As the course of court proceedings for the state’s lawsuit to acquire land for Nicholls will become known this month, some students disagree with the means through which the land is being obtained. Russell Richardson, nursing senior from New Orleans, said he likes the idea of having a student recreation center, but he dislikes eminent domain- the process by which private property is forcibly sold based on its value to be used for public use.
“I disagree with the lawsuit because it infringes upon someone’s right to private property,” Richardson said.
Lawrence Marino, the state’s lawyer for the lawsuit, said expropriation cases like this are uncommon.
“An agreement is usually able to be made,” Marino said. “In this case the price was too high.”
Mitchel Barnes, freshman from Houma, said his opinion is two-fold because although he disagrees with the state’s lawsuit against Acadia Agricultural Holdings LLC, he knows the land is needed for the expansion of the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute.
“It’s wrong (for the government) to take land from its own citizens,” Barnes said, “but I can also look at it from an educational aspect.”
Other students say the state has the right to sue for the land.
“What the state is being charged (by Acadia) is outrageous, and it has every right to sue for the land,” Andrew Schleslinger, mass communication junior from New Orleans, said. “It should be done as quickly as possible in order to satisfy the students’ distaste of the whole situation.”
Part of the distaste Schleslinger referred to has been caused by the $74.25 a semester recreation center fee that has been in place since fall 2002. In addition to a culinary arts building, the larger portion of the 77 acres across from Bowie Road would be used for a recreation center. So far $4.2 million has been collected for the $14.4 million recreation center.
“I just want to see the thing built because we’re all paying for it,” Carrie Thibodeaux, history junior from Chauvin, said. “They (the state) need to do whatever is necessary to get the land.”
Tristan Robert, biology senior from Mermentu, said if the University does not acquire the desired land, there will be no more room for expansion.
“We, unlike every other university in Louisiana, aren’t hemmed in yet,” Robert said. “But it won’t be long before we can’t expand. This is the only land left.”
While the recreation center’s construction is in limbo, the University has been offering the use of cardiovascular equipment and weights to students, faculty and staff. The cardiovascular equipment is located next to the racquetball courts behind Bollinger Memorial Student Union and is open Monday through Friday from noon until 11 p.m. and Sunday from 5 p.m. until 11 p.m. The weights located on the second floor of Stopher Gym are available to non-athletes Monday through Thursday from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. Bliss Kiff, English junior from Galliano, uses the cardiovascular equipment and said the University’s facilities are sufficient.
“They (the facilities) are sufficient enough, but sometimes it’s packed,” Kiff said. “Students have class and work and usually just want to get in and out. But while we’re waiting for the rec center to be built it’s better than nothing.”
Brandon Crappel, management sophomore from Morgan City, said the hours available for student use of the facilities are inconvenient.
“Lots of people like to work out in the morning because in the afternoon there are things they have to do,” Crappel said.
