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Volume 61, Issue 9
Crime stats rise in latest arrest
SUPD Encourages First Call Brittany Patterson The Southern Digest
photo by Meagan L. WIlliams/digest
Southern University Police address a situation at the Smith-Brown Memorial Union. Last year nearly 100 crimes were reported on SU’s campus in 2012.
Brittany Patterson The Southern Digest
The crime statistics at Southern University rises with the arrest of five students being arrested and charged with the possession and distribution of marijuana. Southern University Police department along with the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Agents assisted in the arrest of the
five students last Friday. Brandon Wells, Keith Jupiter, Joshua Watkins, Trenton Nzekwesi, and Devin Stampley were all booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison after the execution of several arrest warrants and one search warrant as the result of several undercover controlled buys of narcotics from targeted individuals. Nearly 100 crimes were reported on SU campus in
2012, with burglary having over 60 and over 10 drug arrests. Marcus Coleman dean of students said there is a zero tolerance for the use of drugs in the student code of conduct policy. “It states that any student caught or found in possession of a controlled substance are to be expelled immediately,” Coleman said. Jupiter, Watkins, Nzekwesi
and Stampley were all expelled after their arrest on Friday. Coleman said that students have to be charged with whatever they have done. “Anyone who want to break our university’s policy, particularly for drugs and weapons, we have zero tolerance towards that,” See Drugs page 3
Campus dining crowded due to enrollment Felix Cunngingham III The Southern Digest
The increase of students for the fall 2013 semester at Southern University has impacted the dining halls of E.N. Mayberry and Oscar J. Dunn with students’ availability and access to cafeteria dining. Mayberry Hall has an estimate of 500 seats while Dunn has 350 seats for the 1900 students housed on SU’s campus. According to Paul Roberts, manager of Dunn Hall, approximately 450 students are served during the lunch hours of 11 AM to 2 PM, and Mayberry Hall serves approximately 1150 students during the same time.
“Even though there has been an increase of students at the university with meal plans, both cafeterias become packed on occasion but it is never uncomfortable and we try to keep students in a healthy environment so they can eat,” Robert said. According to Roberts many students request for Dunn Hall to be open because of the close proximity it is to the dormitories. “Personally, I believe that both cafeterias should be open on Fridays because of the increase in numbers of students with meal plans,” Roberts said. Many students enjoy having lunch at Dunn Hall on Fridays because of the
short distance. With no class on Friday, students can make time for lunch. Joshua Perry therapeutic recreation major from New Orleans said that Dunn Hall should stay open on Fridays because of the proximity it is to students’ dorms. “It is a relief to people in the back of campus,” Perry said. Although Perry said that Dunn Hall should be open to students in the back of campus, he said athletes and band members are the cause for the crowd in the cafeteria. “They need to have their own cafeteria to keep focus for high game performance on Saturdays,” Perry said. Although other students
may request Dunn Hall to be open on Fridays because of the proximity, others said Mayberry Hall has more room, so students should be there for the large crowds. Alana Holt sophomore biology major from Las Vegas said she would prefer Dunn Hall to be open because it has more seating and it would cater to students’ needs better than Dunn Hall. “We have to take a walk from the dorms or apartments to the front of campus for class anyway so if Mayberry has more room then we should follow where there’s more available space for students,’ Holt said. On weekends the dining halls alternate cafeterias.
The Southern University Police Department urges students to sign up for the First Call Emergency Notification System so that they can be notified immediately of oncampus emergencies. First Call is an emergency mass communications system that delivers a message campus-wide to all recipients that allows them to know about any emergency that takes place on-campus. Some students said that the idea for the First Call System was a good idea and that they would sign up to receive the alerts. Ashley Morris freshman speech pathology from Bogalusa, La., gave her views on the First Call System. “I think it’s a good idea for the campus,” Morris said. Hamilton Richard freshman Education major from Bogalusa stated that he would sign up for First Call. “I’m going to signup. Its sounds like a good idea to keep me safe,” Richard said. Alexus Mosley freshman mass communications major from Covington stated that she thought First Call was a good idea. “I think it is needed especially with what is going on now-a-days such as school shootings,” Mosley said. Brittany Owens freshman biology major Covington, La., said how she felt about the First Call Notification system. “I feel that it’s really needed because of things that has happened before,” Owens said. Kevin Johnson director of ticketing and parking stressed his concerns about students signing up for the FirstCall Emergency Notification System. “I strongly encourage students to sign up for First Call. This is the best way for students to know what has happened on-campus,” Johnson said. The alerts include weather, gunmen and other emergencies that might take place on-campus. This message will be sent within the first 15 seconds on an eventtaking place. Ronald Stevens chief of police at SU stated his concern about the amount of occupants in the First Call system. “It’s for the benefit of the faculty and students on-campus,” Stevens said. Everyone is urged to sign up online at www.subr.edu/firstcall.
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