s steady pitching bests hitters, p. 5
A three-part series
Obama urges Congress to prevent the doubling of student loans
President Barack Obama is doing administration. everything he can to ensure student Obama, who was on his way to loan interest rates won’t double in July, speak with students at the University of he told college journalists in a Tuesday Colorado at Boulder, said he will “take conference call from the issue to every part Air Force One. of the country” until Kate Mabry Today, interest Congress passes legStaff Writer on student loans is 3.4 islation to counter the percent, but the rate will double to 6.8 matter, which he called a “tremendous percent on July 1 if Congress does not blow” to students. take action. “I’ll be going to schools to talk Obama said he urged Congress to students directly about the critical to pass legislation that would pre- importance of the possibility that 7.4 vent interest rates from doubling and called it an economic priority for his LOAN DEBT, see page 4 photo by CHUCK LIDDY / The Associated Press
President Barack Obama speaks to students Tuesday during his visit to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
series detailing the state of the University’s academic buildings, which have not been evaluated since 2005. Kevin Thibodeaux Contributing Writer
As the University continues to be vigilant of its ever-fluctuating budget, financial hardships from 30 years ago are still taking their toll on campus facilities. In the 1980s, the state saw a comparative budget shortfall, and the University was required to push back funding for several operating systems in academic buildings across campus, like the electrical and mechanical systems that were in need of repair. REPAIR, see page 4
Get a columnist’s take, page 8.
ORGANIZATIONS
Students master the ballroom Dance club studies diverse styles Claire Caillier Contributing Writer
On Wednesday and Thursday nights, a dull classroom comes to life with the fast footwork, graceful arms and swaying hips of the University Ballroom Dance Club. A group of 15 to 20 students gather twice a week to practice and learn new dances, said Philip Taylor, agriculture business senior and president of the organization. The talented crew has placed first at the beginning level for the past two years in “A Gumbo of
Ballroom,” the annual national qualifying competition held in Baton Rouge. “We produce quality dancers,” Taylor said. “People come from all over the country to compete in this event.” Taylor said he placed first in all of the competitions he entered. “It is a little scary at first because there is a ton of people,” Taylor said. “But once you start dancing, it becomes second nature.” The club was founded in 2007, and the instructors are students. “The founders had been ballroom dancing for about eight to 10 years,” Taylor said. “Every so often, we get a chance to visit a
professional instructor.” Club members learn the waltz, tango, foxtrot, cha-cha, rumba and East Coast swing, Taylor said. Members spend one night learning the basics of ballroom dance and the next focusing on teaching members the technical aspects of ballroom dance and how to compete. Taylor said he had no background in dance when he joined, and now he is teaching his peers. He said ballroom dancing is a unique experience. “You get to meet a lot of good people through it,” Taylor said. “It’s a social thing and something to look forward to during BALLROOM, see page 4
CATHERINE THRELKELD / The Daily Reveille
University Ballroom Dance Club members practice the waltz April 19 in Allen Hall.