Baton Rouge, LA – On August 27, Louisiana State University Students (LSU) marched to the school’s administrative office to demand the university’s cultural centers be restored.

Over the summer, the LSU administration consolidated all four cultural centers under the Office of Academic Affairs. This move effectively shut them down. Additionally, all student and administrative staff were removed without warning.

“These centers were won in the 60s and 70s through political struggle and public pressure, and so we will continue the struggle students on this campus have waged in the past,” said Ziad Eissa, vice president of LSU Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).

LSU SDS President Margo Wilson and Secretary Gabriela DeJean joined the march and attempted to hand-deliver the students' written demands to LSU Chancellor James Dalton. Upon arrival, Wilson and DeJean were met by several police officers and denied entry for a prolonged period. They were eventually allowed to pass their demands to Dalton’s secretary and demand a meeting with the chancellor to discuss these unjustifiable cuts.

“They want us to think that the world is unchangeable, but we know that when the people dare to fight back, we can change the world,” said Ashley Schmittle, member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

Students at LSU are determined to keep up the struggle to reopen the cultural centers.

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Baton Rouge, LA – Louisiana State University (LSU) students marched from the Student Unioin to the president’s office on Monday, November 10, to deliver a petition demanding that the new LSU president reject Trump’s compact agreement.

Wade Rousse is set to become president of LSU on Monday, November 17. He has close ties with MAGA-supporting Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry.

The compact agreement offers preferential federal funding to universities in exchange for implementing conservative policies in line with Trump’s agenda, including cutting DEI, erasing LGBTQ students’ rights, rejecting international students, and attacking free speech on campus.

“To accept such an agreement is to betray the very university you claim to serve, to betray the students, the faculty, the campus workers, and to destroy the institution’s autonomy,” said Zane Sutor-Benfield, a member of LSU Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).

The petition, circulated by LSU SDS, garnered over 500 signatures.

Despite attempts by the LSU Police Department to bar students from delivering the petition, two members of SDS were able to hand it directly to Trey Jones, the vice president of legal affairs and general counsel at LSU, who promised to leave it on Wade Rousse’s desk when he starts next Monday.

“We will hold him to this promise, and we will be back.” said Sutor-Benfield.

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