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Photos comparing the LSU campus library to the LSU football team’s locker room are going viral on social media. The images convey a disparity in the quality of each venue, leading many to post reactions online.
Many believe it hints at where the university’s priorities lie in the academia vs. athletics discussion.
The photos, which were posted to Twitter by a user named Tom Hearden, have gotten more than 6.6 million views, 27,000 likes, and 4,000 retweets.
The comments section of the now viral post is also buzzing.
In the images, we see a library that appears to be in severe need of a renovation versus a football locker room which LSU athletics spent $28 million to upgrade.
Take a look.
LSU Library LSU FB locker room pic.twitter.com/Z017L5bjA3
— Tom Hearden (@followtheh) May 2, 2023
It’s caused an immediate uproar online.
One person wrote, “Priorities are not in order at these schools,” while another said, “Well, this is depressing.”
This follower commented, “Echos of the fall of Rome! The people are numb to the real world when fed their weekly distraction in the Colosseum.”
Someone else posted, “We care more about high school and college athletics than we do about actual education and when that’s the case this is the result.”
Others, though, were quick to note that the LSU athletic department brings in its own money, and it can use it as it sees fit.
LSU academics and LSU athletics have different bank accounts…and LSU athletics has donated several millions to the school…so… https://t.co/GlJJCVr5iy
— Jake Franklin (@jake_theviking) May 3, 2023
looks like the football team uses the money correctly while the university puts it in their fund that keeps growing.
— J.Rad / SKOL (@__J__94) May 2, 2023
Football brings in the money so it kinda makes sense…plus there’s google
— “Jacob” (@Jacob_Homec) May 2, 2023
An interesting debate.