Check Inside & Online For: an interview with band Caddywhompus, page 6. Download their new song at lsureveille.com.
Getting a Win
ENTERTAINMENT
Human ecology students replicate fashions throughout the ages, page 3
Tigers break seven-game losing streak, page 7.
THE DAILY REVEILLE WWW.LSUREVEILLE.COM
Volume 114, Issue 139
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
DEEPWATER DAMAGE Freshman admission ENROLLMENT
Long-term effects of oil spill expected, uncertain
numbers on the rise
By Rachel Warren Contributing Writer
Few foresaw the devastation to follow when the BP Deepwater Horizon oil-drilling rig exploded two weeks ago. But the Gulf Coast could feel the incident’s effects for years to come, and many people, including University students, are trying to find ways to help. The Deepwater Horizon exploded around 10 p.m. on April 20. One hundred and twentysix people were aboard, and 11 were missing after the explosion. Seventeen were injured in the accident. The U.S. Coast Guard announced three days after the explosion rescuers were no longer searching for survivors. The rig sank two days later, and the U.S. Coast Guard originally said no oil was leaking from the undersea well at the site of the explosion. The next day, oil was found to be leaking at about 42,000 gallons per day. Gov. Bobby Jindal issued a declaration of emergency on April 29, nine days after the explosion. President Obama traveled to the coast Sunday and spoke about the disaster. He assured residents the oil spill has the government’s attention and officials will continue to respond. Crews began attempting to contain the spill shortly after the explosion using booms — malleable materials used to fence in oil. The Coast Guard laster set fire to the oil to lessen what would wash ashore. The cause of the explosion hasn’t been released by authorities.
By Xerxes A. Wilson Senior Staff Writer
and fisheries will prevent people from consuming any fish exposed to oil. Organizations will constantly monitor fish for exposure and food distributors will be alerted to avoid tainted fish, he said. He said he’s unsure how the spill will affect the fishing industry and the economy. Commercial fisheries are seasonal and only harvest during certain times of the year, he said. “If the fisheries are closed for even a small amount of time, the effect it will have on the industry will be significant,” he said. Craig Westerman, a member of the Disaster Science and Management Association, said the
Even in a budget crisis, the University is attempting to grow. Preliminary projections estimate 520 more freshman will enroll in the University next fall as part of Chancellor Michael Martin’s intention to increase enrollment. Martin said the mid-5,000 range for incoming freshmen would be ideal, and he wants to grow the overall enrollment from 27,992 students to 32,000. The projections for freshman enrollment are based on last year’s applications and enrollments compared to this year’s admission levels at the same time, said Robert Kuhn, associate vice chancellor of Budget and Planning. Kuhn said spring orientation figures and other factors also play into the estimates. The University has admission criteria instead of selective admission, so whoever meets the criteria must be admitted. This creates some uncertainty with the actual number admitted versus how many actually enroll and come to school in the fall, Kuhn said. As of April 29, the University
SPILL, see page 15
FRESHMEN, see page 15
GERALD HEBERT / The Associated Press
The Deepwater Horizon oil rig burns April 21 after exploding the day before. The explosion triggered a 42,000-gallon-per-day oil spill off the Louisiana coastline, despite the Coast Guard’s original reports.
THE EFFECTS Michael Kaller, School of Renewable Natural Resources assistant professor, said it’s impossible to know what kind of effect the oil will have on the environment and economy right now. “Right now the major effect is that the fisheries are shut down,” Kaller said. “Ecologically, we’re still not sure — the worst part of the oil spill is still offshore.” Kaller said some places have been devastated by oil, while others still seem unaffected. He said the effects can be minimal if a body of water is exposed to oil for a short time. “The two big questions right now are how much is exposed and for how long,” he said. Kaller said he’s certain the government
ENERGY
Biodiesel powers LSU mowers Fuel derived from 459 cooking oil By Ryan Buxton Senior Staff Writer
LSU Dining serves hundreds of students every day, but the cooking oil used in one dining hall feeds something other than mouths — the University’s lawnmowers. After it is used to make meals for students, cooking oil from the 459 Commons is converted
to biodiesel and used to fuel the lawnmowers maintaining the University’s landscaping. Facility Services has supplemented its regular petroleum diesel with biofuel for about two years, said Fred Fellner, assistant director for Landscape Services. The biodiesel is mixed with regular diesel to create a mixture called B20 or B30, which contains 20 or 30 percent biodiesel, respectively, Fellner said. The oil is converted to biodiesel at the W.A. Callegari Environmental Center, a part of the LSU AgCenter focusing on
environmental issues. Bill Carney, head of the Callegari Center, oversees the conversion process. The oil is stored in tanks at the 459 Commons and collected using a homemade vacuum truck that sucks up the oil and stores it in a 125-gallon tank, Carney said. How often the cooking oil is collected depends on how many students are on campus. Collections are made once every two to three weeks during the regular semesters and about once a month during the summer, Fellner said. MOWERS, see page 15
NICOLE KARAMICHAEL / The Daily Reveille
Waste is removed from used vegetable oil from the 459 Commons on May 4 so the oil can be combined with diesel to create fuel for the University’s lawnmowers.