TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2009 VP, from page 1
Scheuermann would not be paid for past work but would begin logging hours once the money is allocated. “If the referendum gets approved, it doesn’t particularly mean she is going to be receiving a salary,” Sellers said. “The Senate still has to decide that when considering the budget.” Sellers said Scheuermann
GYM, from page 1
Giles said workers are still finishing a few punch-list items, but the gym is fully functional and usable. Renovations on the gym began during the summer with the start of roof repairs. The gym has been closed since Sept. 1, 2008, when Hurricane Gustav caused extensive damaged to
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would have to quit her current parttime job at the Tiger Card office “in a timely manner” before receiving payment from SG. “This doesn’t have an impact on my willingness to serve,” Scheuermann said. “But it would allow me to have more time to go to meetings and work for the student body.” Gunduz Yavuzer, physics sophomore, said neither the presi-
dent nor vice president position should be paid. “It seems like they shouldn’t be doing it just for their résumé or for pay,” Yavuzer said. “It should be because they want to do it.” Along with the referendum, 37 candidates are vying for open senate seats, and five candidates are competing for a spot on the University Court. Only seats for University
Center for Freshman Year, College of Education, College of Arts and Sciences and University Court have competition, said SG Election Commissioner Alexis Sarver. The rest of the candidates are running unopposed. Former SG President Colorado Robertson said students should be concerned about who is representing them because SG has the power to shape the University.
“If you want changes made on campus instead of just complaining, your senator is someone you can complain to,” Robertson said. “The Senate really is the voice of the student body when it involves making or changing University policy.”
the facility. The storm ripped parts off the roof, causing rain damage to the gym floor, Giles said. UREC officials converted three of the tennis courts to temporary outdoor basketball courts during the renovation period. Giles said basketball players have adjusted to the move, and UREC officials are discussing making the outdoor courts
permanent. Giles said the next stage is renovating the locker rooms — which will start Nov. 23 and finish by Jan. 2. The locker rooms were also damaged by Gustav when high humidity levels caused the lockers to rust. David Simon, construction management sophomore, said he’s glad to finally have access to the gym, after the construction forced him to use the outdoor courts. “When you’re outdoors, you
have to battle the elements, which causes problems,” he said. “The gym’s finally back — I love it.” Kyle Meche, sport administration junior, said he used the outdoor courts once a week, though he prefers indoor. “The wind messes up shots,” he said. “It’s nice to have the gym back. The wood floors feel so much better than concrete.” The re-opening of the gym means the return of the indoor track
and badminton, volleyball and indoor basketball courts, Giles said. The UREC also rents out the gym for events, like graduations and fraternity and sorority events, he said. “We’re exited to be back up and running as normal,” he said. “We hope the completion of the gym will draw in even more users.”
growth is beautiful, their complex root systems underground can invade pavements and asphalt streets. Cox said the key to preventing problems is not allowing roots and concrete to compete, though sometimes sidewalks do have to be replaced. “In the long run, the value of these live oaks is so much greater than the value of these sidewalks,” Cox said. Roots also cause concern during construction, said Richard Humphreys, Facility Ser- Log on to see vices arborist man- photos of oaks ager. around campus. “We do a lot to restrict construction on the root zone of the trees,” he said. “We have a tool that allows us to blow soil away from the roots so we can expose them and figure out how to go around them.” Most of Facility Services’ work with the trees deals with safety, like clearing dead wood so it doesn’t fall on anything and cutting branches that could be obstructions, Humphreys said. Cox said the oaks are beautiful, but they were not the best choice for a roadside tree. “The use of the live oak as a street tree is not a good idea,” he
said. “They branch so low, and their limbs are so heavy — that’s why it’s hard for trucks to drive around campus right now.”
ROOTS, from page 1
landscaping was done by another firm, but the oaks were Burden’s work, said Van Cox, landscape architecture professor. “[Burden] thought [the oak] was the most beautiful tree on Earth,” Cox said. “He came to campus, and the president at the time liked what he was doing and hired him to handle the landscape of the campus. Burden pretty much had free reign, and his love for live oaks shows.” Burden planted a special oak near the Bernie Moore track stadium that has been named the Steele Burden Oak. The tree is unique because it was allowed to grow naturally, Cox said. “All the rest were generally pruned up,” he said. “The natural habit of oaks is to droop downward and [the Burden Oak] is the only one on campus that has the true form of a live oak.” Burden planted about 1,000 southern live oaks during his time on campus, one of the most durable types of trees, Cox said. “They live hundreds of years and tend to look even better as they get older,” Cox said. ROOT OF THE PROBLEM Though the oaks’ above-ground
Contact Xerxes A. Wilson at xwilson@lsureveille.com
Contact Steven Powell at spowell@lsureveille.com
THE GREEN The oaks pose technical challenges, but the leafy green icons help the University financially. In addition to their aesthetic appeal, Humphreys said they save the University $1 million per year in utilities. “They keep the sun off surfaces and reduce the atmospheric temperature, which reduces the amount of cooling we have to do on the buildings,” he said. The trees were last appraised in 1998, when they were valued at about $15 million, Humphreys said. The oaks are not insured because of the changing nature of trees, he said. “The value [of trees] can become diminished even though aesthetically it looks to have value,” Humphreys said. The trees are also financially self-sustaining through the LSU Foundation’s Endow an Oak program, which allows people to donate to the upkeep of trees and dedicate a tree to someone. Donors can endow an oak in the Quad for $50,000, one on the Parade Ground for $10,000 or any other oncampus oak for $4,000. About 250 oaks have been endowed since the 1990s, and 1,200 more are currently available. Money donated to the program is evenly divided between the immediate care of the trees and an endowment providing perpetual funding for trees, said Scott Madere, LSU Foundation public relations director. Madere declined to reveal how much the program has received to date. The program appeals to many donors because people identify the oaks as part of their memories at the University, Madere said. “Our urban forest is something everyone at LSU gets a chance to experience,” he said. “You can’t say everyone gets to experience a certain class, or even a football or baseball game. But one common experience is they all enjoy campus.”
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Contact Ryan Buxton at rbuxton@lsureveille.com