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Tuesday, April 23, 2013
www.southerndigest.com
Volume 60, Issue 15
SGA, Election Ethics in question Evan Taylor
The Southern Digest Questions still loom over the recent Student Government Association Election. After contesting the results of the 2013-14 Election due to a failure to communicate contents of the ballot before election day, a request to contest and complain was denied. Elections Commissioner Eugene Williams was presented a letter April 17 during the runoff election, requesting that the committee lodge an investigation into the election and the passage of Referendums 1, 2 and 3 and Constitutional Amendment 1. As stated in the Election Code of the Southern University and A&M College Student Government Association (last revised July 2, 2001), “The Election Committee shall have the power to interpret and apply this code.” The Committee’s deputy, Ginea Pride did just that, in her response. Pride wrote, “This letter is to deny your request for a formal complaint against the results of the 2013-14 Student Government Association Election. There will not be an investigation due to your inadequate information about the constitution, by-laws, and elections code of the Student Government Association.” Referendums are only cited once in all the governing documents for the Student Government Association, never addressing the time period in which students should be notified, or even if they should be notified at all. This leaves the implied and implicit meaning and interpretation in the hands of Student Government Association and their entities. In the Student Government Association Constitution Article XIII it states, “All referendums passed by majority vote of the Student Senate that create, authorize, or enact new student self-assessed fees, student selfassessed fee increases, student self-assessed fee renewals, and/ or reallocation of funds generated from an existing self-assessed fee shall be enacted by the majority vote of the voting Student Body in a General Election.” While this is the only stipulation for the Student Government Association to assume the authority over any student selfassessed fee or funding, there are more stipulations over candidates who are vying for elected positions.
See SGA Ethics page 3
Page 1 of the Letter submitted to Eugene Williams, SGA 2013-14 Elections Comissioner to contest the results of the 2013-14 Election. Cited in the letter is Article XII of the Student Government Association bylaws concerning the documentation of SGA be public record.
Page 2 of the letter submitted to Williams with those CC’ed in the administration of the letter hand delivered to Williams. The letter was also sent via e-mail to all parties involved. The argument to contest the election was the last minute notice of referendums and amendments on the ballot.
Page 1 of the response from Ginea Pride, SGA Deputy of the Elections Committee. The letter denied the request to file a complaint and contest the Election. The letter also confirmed the Elections Committee believed the Election was conducted properly citing a misinterpretation of the constitution’s explicit language about referendums.
Page 2 of response from Pride concerning the denial of the contest and complaint for the Election. Pride directed us to SGA for documentation leaving the looming question whether the Election Committee, the governing body of the 2013-14 Election was informed or provided documentation that the student body and The Digest has yet to see.
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Campus Life southerndigest.com
Page 2 - Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Campus Briefs
Visual Arts Student Exhibition Come see the works of artists in the Visual Arts department, join the artists and see the gallery will be open until May 2. Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you have any questions contact Robert Cox, gallery director at 225.771.4103 or via e-mail at Robert_cox@subr. edu.
today Sustainability Week 2013 It’s sustainability week. Reduce your carbon footprint by switching power strips off and unplugging device chargers when not in use. Set your computer and monitor to sleep when not in use and turn off all office machines at the end of the day. This week Southern is creating a culture of sustainability, where blue and gold meets green. Join us at 2 p.m. in the High Tech room of P.B.S. Pinchback for SULC graduate, Kesavalu Bagawandoss’ presentation on Engaging Cleaner fuel opportunities and Student Showcase and Demonstrations from 4-6 p.m. in the Cotillion Ballroom.
The Nutrition Zone Does high blood pressure run in your family? Are you looking to lose weight in a healthy way? Do you have an interest in preventing or managing any nutritionrelated health issues? Stop by the Nutrition Zone can meet your needs. Dietetic interns and senior dietetics can offer weight, height and BMI measurements, dietary analysis, nutrition counseling and nutrition and wellness education classes. The Nutrition Zone is open every Thursday from 11 a.m.2 p.m. in 154 Thrift Hall.
Bible Study T.J. Jemison Baptist Student Center invites you to join us every Tuesday for Bible Study. We will continue today at April 30 at 6:30 p.m. on Harding Blvd. across from A.W. Mumford Stadium. If you have any questions contact us at 225.774.8924 or at TJJemisonBSC@yahoo.com.
Plagiarism and Ethical Standards The Graduate Student Association will host a “Plagiarism and Ethical Standards for Graduate Level Writing” seminar on Thursday, April 25, at 5 p.m., in room 218 J.B. Moore Hall. Dr. Sharon Parson will be the presenter for the event. Refreshments will be served.
Café Lacumba Come help us finish out the semester on a high note, Between 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. in Pinkie Thrift Hall Room 161 Tomorrow Come purchase the special for only $6 including a BBQ Chicken Wrap or sandwich, sweet potato wedges, a butterscotch square and fresh brewed tea. Our soup of the day is Corn chowder for only $2. Not salivating yet, we have food that will be good to your stomach and easy on your wallet with salads $5 and less, and wraps and sandwiches for $4 and under. Don’t forget to bring a friend.
Opportunities to Study Abroad Want to travel and study? Want to gain some language skills and credits? Study abroad with the Center for International Education. You could spend this summer in Belize, Senegal, China or Liberia. Trips range from $3,000-$3,500 and financial aid can be used to study abroad. For an application contact 225.771.2613.
Study Abroad in London, Paris or Amsterdam Want to study abroad in Summer 2014? Come to the informational sessions April 24 at 3:30 p.m. in Moore Hall Auditorium. For more information please contact Chanika Jones at chanika_jones@ subr.edu or 225.771.4225.
Student Affairs Awards The Division for Student Affairs of Southern University and A&M College is pleased to announce the Annual Student Affairs Awards. These awards are designed to recognize excellence in undergraduate and graduate teaching and institutional and
The Sentinel Of An Enlightened Student Body since 1926 community service. Faculty, Staff and Students are encouraged to submit nominations by 3 p.m. April 25. Individuals who wish to nominate someone for any of the Awards should review the award description, criteria and submission procedures. All nominations will be carefully reviewed and evaluated by the Division for Student Affairs. Recommendations will then be forwarded to the Vice Chancellor and the selection committee for final selection. The Awards will be awarded annually during the Annual Student Government Association/Student Affairs Awards Banquet on Monday, April 29, 2013 in the Cotillion Ballroom at 6:00 p.m. Academic Honors Awards Program Southern University and A&M College will hold its Annual Academic Honors Awards Program on Friday, April 26, 2012, 10:15 a.m. in the Clifford T. Seymour Gymnasium. This student awards program will honor outstanding scholarship and academic attainment by SUBR students. Undergraduate students with cumulative GPAs of 3.0 and above will be acknowledged. We kindly request that you dress appropriately for this highly significant occasion and that you be in the gymnasium by 10:00 a.m. on that morning. Special seating is reserved for students being honored. Please sit in these areas, filling in from the front, as designated. An invitation is extended to your family to share in this event. Please encourage them to participate. The entire Southern University family is invited to the Academic Awards Program, students, parents, faculty and staff. The families of honor students are particularly encouraged to share in this event. We salute you on your accomplishments and urge your attendance on Friday. SUS Day at the Capitol Southern University System Day at the Louisiana State Capitol, is Monday, April 29.
Who’s Speaking Out? Do you think security concerns in America have changed since the Boston Marathon bombings? “Absolutely. I believe that people will become more aware of the things going on in their community.” Margie Carlin Senior Speech Pathology Austin, TX
“No because some things you just can’t control at public events.”
Marvin Price Sophomore Mass Communications New Orleans
“Honestly, I feel that it has because now that the bombing has happened, America has another eye opener to reality.” Rayven Roberts Freshman Nursing New Orleans
“No. There isn’t much that can be changed in Post 9/11 America except for tighter laws.” Jeremy Muse Freshman Business/Marketing Baton Rouge
ISSN: 1540-7276. Copyright 2013 by The Southern University Office of Student Media Services. The Southern DIGEST is written, edited and published by members of the student body at Southern University and A&M College. All articles, photographs and graphics are property of The Southern DIGEST and its contents may not be reproduced or republished without the written permission from the Editor in Chief and Director of Student Media Services. The Southern DIGEST is published twice-weekly (Tuesday & Thursday) with a run count of 5,000 copies per issue during the Southern University - Baton Rouge campus fall, spring semesters. The paper is free to students, staff, faculty and general public every Tuesday & Friday morning on the SUBR campus. The Southern DIGEST student offices are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday - Friday. The offices are located on the first floor of T.H. Harris Hall, Suite 1064. The Southern DIGEST is the official student newspaper of Southern University and A&M College located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Articles, features, opinions, speak out and editorials do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the administration and its policies. Signed articles, feedback, commentaries and features do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors, staff or student body. Southern University and A&M College at Baton Rouge is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097, telephone (404) 679-4500, Website: www.sacscoc.org. MISSION STATEMENT The mission of Southern University and A&M College, an Historically Black, 1890 landgrant institution, is to provide opportunities for a diverse student population to achieve a high-quality, global educational experience, to engage in scholarly, research, and creative activities, and to give meaningful public service to the community, the state, the nation, and the world so that Southern University graduates are competent, informed, and productive citizens. Website: www.subr.edu.
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News
southerndigest.com
Teusday, April 23, 2013 - Page 3
The Sentinel Of An Enlightened Student Body since 1926
inside Twitter Music Service worth it
How using #music can change the way listen pg.4
‘Love & Hip-Hop’ Overcoming backlash, gaining backing for reality pg.5
From the legislature Get information about the session pg.6
Obama had a trying week
See how he handled it pg.7
SGA Ethics from page 1 From the classification, GPA, and duties and responsibilities throughout all of the Student Government Association documents but Referendums to give students acting in official roles control over funds is in general notes of the Constitution. The 2012-13 Student Government Association has yet to present a general or concert budget to the public and has failed to release schedules of their general, senate or judicial branch meetings, which are to be open to the public. Requests have been made to the Office of the Student Government Association, Office of Student Programs and Office of Student Affairs to release documentation from the last two year’s budgets. Despite controversy, SGA has stood behind their actions with
an active presence on social media. The question remains whether the Student Government Association has followed its own Code of Ethics that states, “The importance of this Code of Ethics is to establish a standard of conduct for members of the Student Government Association of Southern University and Agricultural and Mechanical College at Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Adhering to this code will create an effective, efficient, and respected Student Government Association. Therefore, this Code of Ethics will inspire an ethical means by which all elected and appointed officials and members of this Student Government Association shall be bound by and shall always be prepared to give account of their actions and words.”
Rep. James looks out for online privacy Littice Bacon-Blood The Associated Press
Boston bomber to face death penalty
Dzhokar Tsarnaev motives still unclear pg.8
More on Boston
See the suspect pg.9
Truth is not a fable
Open your eyes pg.10
GOP HQ
See the latest political cartoon pg.10
Is opportunity passing you by?
Are you doing less with more? pg.11
The Grace Column Jasper talks freedom pg.11
Want to join us?
We’re talking jobs pg.12
Employers and school officials would be banned from demanding access to the personal online accounts of potential employees or students, under a proposal that won approval Monday in the House Commerce Committee. The measure by Rep. Ted James, D-Baton Rouge, would prohibit retribution against those who refuse a request for access to their email, Facebook pages and other personal online sites. However, the bill would require employees to cooperate with a company investigation if evidence suggests they have posted proprietary information that could harm the employer, or if the employer has specific information regarding personal postings that details activities of work-related misconduct or law-breaking. That cooperation could take the form of requiring the employee to share the personal social media content that is being investigated. James said his proposal is designed to protect the personal information of employees and students, but does not advocate personal irresponsibility on social media. “I feel that it’s important that we protect individuals when they are requested to give certain information in regards to their usernames and pass words,” he said. The measure would prohibit employers and public schools, including colleges and universities, from requesting information such as usernames, passwords or other
Page 1 of the Freedom of Information Act letter submitted to The Student Government Association, Office of Student Programs and Office of Student Affairs requesting budgets and expenditure information concerning student assessed fees and student programming. A formal written response has yet to be recieved from the request delivered on April 15.
Louisiana House Representative Ted James proposed the measure to protect personal online accounts from employer access. authentication information that allows them to access personal online accounts. Private schools were amended out of the bill. Following his testimony, James told reporters that demand for access to private accounts is not a problem that he’s seen in Louisiana, but said it was important to have such a law on the books. Employers and school officials could still scour the Internet in the hopes of gaining insight into the personality of potential employees or students. “This bill doesn’t say that employers can’t monitor,” social media behavior that’s public, James said. “This bill says you can’t ask me for my username and passwords to be able to see what I’m sending out on social media or email.” In addition, the bill would not prohibit employers or schools from requesting access information to company-owned devices that are issued to employees. The measure now heads to the House floor for further debate.
Page 2 of the Freedom of Information Act letter citing the documentation requested by The Digest for the expenditures and records of the Office of Student Programs, Office of Student Affairs and Student Government Association. The letter addressed to Willie McCorkle III was CC’ed to Jonas Vanderbilt, Brandon Dumas, Chancellor Llorens, VerJanis Peoples, SU BOS Chair Bridget Dinvaut and SUS President Ronald Mason.
Culture southerndigest.com
Page 4 - Tuesday, April 23, 2013
The Sentinel Of An Enlightened Student Body since 1926
Twitter music service worth it Ryan Nakashima The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES —Until now, my problem with social music services has been this: Following friends doesn’t really turn up much music I actually want to hear. We didn’t become friends because we share musical tastes, and too few of them are using the services I’m trying out. Twitter’s new music service solves this problem. It helps that it’s free. With it, I’m able to sneak a peek into the musical interests of the artists I like. For example, I discovered that Gotye likes the Divine Fits, a Los Angelesbased band I’d never heard of until now, because he follows them on Twitter. With a tap on the colorful photo representing the band, I can listen to a 30-second preview of the new song of theirs that is being tweeted about the most. For the Divine Fits, that’s “Like Ice Cream.” It was catchy enough for me to want to hear more. After listening to a preview, I can tap a button to buy the track on iTunes or listen to the full song through a $10-a-month subscription from Spotify or Rdio. I can also find other songs from the artists through those outside services. As a discovery tool, Twitter’s (hash) music service provides a convenient, visually pleasing way to filter through the deluge of music that’s out there. Sure, I could have replicated this feature by digging through Gotye’s Twitter profile and individually going into the profiles of people he’s following to determine if they’re artists. Then I could search elsewhere
for their songs or music videos. But that’s more work than I’m ready to put into this. The (hash)music service highlights the artists for you and features the song preview right there. The service also has a tab for emerging artists that it somehow digs out from tweets. I’m not sure how they’re selected, but random poking around this page is how I found the broody music of Skylar Grey. Finding new music can be tough. It’s easy to get hit over the head by the chart-toppers, who are everywhere. There’s also a “popular” tab in (hash) music for a rundown of which artists are trending on Twitter. It’s way more difficult to find music you like if you never knew a band existed. This provides a way. For now, (hash)music is available as an iPhone app and on the Web at https://music.twitter.com. Twitter says an Android version is coming, but it didn’t say when. Beyond its usefulness for music discovery, the Twitter (hash)music app is fun to play with. It is far more engaging than Twitter’s regular app, and swiping around makes the squares representing artists bounce around. Tapping to play a song clip generates a spinning icon with album cover art that harkens back to the heyday of vinyl records. True, this is a marketing tool and I was skeptical to start. And (hash) music is not perfect for listening. Artists have only one song apiece on their profiles, so if you want to hear more you’ve got to go elsewhere. And even if you buy a song from
iTunes after discovering it here, tapping the play button on the artist’s square again will still play the 30-second preview. I discovered this after buying Skylar Grey’s “Final Warning” for 69 cents. To hear the full version, I had to go back to the iPhone’s music player. It also didn’t track the (hash) NowPlaying tag very well, despite putting it in all my tweets from the service. There was a considerable lag in showing these tweets from people I follow compared with my normal Twitter feed. For full song plays within the service, you have to sign up for a premium subscription to Spotify or Rdio, each of which costs $10 a month. This made using (hash)music much better, although I discovered more artists by listening to just 30 seconds, making a quick decision and moving on — kind of like speed dating for music. The clips will play back-toback, which can make for a jarring listening experience. But you also can focus your time on quick music discovery and go elsewhere to learn more. Connecting the service to my Rdio account helped because the songs I played through (hash)music showed up on the Rdio app’s history list. That way, I could switch to Rdio to listen to the whole album. Thanks to (hash)music, I discovered that I like the Divine Fits and Skylar Grey within, say, a half hour of fiddling with the service. That makes it worth downloading, in my view. I’ll go back to it when I’m on the hunt again for music I didn’t know was there.
Twitter/AP PHOTO This image taken from an iPhone shows the new Twitter music app. Twitter announced Thursday April 18, a new app that uses tweets and other Twitter activity to detect the most popular tracks and emerging artists. Twitter #music allows people to go to artists’ profiles to see which music they follow, listen to songs by those artists and tweet songs right from the app.
Murray appeals claiming legal error Linda Deutsch The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Eighteen months after his involuntary manslaughter conviction, Michael Jackson’s doctor on Monday appealed his case, claiming there were multiple legal errors at his trial. A lawyer for Dr. Conrad Murray argued in the 230-page appellate brief that there was insufficient proof that Jackson died of an overdose of the anesthetic propofol administered by Murray. The appeal also reiterated an often-stated defense claim that Jackson may have administered the overdose to himself. The pop superstar died on June 25, 2009, days before he was to leave for England to perform in his ill-fated “This is It” concert. Witnesses said Murray had been giving him propofol as a sleep aid, a purpose for which it was not intended. Attorney Valerie Wass said that because of Jackson’s great fame, his doctor was used as an example by the judge who sentenced him to the highest term for involuntary manslaughter. She suggested that
even if his conviction is upheld, his four-year sentence should be reduced. Murray is eligible for release in October after serving half his sentence. Murray’s two-month trial in 2011 drew wide media coverage, and Wass argued that the judge should have excluded TV cameras from the courtroom and granted a motion to sequester jurors to keep them insulated from publicity. “The unprecedented fame of the alleged victim combined with the pervasiveness of modern media rendered it impossible for appellant to receive a fair trial with a nonsequestered jury in a case that was televised and streamed live around the world,” the appeal said. Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor had denied the defense motion, saying jurors who are sequestered often feel like prisoners and it interferes with their decisionmaking process. He instructed jurors daily to avoid publicity, and there was no indication that they violated the order. The appeal also challenged the prosecution theory that Jackson was hooked up to an IV drip of propofol and left alone in his
Reed Saxon/ AP Photo Michael Jackson’s doctor former Dr. Conrad Murray sits in a courtroom during his involuntary manslaughter trial in Los Angeles. Eighteen months after his involuntary-manslaughter conviction, Murray, has appealed on grounds of multiple legal errors in his trial. bedroom by Murray. It called that scenario “absurd, improbable and unbelievable,” and provided an exhaustive reprise of scientific testimony about Jackson’s death. Murray told police he gave the singer an extremely small dose of propofol, a fact contradicted by scientists who reconstructed the events preceding the death. Wass contended that one defense attorney, Michael Flanagan, failed to adequately cross-examine a scientist who testified to that issue. She said he and other lawyers also waited too long to ask for examination of residue in a propofol bottle found in Jackson’s room, Their motion was filed 11 days after
conviction and was denied. The appeal faulted the judge for refusing to admit as evidence some of Jackson’s previous medical records, his contract with concert promoter AEG, and his financial documents. “The trial court abused its discretion by excluding all evidence of Jackson’s financial condition, including lawsuits pending against him because such evidence was relevant to establish Jackson’s state of mind on the day he died, which may have explained his conduct that morning and supported the defense theory of the case,” the appeal said. The attorney general’s office, representing the prosecution, has
30 days to respond to the appeal. Wass then has another 20 days for her response. She said the outcome of the appellate case could have some impact on pending medical board proceedings for Murray in Texas and California. The boards will decide whether to revoke Murray’s license to practice medicine in the two states. Meanwhile, Murray may be summoned to testify in a civil lawsuit filed against AEG by Jackson’s mother, Katherine. Jury selection in that case is currently underway. She claims the concert promoter was negligent in hiring Murray to care for the singer.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013- Page 5
The Sentinel Of An Enlightened Student Body since 1926
“Love & Hip-Hop” overcomes backlash, gains support Jonathan Landrum Jr. The Associated Press
ATLANTA — Mona Scott-Young used to wake up in cold sweat at night, wondering if she made the right decision to leave her list of highprofile hip-hop clients to branch off and create reality television shows. That’s a dilemma the creator of the popular reality series “Love & Hip-Hop” on VH1 doesn’t have to worry about anymore. “I was leaving something that I had built for nearly 20 years of my life,” recalled Scott-Young, who was the co-founder of Violator Management with the late Chris Lighty. Their company represented some of music’s top artists from LL Cool J to 50 Cent and Missy Elliot. Feeling complacent and unfulfilled, Scott-Young left Violator and started her own film production company, Monami Entertainment. The fear was strong, she said, “But it was exhilarating to start over because I had a new lease on life, venturing into territories unknown for me and just starting from scratch.” “Love & Hip-Hop,” created with Jim Ackerman, is broken up into two different shows — one based in New York and another in Atlanta. Each show primarily focuses on six women and the supporting cast of men who are connected to the hip-hop industry, following their personal lives and careers. The series doesn’t include any big names, but the over-thetop dramatic story lines make it compelling to watch — and also a target of criticism. The second season of “L&HH: Atlanta” premieres Monday night
on VH1, starring Stevie J, K. Michelle, Lil Scrappy and Rasheeda. It returns after pulling in strong ratings last season with an average of 3.3 million viewers and 4.4 million in the second part of the show’s reunion last year, according to Nielsen. The New York version finished its third season last month, pulling in an average of nearly 2 million viewers. Some of the cast members include Yandy Smith, Tahiry Jose and Joe Budden. “Mona allowed these women to tell their story, and guys like me to be known,” said Stevie J, a Grammy-winning producer who is a self-proclaimed womanizer caught in a love triangle between longtime girlfriend Mimi Faust and Joseline Hernandez. “Before, people heard of my name but didn’t know what I looked like. I relish the character that I am on television. People are amused by our stories.” Even though “L&HH” has drawn millions of viewers, it has been under fire. Some petitioned for the show’s cancellation, saying it depicted African-American women in a negative light. Some also criticized the series for its frequent fights and focusing on the drama more than the music. “I wish people would stop pointing the finger,” said Hernandez, who has taken the brunt of the criticism for her vulgar words exchanged and fights with others. She’s a former exotic dancer turned aspiring Latin rapper who was discovered by Stevie J. “I know that I’m a good person, and I know where my heart is,” Hernandez continued. “I know that I’m talented and I’m a bad
(expletive), so I don’t care what anyone thinks of me. We’re here to stay. People who criticize wish they were doing what we are doing.” Scott-Young said she is taking the backlash to the show in stride, saying the positive responses from her music industry friends such as Diddy and LL Cool J gave her confidence to push forward. She said she welcomes the constructive criticism and is looking to minimize the violence in the series, but realizes the drama is what pulls in viewers. Besides, the extra exposure is what Scott-Young and cast members are striving to capture. The show is a platform for established and up-and-coming artists to take their popularity to the next level. The show has certainly benefited K. Michelle, a singer who didn’t have a record deal in the first season of “L&HH: Atlanta.” Now, she is signed to Warner Bros. Records and expects to release an album this summer. “It gave people the awareness about my music,” said K. Michelle. “It gave people the opportunity to see me. Music that was out two years prior, they went back like it was brand new.” Scott-Young hopes she can find more compelling stories like K. Michelle, Hernandez and Stevie J. She’s looking to expand the “Love & Hip-Hop” series to either Chicago, Houston, New Orleans or Miami. “Hip-hop is global, it’s international,” said Scott-Young, who is also executive producing VH1’s “Gossip Game” and Bravo’s upcoming reality show “Taking Atlanta.” ‘’I think the franchise is limitless. I’m here as long as they want me here.”
John Amis/AP PHOTO Mona Scott -Young, creator of the VH1 reality show “Love & Hip Hop” in Atlanta. “Love & Hip-Hop” is broken up into two different shows _ one based in New York and another in Atlanta. Each show primarily focuses on six women and the supporting cast members of men who are connected to the hip-hop industry, following on their personal lives and career.
Bush Presidential Museum includes 9/11, Katrina, War in Iraq Jamie Stengle The Associated Press DALLAS — A tour of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum begins in a bright area representing his early domestic agenda, but with one turn, visitors find themselves in a darkened room surrounded by chilling reminders of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. This contrast, symbolizing Bush’s abrupt shift in priorities less than eight months into his first term, is among the most poignant exhibits at a museum being dedicated this week that also chronicles the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Hurricane Katrina, the Florida recount and various other historical events. Bush told The Associated Press last week that he wanted to make sure the part of the museum devoted to 9/11 was powerful enough to remind visitors of how much the world changed that day. “It’s very emotional and very profound,” Bush said. “One of the reasons it has to be is because memories are fading rapidly and the profound impact of that attack is becoming dim with time, and we want to make sure people remember not only the lives lost and the courage
shown but the lesson that the human condition overseas matters to the national security of our country.” The George W. Bush Presidential Center, which includes the library and museum along with the 43rd president’s policy institute, will be dedicated Thursday on the campus of Southern Methodist University in Dallas. All the living presidents, including President Barack Obama and Bush’s father, George H.W. Bush, plan to attend. It will open to the public on May 1. The museum uses everything from news clips to interactive screens to artifacts to tell the story of Bush’s eight years in office. A container of chads — the remnants of the famous Florida punch cards — is part of an exhibit about the 2000 election, which Bush won after the Supreme Court ordered Florida to stop its recount process more than a month after Election Day. In the 9/11 display, called the “Day of Fire,” video images from the attacks flash around a twisted metal beam recovered from the wreckage of the World Trade Center. The exhibit also includes the bullhorn Bush used days later to address a crowd of rescue workers at ground zero: “I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. And the people who knocked these
buildings down will hear all of us soon.” Longtime Bush adviser Karen Hughes was standing just a few feet away from the president when he began making the unplanned speech. Hughes said she remembers turning to Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Joe Allbaugh and saying, “That’s going to be in his library someday.” Brendan Miniter, who served as the liaison for the Bushes as the museum’s exhibits were developed, said the idea was to present the facts and “let them speak for themselves.” He said they also did not want to shy away from more controversial aspects of the administration. “I suspect that people would have thought that we wouldn’t have talked about say enhanced interrogation techniques or the decision to create the prison in Guantanamo,” he said, adding that former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is featured in a video about why the administration felt both were necessary. Visitors also are taken through a timeline of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. A display at the end makes the case against Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, including that he ignored 17 United Nations Security Council resolutions demanding he disclose his
Benny Snyder/ AP Photo In this photo taken April 16, an exhibit is shown in the museum area at the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in Dallas. The museum uses everything from news clips to interactive screens to artifacts to tell the story of Bush’s eight years in office. weapons programs and fired at British and American pilots monitoring the U.N.-imposed no-fly zone. The exhibit also acknowledges the biggest controversy about the justification for war: No weapons of mass destruction were found.
A “Decision Points Theater,” lined with rows of interactive screens, seeks to put visitors in the shoes of a president. It provides facts for them to decide such questions as whether to invade Iraq or provide bailout money during the financial crisis.
Page 6 - Tuesday, April 23, 2013
The Sentinel Of An Enlightened Student Body since 1926
From the
Legislature The Associated Press
A package of proposals by conservative House lawmakers seeking to rewrite the laws governing how the state estimates and spends its money began advancing Monday in the Louisiana Legislature. The bills pushed by the mainly Republican group nicknamed the “fiscal hawks” would limit what dollars lawmakers and the governor could use to pay for ongoing programs and services — striking at Gov. Bobby Jindal’s continued use of patchwork funding to balance the budget. Many of the measures would rewrite the state constitution. Supporters say they are trying to add stability and transparency to the budget process and end the cycle of repeated shortfalls. Critics say the changes could unnecessarily limit the types of money available to lawmakers and could worsen budget cuts. The House Appropriations Committee passed four fiscal hawk bills (House Bills 434, 435, 437 and 620) without objection Monday, sending them to the full House for debate. The measures would require the state’s income forecasting panel to determine which dollars are expected to appear year after year. Lawmakers would be limited in how they could spend onetime money, and they wouldn’t be able to spend dollars not recognized by the Revenue Estimating Conference. “I believe this would give us real dollars to budget. It would make the budgeting process more reliable,” said Rep. Lance Harris, R-Alexandria, chairman of the House Republican delegation. The proposals also would require more scrutiny of dollars that are earmarked to programs required by state law or constitution. If higher education and health care are proposed for cuts, spending from the earmarked funds would be split into a second piece of legislation, so lawmakers could decide if they want to reverse some of the obligations, to protect health care and colleges. Appropriations Chairman Jim Fannin, D-Jonesboro, questioned logistical problems that could be caused by having separate budget bills, but he didn’t oppose the legislation. ——— The Senate agreed in a 36-0 vote that hefty rate hikes for customers of Louisiana’s property insurer of last resort should require legislative approval. The bill (Senate Bill 19) would require annual rate hikes over 25 percent from the Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp. to get approval from the House and Senate insurance committees. It also would allow Citizens to spread increases over two to five years. “There is no check and balance on Citizens rate increases right now,” said Sen. Bret Allain, R-Franklin, sponsor of the measure. The proposal heads next to the House for debate. ——— Gov. Bobby Jindal’s plan to charge middle- and upper-income parents whose children receive services through the Early Steps program a portion of the costs failed to win the support of the House. Early Steps offers therapy services for children up
to 3 years old who are having troubles with speech, vision and motor control development. About 9,000 children receive services each year. The proposal (House Bill 375) pushed by the state Department of Health and Hospitals would allow the agency to create a cost-share for families on a sliding scale based on their income. Any family with annual income of less than 250 percent of the federal poverty level — $55,884 for a family of four — would continue to receive the services for free. The House voted 50-43 for the idea. It needs 70 votes to pass. ——— The House backed a bill that would remove the requirement that drivers of a three-wheel, fuelefficiency vehicle called the Elio must wear helmets and get a special license endorsement. In an 88-1 vote, members moved the proposal (House Bill 218) to the Senate for further consideration. The bill, by Rep. Barbara Norton, D-Shreveport, would modify the definition of autocycle to include enclosed motorcycles with a roll cage. Because the Elio has three wheels, it’s currently considered a motorcycle under federal and state safety regulations. ——— A bid to require dogs to be placed in a ventilated crate if they are in back of a truck or on a utility trailer when on an interstate highway failed to win support from the House. Forty-six lawmakers in the House voted for the proposal (House Bill 470) by Rep. Tom Wilmott, R-Kenner. It needed 53 votes to pass. Wilmott can bring it up for a second vote at another time. Wilmott said the bill was a safety measure, noting that dogs have been injured or killed after falling off the back of a moving truck. ——— In other legislative action: —A bid to change the way retirement benefits are calculated for state employees, to prevent spikes in retirement checks and reduce costs for the state, failed to win support from the Senate Retirement Committee. The panel voted 4-2 against the measure (Senate Bill 7) by Sen. Barrow Peacock, R-Bossier City, which would have calculated the monthly retirement payment on an employee’s top five years of salary instead of three years. —The House rejected a proposal (House Bill 71) that would have required law enforcement officials to check for insurance compliance during traffic stops. —A proposal aimed at changing the way state dollars are divvied up among public colleges received the backing of the Senate in a 26-8 vote. The bill (Senate Bill 117) would shift the development of the funding formula from the Board of Regents to a 21-member task force, with a heavier focus on performance measures. The bill goes to the House. QUOTE: “I just push the buttons. I don’t have answers to all the questions.” --Rep. Joel Robideaux, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, joking in a response to a committee member’s question about a bill’s impact on the higher education funding formula.
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School resumes after Texas explosion
Charlie Riedel/AP Photo A high school student and teacher from West, Texas greet each other as students arrive for classes at a temporary facility provided by the Connally Independent School District Monday.
Noomaan Merchant The Associated Press
WEST, Texas — Teachers waited outside Monday morning like it was the first day of school in this tiny Texas town, hoping that a welcoming handshake or pat on the shoulder would make up for the fact that nothing else was normal. Five days after a massive blast at a local fertilizer plant killed 14 and ripped many of West’s families from their homes, some students attended class in trailers behind damaged school buildings, while others were bused out of the city to onceabandoned campuses. “They’re aggravated. They’re disappointed,” Nickole Hayes said as she dropped her three daughters at a car dealership that served as a temporary bus stop. “They know they have to go back, but there’s not a good way to be uprooted again.” Some parents took the day off to walk or drive their children to school. Classmates who hadn’t seen each other for a few days talked and laughed — with dozens of reporters and TV cameras chronicling their arrival. “I’m just glad to get back to our routine,” said 14-yearold Sofia Guerra, sitting in the car Monday morning with her mother, Erika, as they dropped her sister off at West Elementary School. “It’s unknown,” she added. “We don’t know what to expect.” Dozens of homes in the city of 2,700 people were damaged in Wednesday’s explosion at West Fertilizer Co., and part of the town remains off limits. Authorities said Monday they are conducting a “slow and methodical” search of the site. And West Mayor Pro Tem Steve Vanek said restoring water and natural gas to the town could take weeks. Counselors were in each classroom and available separately for students still dealing with the emotions of the blast — almost everyone in the
town knew someone killed, hurt or displaced. Some teachers who reported to work Monday had not been home since the blast, said Jan Hungate, assistant superintendent at West Elementary. Her school had its normal bunch of pre-K through sixth-graders, but also set up trailers behind the building for intermediate students. Middleand high-school students were bused from the dealership to a spruced-up vacant school in neighboring Connally district. West and Connally are rivals — or were until Wednesday night. Connally got to work almost immediately, as volunteers and staff painted hallways, scrubbed floors and stocked classrooms with supplies. Signs were planted along the route to the building: “Welcome West Trojans.” “To start school, they are ready,” said Wesley Holt, a Connally district spokesman. Holt said they also placed binders, notebooks and pens on each desk. Other districts donated furniture, and a foodservice company prepared the cafeteria, he said. “We honestly had to ask people to stop sending school supplies,” Hungate said. Debbie Ratcliffe, a spokeswoman for the Texas Education Agency, said state officials have offered to waive end-of-year tests and other requirements as needed. Hungate said the district was considering several options on testing. Chad Rizo, father of 7-yearold Hunter, took the day off to walk his son to school. Rizo said his mother-in-law and several friends lost their homes and belongings. While his son was excited to go to school with older friends, Rizo said the outside media attention would need to subside before things could return to normal. “When West is left to clean up, that’s going to hit home for a lot of people, I think,” he said.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013- Page 7
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Testing, trying week for President Obama Between Boston Marathon bombing and five dead in Seattle, President Obama found himself concerned with national security and battling his own emotions despite criticism Julie Pace The Associated Press WASHINGTON— For President Barack Obama, one of his most wrenching White House weeks saw the fresh specter of terrorism and the first crushing political defeat of his new term, and the more emotional side of a leader often criticized for appearing clinical or detached. The events presented sharp tests for a president committed to an ambitious agenda in the limited window offered by a second term. There was the challenge to reassure a nervous nation about threats at home and to keep the rest of his legislative goals on track after the Senate rejected gun control measures that had become his top priority. “This was a tough week,” Obama said late Friday, shortly after authorities captured the second suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings. The Boston Marathon explosions and the gun votes overshadowed other events that would have captivated the country and consumed the White House during almost any other week. An explosion leveled a Texas fertilizer plant, killing at least 14 people. Letters addressed to Obama and Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., were found to contain traces of poisonous ricin in tests, evoking parallels to the anthrax attacks after Sept. 11, 2001. “It’s not new,” David Axelrod, the president’s former senior adviser, said of the White House balancing act. “It’s never welcome, but it’s not entirely unexpected.” The full fallout of the events and their impact on Obama’s presidency remains uncertain. That’s particularly true in Boston, where the motivations of the two brothers accused in the bombing are unknown, as are their connections to any terrorist network. But the capture of the teenager
whose older brother was killed attempting to escape police brought closure to Boston and the White House. Throughout Friday, Obama aides watched coverage of the manhunt on Boston television stations being specially broadcast throughout the White House. When the search appeared to stall, the president retreated to the residence, but returned quickly to the Oval Office when news reports showed authorities closing in on 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Shortly before 9 p.m., FBI Director Robert Mueller relayed news of his capture to Obama counterterrorism adviser Lisa Monaco. “They have him in custody, it is white hat,” Monaco quickly wrote in an email to the president’s chief of staff Denis McDonough, describing the hat the younger Tsarnaev was wearing in photos released by the FBI. Just one day earlier, Obama had been in Boston to speak at an interfaith service for the three people killed and more than 180 others injured in the blasts at the marathon’s finish line. Obama balanced sorrow with resolve as he sought to console the grieving city. He said Boston would “run again” and pledged to bring the “small, stunted individuals” responsible for the bombings to justice. His words won him rare praise from some Republicans, including former presidential rival Mitt Romney. “I thought the president gave a superb address to the people of this city and the state and the nation,” said Romney, a former Massachusetts governor who attended the interfaith service. Previous terrorist attacks in the U.S. have turned into key leadership moments for the men who occupied the Oval Office directly before Obama. For President Bill Clinton, the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing proved an opportunity to regain stature after his party’s election defeats. For President George W.
Charles Dharapak AP Photo President Barack Obama speaks in the Brady Press Briefing at the White House in Washington, Friday, April 19, regarding the Boston Marathon bombing.
Bush, the events of Sept. 11, 2001, were a chance for the country to rally around a president elected under controversial circumstances. Obama’s address in Boston was his second emotional appeal of the week. On Wednesday, he stood stonefaced in the White House Rose Garden after the Senate struck down the gun control measures he pressed for following the December massacre of school children in Newtown, Conn. Flanked by the families of the Newtown victims, Obama let his anger show. He accused senators, including some fellow Democrats, of giving into their fear of the National Rifle Association and called the vote a “shameful day for Washington.” The White House, as it looks to restore order after a hectic week, has promised to keep fighting for stricter gun laws. But Obama’s path forward is uncertain. Senate
Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has shelved the issue indefinitely and Obama almost certainly won’t spend much political capital getting them to do so. Instead, the president probably will focus acutely on immigration. The long-anticipated release of a bipartisan Senate group’s draft bill was largely overshadowed by other events. Unlike his push on guns, Obama’s immigration efforts have a clearer path to passage. The growing political power of Hispanic voters, who overwhelmingly sided with Obama in the November election, has led some Republicans to drop their opposition to an immigration bill that could grant citizenship to millions of people living in the U.S. illegally. Still, obstacles remain, a reality underscored when authorities disclosed that the suspects in the Boston bombings were
immigrants. While there was no evidence that the men entered the U.S. illegally, some Republicans seized on the events in Boston to raise questions about the existing immigration system and the proposed changes. Despite the administration’s desire to move on, former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer said “the smartest thing the White House can do is pause.” “Events are swirling furiously and they need to give it time and space to let the events settle,” said Fleischer, who served in the White House during the Sept. 11 and anthrax attacks. Putting on the brakes could prove difficult for the Obama White House, which began the year with a bold domestic agenda. Aides know this year is their best chance of getting legislation through a divided Congress, before lawmakers turn their attention to the 2014 elections, then the race to replace Obama.
Lauryn Hill sentence for tax evasion delayed David Porter The Associated Press NEWARK, N.J. — A federal judge postponed Lauryn Hill’s tax evasion sentencing on Monday but not before scolding the eight-time Grammy-winning singer for reneging on a promise to make restitution by now. Hill pleaded guilty last year to not paying federal taxes on $1.8 million earned from 2005 to 2007. At that time, her attorney said she would pay restitution by the time of her sentencing. It was revealed Monday in court that Hill has paid $50,000 of a total of $554,000. U.S. Magistrate Judge Madeline Cox Arleo criticized her for relying on the promise of a recording contract to pay the
tax bill. “This is not someone who stands before the court penniless,” Arleo said to Hill’s attorney, Nathan Hochman. “This is a criminal matter. Actions speak louder than words, and there has been no effort here to pay these taxes.” The reclusive singer didn’t speak during the proceeding and left the court without commenting. Arleo rescheduled the sentencing for May 6. The total Hill owes is in dispute. Hochman contends it is slightly less than $1 million, counting civil penalties and interest, while the U.S. attorney’s office estimates it at a little more than $1 million. Hochman accused the government of trying to pad the amount because once it surpasses $1 million, the sentencing range
for Hill under federal guidelines would increase from 24 to 30 months to 30 to 36 months. Whatever the range is, Hochman said he would seek a probationary sentence for Hill, a 37-year-old South Orange resident who has six children. After the proceeding, Hochman said Hill was about to sign a loan against two properties that would allow her to pay the remainder of the restitution before her next court date. “I fully expect that by May 3 Ms. Hill will be able to pay back all the restitution she has,” Hochman said. Hill has a recording contract but hasn’t yet realized any revenue from it, Hochman said outside the courtroom. Hill got her start with The Fugees and
began her solo career in 1998 with the acclaimed album “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.” At the time of her June arrest, Hill wrote in a long post on the Internet how she had rejected pop culture’s “climate of hostility, false entitlement, manipulation, racial prejudice, sexism and ageism.” She also wrote that she hadn’t paid taxes since she withdrew from society to guarantee her family’s safety but that she had always intended to rectify the situation. “When I was working consistently without being affected by the interferences mentioned above, I filed and paid my taxes,” she wrote. “This only stopped when it was necessary to withdraw from society, in order to guarantee the safety and wellbeing of myself and my family.”
Page 8 - Tuesday, April 23, 2013
The Sentinel Of An Enlightened Student Body since 1926
Boston Bomber could face death penalty Denise Lavoie & Steven Peoples
The Associated Press BOSTON — A seriously wounded Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was charged in his hospital room Monday with bombing the Boston Marathon in a plot with his older brother and could get the death penalty for the attack that killed three people. Tsarnaev, 19, was charged by federal prosecutors with using and conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction — a bomb — to kill. The criminal complaint containing the allegations shed no light on the motive. But it gave a detailed sequence of events and cited surveillance-camera images of Tsarnaev dropping off a knapsack with one of the bombs and using a cellphone, perhaps to coordinate or detonate the blasts. The two pressure-cooker bombs sprayed shrapnel into the crowd at the finish line last Monday. Moore than 200 people were wounded, and the dead included an 8-year-old boy. The Massachusetts college student was listed in serious but stable condition at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center with a gunshot wound to the throat and other injuries. His brother, Tamerlan, 26, died last week in a fierce gunbattle with police. “Although our investigation is ongoing, today’s charges bring a successful end to a tragic week for the city of Boston and for our country,” Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement. The charges carry the death penalty or a prison sentence of up to life. “He has what’s coming to him,” a wounded Kaitlynn Cates said from her hospital room. She was at the finish line when the first blast knocked her off her feet, and she suffered an injury to her lower leg. In outlining the evidence against him in court papers, the FBI said Tsarnaev was seen on surveillance cameras putting a knapsack down on the ground near the site of the second blast and then manipulating a cellphone and lifting it to his ear. Seconds later, the first explosion went off about a block down the street and spread fear and confusion through the crowd. But Tsarnaev — unlike nearly everyone around him — looked calm and quickly walked away, the FBI said. Just 10 seconds or so later, the second blast occurred where he had left the knapsack, the FBI said. The FBI did not make it clear whether authorities believe he used his cellphone to detonate one or both of the bombs or whether he was talking to someone. The court papers also said that during the long night of crime Thursday and Friday that led to the older brother’s death and the younger one’s capture, one of the Tsarnaev brothers told a
carjacking victim: “Did you hear about the Boston explosion? I did that.” The brothers are ethnic Chechens from Russia who have lived in the U.S. for about a decade. Investigators are focusing on a trip the older brother made last year to Chechnya and Dagestan, in a region of Russia that has become a hotbed of separatist politics and Islamic extremism. In addition to the federal charges, the younger Tsarnaev brother is also likely to face state
charges in connection with the shooting death of an MIT police officer. The Obama administration said it had no choice but to prosecute Tsarnaev in the federal court system. Some politicians had suggested he be tried as an enemy combatant in front of a military tribunal, where defendants are denied some of the usual U.S. constitutional protections. But Tsarnaev is a naturalized U.S. citizen, and under U.S. law, American citizens cannot be
tried by military tribunals, White House spokesman Jay Carney said. Carney said that since 9/11, the federal court system has been used to convict and imprison hundreds of terrorists. In its criminal complaint, the FBI said it searched Tsarnaev’s dorm room at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth on Sunday and found BBs as well as a white hat and dark jacket that look like those worn by one of one of the suspected bombers in the surveillance photos the
FBI released a few days after the attack. Seven days after the bombings, meanwhile, Boston was bustling Monday, with runners hitting the pavement, children walking to school and enough cars clogging the streets to make the morning commute feel almost back to normal. Residents paused in the afternoon to observe a moment of
See Boston Suspect page 9
Tuesday, April 23, 2013 - Page 9
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Boston Suspect from page 8 silence at 2:50 p.m., the time of the first blast. Church bells tolled across the city and state in tribute to the victims. Standing on the steps of the state Capitol, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick bowed his head and said after the moment of silence: “God bless the people of Massachusetts. Boston Strong.” On Boylston Street, where the bombing took place, the silence was broken when a Boston police officer pumped his fists in the air and the crowd erupted in applause. The crowd then quietly sang “God Bless America.” Also, hundreds of family and friends packed a church in Medford for the funeral of bombing victim Krystle Campbell, a 29-year-old restaurant worker. A memorial service was scheduled for Monday night at Boston University for 23-year-old Lu Lingzi, a graduate student from China. Fifty-one victims remained hospitalized Monday, three of them in critical condition.
At the Snowden International School on Newbury Street, a high school set just a block from the bombing site, jittery parents dropped off children as teachers — some of whom had run in the race — greeted each other with hugs. Carlotta Martin of Boston said that leaving her kids at school has been the hardest part of getting back to normal. “We’re right in the middle of things,” Martin said outside the school as her children, 17-year-old twins and a 15-year-old, walked in, glancing at the police barricades a few yards from the school’s front door. “I’m nervous. Hopefully, this stuff is over,” she continued. “I told my daughter to text me so I know everything’s OK.” Tsarnaev was captured Friday night after an intense all-day manhunt that brought the Boston area to a near-standstill. He was cornered and seized, wounded and bloody, after he was discovered hiding in a tarp-
covered boat in a Watertown backyard. He had apparent gunshot wounds to the head, neck, legs and hand, the FBI said in court papers. Sen. Dan Coats of Indiana, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Sunday that Tsarnaev’s throat wound raised questions about when he will be able to talk again, if ever. It was not clear whether the wound was inflicted by police or was self-inflicted. The wound “doesn’t mean he can’t communicate, but right now I think he’s in a condition where we can’t get any information from him at all,” Coats told ABC’s “This Week.” Meanwhile, investigators in the Boston suburb of Waltham are looking into whether there are links between Tamerlan Tsarnaev and an unsolved 2011 slaying. Tsarnaev was a friend of one of three men found dead in an apartment with their necks slit and their bodies reportedly covered with marijuana.
Federal Bureau of Investigation/ AP Photo This file photo provided Friday, April 19 by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. A court official says Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the surviving suspect in the bombings, is facing federal charges and has made an initial court appearance in his hospital room, Monday.
Commentary southerndigest.com
Page 10 - Tuesday, April 23, 2013
The Sentinel Of An Enlightened Student Body since 1926
Talking Politics: Reality may be closer than it appears People know me for telling the truth. I get in a lot of trouble for being honest and totally transparent. The students have to realize there is more for you. There is no need in being desperate, a want to be or a think I am. You can be the best person in the truest sense. The students at Southern University have to realize there is more for you. Anything worthwhile must be properly planned through dedication and hard work. Last minute policy is poor and unethical planning. Use your brain and intelligence, stay in school, do positive things for our communities, and use your knowledge to become wise. Once a person does that, they can look at their past and go into their future. I’m not here to attack, battle or threaten any one. The goal is to report truth and shed light on politics. The people of this state and an overwhelming amount of students at Southern University allow themselves to be fooled by those they have elected to represent them under the guise of goodwill. Imagine a small, developing university with a population of perhaps seventhousand students. Riven by cultural conflicts generations old and struggling with an archaic political system, the university periodically falls into the hands of popular students and petty tyrants. In between, often when prosperity strikes, the university’s significant group of responsible student leaders seek to enhance institutional structures to improve its ability to attract and retain a nationally competitive position, but the periods of responsible leadership fade fast, and the university reverts to a pattern of clientele government, backroom deals, and popular rhetoric. Overall, its population remains significantly less educated relative to its peers in nearby institutions, although
a structure of incentives and subsidies support good education for the student and those with political ambitions. Other groups of students struggle through underfunded and inadequate colleges, and those who survive often find themselves excluded from post-collegiate opportunities by weak academic preparation and high cost. In its current incarnation, this small university operates with a popular authoritarian government led by individuals in search of advancement to more prosperous and significant university posts. Their skillful combination of popular rhetoric, student manipulation of a state dominated economy; underhanded management has maintained them in power. The regime has taken every opportunity to create illusions of progress by continuously and systematically bleeding the university’s student accounts to buy the participation of student leaders so they remain in good graces with their immediate advisor/ administrator that has university-supported subsidies as his disposal. Their arsenal of management also includes the use of student resources to conclude benefits with favored student interests. When confronted with opposition, the regime mobilizes its sycophantic adherents and favored partisans to discredit, isolate, and eventually drive out any one with an ability or opportunity to address the real issues and consequences of the regime’s behavior. The technique, developed with political skill, involves three fronts. The first is the effort to co-opt anyone with an independent perspective. These individuals receive coveted positions, association with the regime’s powerful people, and assurances that the regime will protect them and their personal ambitions. This works quite effectively with some people, although others choose not to participate, and normally responsible individuals become dependents of the regime, bound to provide whatever support
Caesar Smith Jr. the regime requires. When this strategy fails, as it often does with independent agency officials of some visibility, the regime turns to a form of more direct engagement. In this second mode, representatives of the regime explain to the student official that the better tactic for success, during this time, would involve a collaborative arrangement with the student’s regime. That collaboration would provide support and regime protection for the student official, permitting continued leadership of the student body leaders. However, to achieve this protection and collaboration, and to ensure that the agreement to work together is of substance, the regime requires a test of loyalty. This loyalty test requires the official to dispose of close associates whose work the regime dislikes. Absent those associates, the regime’s messengers promise, but do not guarantee the official a secure role as a significant leader under the regime’s protection. This message of threat disguised as offer is usually delivered by reputable student leaders associated with the regime who also maintain a relationship with the nonconforming official. Should the official appear at all reluctant, the regime then reinforces the message by mobilizing their most trusted direct political operatives to echo the message. When this second more direct approach fails, the regime moves to the third stage and mobilizes its dependents, especially
those connected in one way or another to the non-conforming official, and identifies a method to remove the dangerous behavior of regime independence. This involves a conspiracy to silence the offending student or entity. Recognizing the transparency of this maneuver, the regime develops a rationale for the behavior. A few courageous students object, but others fall silent, for the price of failing to cooperate with the regime is now clearly revealed. Its purchased adherents, careful of their economic and personal relationships with the regime, cover the transactions with formalism while creating opportunities for regime favorites to find a home in the now domesticated agency. This completes another cycle of institutional failure. In the end, of course, the regime’s time is finite due to restrictions, and the regime leadership seeks elevation to more significant and visible settings. However, to make the move to a position, the regime’s key members must desperately manage to cover over the impact of structural inequality, the destructive effects of mismanaging the student population, and the constant need to feed the purchased leaders and other elite participants who receive university subsidies and stipends. The challenge is one of timing. Will the regime escape to higher office before the consequences of their bad management crashes? Jane, who has failed to observe and yield to the practices of the regime, had better open her eyes because she is not indispensable, once it was her innocence that led many to adore her. Now in admitting wrong, that innocence and naivety is no longer something to consider in the current atmosphere. She is now a true politician that will prosper… Such fables as these may not match any known reality, but the moral of the story may be more real and closer than they appear.
Commentary southerndigest.com
The Sentinel Of An Enlightened Student Body since 1926
Tuesday, April 23, 2013 - Page 11
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The Southern DIGEST is a member of the Black College Communications Association (BCCA), National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), University Wire Network (U-Wire), Associated Collegiate Press (ACP), College Media Advisers Association (CMA), Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), Full member of the Associated Press (AP) and the Louisiana Press Association (LPA).
Isn’t it nice to live in the United States of America, ‘the good ole USA’, the land of opportunity? This is the land of opportunity. Think about it, where else can a Mexican, Asian, Indian, African and European move to and purchase a house, find a wife, and land a good job all in the same day? I was one of those people who hated foreigners who came over to America because I thought, “they were taking all of the jobs.” In actuality, they’re seizing the very same opportunities that I’ve always had as an American. Besides the fact that foreigners seem to have more unity than African Americans; the only difference between them and us is we talk about something while they’re out making the moves. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not speaking badly about anyone. I have the utmost respect for anyone who can go from nothing to something by taking full advantage of an opportunity. I just wish I saw more of it from people my age and skin tone. According to Merriam-Webster, opportunity is defined as a favorable juncture of circumstances or more simply, a good chance for advancement or progress. I always find myself looking and listening to people (mostly black) whom either are struggling to get through the day or complaining because they felt like they are being held back by life in some way. When I see and hear these things I ask myself: “Do they just have bad luck or did they pass up the opportunities
Marcus Green they had?” You hear from older people, “Stay in school, because when I was your age I dropped out and look where I am now.” After you (hopefully) read this article, I want you to compile a list of all the opportunities you can remember being offered to you. On one side, list all the ones you took advantage of and on the other, the ones you didn’t. Then for the opportunities you didn’t take put the reason why you missed them. I know you are probably thinking why the heck would I do that? The point is once you’ve compiled this list, you might find out that the opportunities you passed up are the biggest ones you’ve ever had. Listing the reasons will help you re-evaluate yourself, to make better decisions in the future. Maybe you passed up good opportunities for stupid reasons and didn’t realize it at the time because you were “tempted” by something else. Everyday we are constantly fighting the battle between temptation and opportunity.
What we want vs. what we need or what’s good for us. You didn’t go to a job fair on Saturday because you wanted to stand in the ridiculously long line to get the new Jordan’s. You didn’t go hear a prominent person in the community speak in the Cotillion Ballroom because there was a basketball game in the F.G. Clark. Your professor held a study session for the final exam but you didn’t go because you were spending time with ‘the girl next door.’ My high school world history teacher told me to do what you have to do now, so you can do what you want to do later. Ask yourself as an African American college student, can I really afford to pass up on any opportunity especially in these harsh economic times? No matter the circumstances, either good or bad, we all get opportunities in our lives at some point or another. They can be big or small; come in singles or multiples. Just think about the opportunities that we have right here at Southern. You want to travel? There are study abroad programs. You want to get a job? There is an office of career services. You want to speak your mind in an intellectual manner about important issues in the world or around campus? There is The Southern Digest! So tell me, why with so much opportunities available, why do we do so little? Remember this, while temptation may lean on your doorbell, opportunity may only knock at your door once.
The Grace Column: Freedom in God’s grace from past mistakes Have you ever been haunted by past mistakes? Does your past dictate your current decision-making? Do you constantly live in fear due to your past? I am here to remind you, God loves you. Your past does not have any bearing on your future. If you want an eternal freedom from past mistakes, open your heart to receiving God’s grace. God’s grace is the answer to the uncertainty in your life. God’s grace is the pathway to a life free of fear and anxiety of reoccurring
circumstances. Once you receive the fullness of God’s grace, your heart and mind is free from the chains of disappointment, failed relationships, and squandered opportunities. Often times in life, we miss the call of God due to our narrow perspective. God did not make us to be bound by our mistakes. He made us to serve Him and trust his infinite abilities. There was a point and time in my life before I surrendered my all to God, were I was bound by the past. I was simply miserable.
I was never content. My life changed one day and I have not been the same. The day I let go of my desires and accepted God’s grace, my life truly began. God’s grace is for everyone. God does not discriminate against any people. Your past does not matter. God wants to simply give you the life He designed for you. He wants you to experience his love, compassion, mercy, and grace. Walk in freedom today. Walk in your calling and destiny. Walk in God’s grace.
** The Grace column is written by Jasper Knighten. The Grace column will discuss God’s grace and how with it one overcome obstacles and apply it to universal situations.
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