Volume 78 - Issue 7 by Southern Digest

TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2022

Whitney Thomas The Southern DIGEST

Volume 78 . Issue 7

Sights on the Senate

The university student government meets frequently throughout the semester to discuss issues that are relevant to the student body. This past week’s most current Senate Meeting saw an acknowledgment of the new structure related to the senate and its future implications. “I think we’ve had a roller- coaster year, but we’ve reconstructed the entire senate structure,” says Anothony Davis, the Student Government Association Vice president after concluding the Senate meeting on Tuesday, May 19. This semester, the agenda board was all about progression and student concerns, but now they’re working hard to ensure that students who have been appointed positions are approved and qualified in effective and efficient manners. Representatives discussed senate legislation that increases student engagement in regards to the next school year, as well as the Senate fund requisition list which allows students to go to the Senate and request funds for their student organization. The cabinet members were allowed the chance to speak

Members of the SGA Senate meet to vote on the next cabinet members for the upcoming term. (Isaac Armstrong/DIGEST)

with organization leaders and appointed fellows about why they were fit for their positions, and how they will carry them out in the future. Prior leadership experience and logical reasoning was another important aspect of the night and the board made their decisions regarding this aspect of operations as well. Mario Sigur, Mens Federation Director of Public Relations, says he was asked about the changes he would make in his position. “I said as director of public relations I would create an open form for the men on campus to voice their

S.U.P.D.: A More Unified Front

DIGEST ART

Brittany J. Patterson The Southern Digest

From Bomb threats in January with a “Shelter in Place” on the first day of Black History Month, and a Hiring event with a shots fired incident in March, the Southern University Baton Rouge campus have been quite both eventful and mentally exhausting for students. Occurrences such as these has led students to question their safety on-campus and wonder what the Southern University Police Department is doing to improve these conditions.

At the beginning of the year, S.U. Police Chief Joycelyn Johnson set out on a mission to fill all vacancies in the Police Department. Currently the number of S.U.P.D. officers is 18, around a dozen short of what the department is looking to employ. “We have 10 positions that have been vacant for a long time. We are trying to fill every position that we have,” Johnson said. Two of the ten positions include an officer station at See SUPD page 2

concerns and what they want to see change around campus.” The senate was able to openly make sure that appointed students were qualified and committed to their duties. Maddison Draegon, the freshmen class Activity Coordinator was also in attendance at the meeting and says Representatives just want to ensure that in the coming years things are different. “The questions were just basically asking that we were confident in our jobs, and comfortable in our positions we were given.”

Representatives and appointed fellows concluded by expressing how pleased they were with their new positions, and with the semester as a whole. Covid restrictions caused a shift with on- campus life, but this semester altered everything as Senate members pushed more events to begin to take place. Students can look forward to continuous progression with on campus life as the current incarnation of SGA looks to make their mark on the university.

Safety First; Traffic Miscues in SU Nodea Sewell The Southern Digest

A flipped over Kia, the damaged back of a black Sentra, a gray Honda front side ruined Baton Rouge police cars and black jeeps through a gate are all scenes one will expect to see in movies. However, over the last two weeks, these are the scenes both students and members of the Scotlandville area witnessed in live action. These accidents occurred on and near the Southern University Baton Rouge campus on Sunday, April 17. One of the accidents occurred on the left side of the Southern University Law Center gate. Southern University Police Department Public Information Officer Marcquis Baldwin was on the scene of the accident. When asked him what caused the accident and he stated “ A Southern University student was headed off campus driving southbound on Jesse Stone Avenue, as she was driving she realized that she was getting too close to the medium and in the process of maneuvering

her vehicle to avoid colliding with the barricade; the student sharply maneuvered her vehicle to the opposite direction. By doing, so she accelerated too hard and crashed into the bricken metal fence on the side of the Law Center.” Baldwin continued, “The student received minor injuries. She did have minor injury to her lip. EMS did arrive on the scene and was able to give her medical treatment. She was deemed okay and did not have to be transported to a hospital. Her parents arrived and escorted her away from the scene.” Junior nursing major Jamar Gary stated his concerns regarding driving on-campus, Students should drive the speed limit and not be reckless.” Junior computer science major Trevonte Lewis discussed his concerns about campus safety. “I saw the accident while going to the Union that night. I think we need to implement speed bumps on campus because people don’t take the speed limit seriously. If we implement speed bumps they won’t have a choice but to slow down.”

The other accident occurred on the end of the bridge (the Hump) at the traffic lights. This accident involved a pileup of four vehicles including a Baton Rouge police car. According to WBRZ, the Baton Rouge police officer had injuries resulting in hospitalization. No other injuries were reported at the time. After this accident Gary stated, “It was traumatizing to see it. Students should be a little more careful going over the bridge and try not to go so fast,” concerning this accident. In lieu of these accidents, S.U. Police Lieutenant Angela Davis gave advice to students about vehicle safety to prevent further accidents. Lieutenant Davis stated that student safety is a priority for S.U.P.D. ”As a law enforcement professional, and in particular a campus police officer, one of our highest priorities is student safety.” Davis continued, “So the advice I want to give to students about vehicle safety is first and foremost, always pay attention to your surroundings. For example, See SAFETY FIRST page 3

ISSUE 7 . APRIL 26, 2022

JAGUAR NEWS

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Watch the Throne; SU Cracks List of Top 10 HBCU’s Amaya Rosser The Southern Digest

Annually, the College Consensus comes out with a list of the best 50 HBCUs in the country, with Southern University placing #8 on the most recent issue. The HBCUs included are as follows: Spelman College, Howard University, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, West Virginia State University, North Carolina, A&T University, Grambling State University, Savannah State University, Southern State University and A&M College, Jackson State University and Norfolk State. The College Consensus releases this list every year to help new college students pick the best school or Historically Black College and University for them. They do this because it offers a better perspective missing from other college rankings. College Consensus gets their top 10 by combining results of college ranking systems with thousands of student reviews. They combines results of ranking systems like U.S.

News & World Report. While speaking with DaMya Darden she says, “Southern is more than deserving of a ranking among the top 10 best HBCUs. Southern offers various opportunities for students academically. There are also so many opportunities for campus involvement. The culture at Southern is also like no other. Southern successfully prepares all its students for life after graduation while also improving an unforgettable experience by being one of the best HBCUs.” Southern Universities ranked in 8th place, with ratings displaying a 43% percent admission rate, 9% 4-year graduation rate, 6,917 enrollments, and 22.0:1 student- to faculty ratio. Financially, Southern provided $7,701 average undergraduate students in aid, charged $9,340 in state tuition, and $16,720 out of state tuition. When speaking with student Faith Woods she says, “Southern University has held a certain standard when it came to HBCUs as a whole. From our culture to our academic achievements. For Southern to be in the Top 10 HBCU list I think that is amazing!

I know the future is bright for this university. I hope to see our school keep moving higher in ranks,” Southern’s publisher consensus average was 57.4, student consensus average was 77.8, college consensus average was 66.8, and publisher rating was 70.2. The publisher consensus is a school’s average rating score from respected college rankings publishers. The student consensus is a school’s average student review score from around the web. The college consensus is the combined average of a school’s Publisher Consensus and Student Consensus scores. All these scores influence how they rank each school. The higher your school the higher your rank is. Southern University wasn’t even on last year’s list of top 25. So in short, to be placed at #8 this year it’s a huge accomplishment. To continue to be a better school and keep growing, we must continue to recruit other students and get better in academics. If we do these things hopefully next year, we’ll be making strides #1 in rankings instead of #8.

SAFETY FIRST from page 1 before getting into your car, do a quick check of the exterior and interior of your vehicle. Not only should you be on the lookout for anything suspicious , but also make sure your vehicle tires are not damaged or flat tires.” Next, Davis discussed what to do if students see any suspicious activities. “Of course if you see anything suspicious, call campus police or 911 immediately.” Lastly Davis provides road safety advice, “Once

you get into the car, always wear a seatbelt. And when driving, operate your vehicle as safely as possible, by obeying all speed limits, traffic signs and signals. Equally as important for students to understand, is that while driving, make sure to avoid any type of interaction that might lead to a road rage incident because that type of behavior could possibly lead to someone getting seriously injured or worse. And so, we firmly believe that

if all of our student drivers follow these and other safety tips, they will enjoy a much, much safer driving experience.” While it’s understood that no one likes having to take extra steps to get to their destination if they can help it, having the students do their own due diligence when it comes to their personal safety is a step in the right direction. SUPD from page 1

Housing and another the Intramural Complex Center, or the “Rec” Center as it’s more prominently known. After the bomb threats, Johnson stated that the S.U.P.D. held meetings with the Baton Rouge Police Department 4th District as well as the Louisiana State Police Department. “We are communicating and working together more than we have in the past,” Johnson continued, more importantly, “We have started a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security and are now working with the FBI,” Johnson went on to note that last Thursday, the S.U.P.D. enrolled in a class held by the Department of Housing, or D.O.H., on “Responding to Bomb Threats”. Last Friday, the department enrolled in a class held by the FBI meant to increase their response efficiency to bomb threats and similar circumstances. In addition to the classes, Johnson also began looking for grants to apply for, with the grant being known as Project SERV projected to make a

large impact on aid going towards HBCUs. In response to the bomb threats from January 31 and February 1, Vice President Kamala Harris and the U.S. Department of Education announced on March 16 that a grant called the Project School Emergency Response to Violence (Project SERV) program will look to provide shortterm immediate funding for local educational agencies and institutions of higher education that have experienced a violent or traumatic incident to assist in restoring a safe environment conducive to learning. More information is in the HBCU Bomb Threat Resource Guide. The guide also includes grants for Campus Safety and Emergency Management and Mental Health. Project SERV is included under the Department of Education. The funding amounts are to reflect the incident and recovery needs of the HBCU schools. Funding is limited, but ranges from $50,000 to $150,000. Once an HBCU applies for the

grant, that school is then assessed to see if it qualifies for the funding. According to Johnson, after several phone calls, before this interview occurred, the University’s Title III and Grants office has not released any information concerning this grant. NBC News reported a total of 24 HBCUs received bomb threats on January 31 and February 1. Although no arrests have been made yet, Ryan Young, FBI executive assistant director of intelligence told Politico reporter Bianca Quilantan that his organization has reduced the number of suspects. “At present, we believe we have the majority slotted down to one person and a small group,” Young said. Unfortunately, Young also stated that there is a possibility for copycats. While the state of campus safety has been tested throughout the early parts of the semester, it’s the belief of Police Chief Johnson that a more stable environment for the university and campus safety as a whole is an achievable goal.

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ISSUE 7 . APRIL 26, 2022

JAGUAR SPORTS

SPORTS COMMENTARY

THE SENTINEL OF AN ENLIGHTENED STUDENT BODY SINCE 1926

Back to the Pack; Jags Drop SWAC Coach Matchup Against TSU Lucas v. Grambling State Yasmine Love The Southern Digest

What happened to Grambling’s volleyball team? There are many questions but not enough answers for these 19 players. In the beginning of April of 2022, New Head coach, Chelsey Lucas cut the entire Women’s volleyball team. The news was a shock to everyone, even the players themselves. With the whole team being cut, what does this mean for their scholarships and future at Grambling? Chelsey Lucas, a 2007 Alum, became Grambling’s New women’s volleyball coach in February of 2022. She stated to the players that changes would be made for the next upcoming year. She never went into specifics on these changes which left half of the team with their scholarships pulled. My question is, If these players got their scholarships pulled, will they stay at Grambling or try to transfer to play somewhere else? This cruel act has left 19 players with no answers or scholarships. This left many players trying to transfer to different schools for opportunities. The Activities Department has also decided to side with Coach Lucas on this situation, making it clear that they will be bringing in new players and none are any of the former 19 players. This leaves the players with less than 4 months to find a new program before the 2022 season begins. I feel as if the coach should have some disciplinary action given to her. She cut the entire team, and treated each player with disrespect and lacked communication between the parents and players. This foul play is leaving many players with making a lot of sacrifices in order to pay for school. Some are transferring but won’t be promised all their credits to be transferred and some are looking for new programs in hope for scholarships to be given to them. All this was done so that she could win the state championship for next season. Instead of working with the current team, she cuts them and leaves in the dirt. The next team that Coach Lucas has coming is a team of 13-15 new players which leaves little to no opportunities for the 19 players cut.

DeBrandin Brown The Southern Digest

Coming off a fourth straight loss to Nichols last Tuesday, the Jags looked to get back to their winning ways in a SWAC matchup against Texas Southern at MacGregor Park in Texas. Despite getting off to a hot start early in the weekend however, the Jags were pushed trying to keep pace with the Tigers. The first day of the series saw Southern looking to be in prime form behind the play of senior RHP Joseph Battaglia, who is among the top of the SWAC with 4 wins on the season heading into the weekend series. The Jags and Tigers stood pat as they both kept runs to a minimum in the first five innings of the game. The Jags would get the blood flowing as the game progressed however and put on a dynamic hitting performance in the later innings of the series, recording eleven runs off 6 hits by game’s end. The Jags would run away with game 1 of the series by a score of 11-0. The rest of the weekend would prove to be a different animal for the Jaguars however as TSU regrouped and showed a stout front coming into game two of the weekend series. A tightly contested game like the first in its early parts, game 2 saw both teams boast a quiet first couple of innings. In the 3rd inning however, TSU took the lead and didn’t look back. The 5th and 8th innings proved pivotal for the Tigers as they were continually able to get a run

(DIGEST ART)

advantage over the Jags. The Jaguars would fall in game 2 to the Tigers by a score of 7-9 despite a four hit performance from right fielder Tremaine Smith. The 3rd game of the series saw much of the same as the Jaguars as the two teams once again engaged in a closely contested bout. The Jaguars saw a strong performance from left fielder J.J. Rollin and center fielder Jaylen Armstrong who recorded 3 and 2 runs on the afternoon respectively. This offensive outpoor by the Jags came after allowing multiple TSU runs however, as the Jags quickly found themselves playing catch-up. This inconsistency with their ability to get timely runs was noted by Southern head ball coach Chris Crenshaw prior to the weekend series. “Our hitting comes and goes; you try not to have it go as much as it’s comin,” said Crenshaw in an interview via The Advocate. Despite a flurry of runs from the Jags in the later innings of game however, the cushion made by TSU early in the game made a comeback impossible for the Jags as they fell just short by a score of 9-10. The Jaguars would now fall to 9-9 in SWAC play, a drastic difference from their dominance in previous years. With much baseball left to played however, the Jaguars will look to bounce back as they travel to Grambling this weekend in an effort to bolster their seeding for the quickly approaching SWAC tournament.

Splitsville: Southern Drops threegame road series to Grambling

(DIGEST ART)

Evan Funchess The Southern Digest

Amid a four-game losing streak, the Jags looked to shake back against heated rival Grambling State. In the SWAC West division, Southern resided in the middle of the pack and truly needed another positive series to increase their chances down the stretch. In their last appearance against the Tigers, Southern swept their opponents at home, and they looked for a repeat performance this time out. The first game of the series was relatively quiet for both teams as both teams combined only scored only one run in the entire game. Grambling scored the lone run in the bottom of the fifth inning, but Southern

was unable to score for the remainder of the game and lost the first game 1-0. The second game was a more lively showing from both teams as the game’s score was much higher. The Jags opened up the game with a run in the first inning when freshman center infielder Alana Mark hit a sacrifice fly to shortstop, and that brought redshirt sophomore outfielder Lauren Parks home from third base. However, this score by the Jags would be the only run scored by the Jags, as they failed to score for the next six innings. The Tigers then responded to the Jag’s lone run with two in the first inning and another four additional runs in the next six innings. This offensive run grabbed the second game for Grambling at 6-1.

Although much more competitive, the third game also went to Grambling as they took that game 3-4. In this game, Southern saw contributions from Freshman infielder Alissa Castaneda who recorded two of the Jag’s three rbi’s. The third rbi came courtesy of Freshman pitcher Julia York who brought home a run off of a rbi single. With this loss, Grambling completed the sweep and split the season series with the Jags as well. These losses have left the Jag’s in a peculiar place as they now rest at fifth in the SWAC West division. With just one conference series to go in the season, the Jags will look to finish strong against UAPB.

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NBA PLAYOFFS: Potentially the best year

Eric White The Southern Digest

It’s the most wonderful time of the year—NBA playoffs. This NBA season has been crazy all season between the players, teams, and transactions. Notable points in this season include the Lakers missing the playoffs, Pelicans making the playoffs after a terrible start to the season, and several players exploding for 40+ points in consecutive weeks. Obvious teams include on are the Suns, Nets, Celtics, 76ers, Bucks, Warriors, and the Heat. Sleeper teams include the Bulls, Grizzlies, Hawks, Pelicans These playoffs will feature a bunch of teams full of deep talent and no clear favorite to win the championship, especially after the Devin Booker injury. This is the first time in the long time I have been excited about the playoffs, especially because each matchup has the potential to have a long series of games. For instance, the series like the Nets vs Celtics or the Grizzlies vs Timberwolves. These are #2 seeds vs #7 seeds, but the talent on both rosters is amazing. Seeing KD and Kyrie against Tatum and Jaylen Brown gets my attention because both of those duos can easily take over a game. Not only that, players like Karl-Anthony Towns, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Edwards, Ja Morant, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Chris Paul, and Jimmy Butler are all superstars that can put a team on their shoulders and make a series. I am predicting multiples rounds having a lot of long series where upsets are likely. So far, the playoffs are in the first round, but analyst are already talking about an upset. Notable series include 1-Pelicans vs 1- Suns, 1-Bucks vs 1-Bulls, 2-Grizzlies vs 1- Timberwolves, 2-Mavericks vs 1-Jazz and 2-Celtics vs 0-Nets. These series have been back and forth and have come down to the wire. There are series that have been lopsided such as the 3-Warriors vs 0-Nuggets and 3-76ers vs 0-Raptors. That’s not surprising considering the players that are available on each team. However, other series are going to be tough to predict. Personally, I see two upsets coming soon because of the injuries, momentum, and just the players talent. I look at the Pelicans because they got homecourt advantage the next two games and they have already sold out. Devin Booker is out 2-3 weeks giving the Pelicans more momentum to go out and close a series. There are too many great players and well-built roster this year making the playoffs worth watching. I am predicting this to be Top 5 NBA playoffs in history.

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ISSUE 7 .APRIL 26, 2022

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The Winner Circle: Mr. Crimson & Cream Pageant

Amaya Rosser The Southern Digest

It’s May week on the Bluff and the lineup was fire. This year’s May week was one to be remembered. One of the more niche pageants of the annual lineup, the Crimson and Crème passion is known for displays of beautiful colors and unique contestants from the Greek sorority Delta Sigma Theta. True to the color scheme, this year’s pageant saw a fiery ensemble of themes and contestants. The 2022 Mr. Crimson & Creme Pageant was held on April 21, 2022, by the ladies of the Alpha Tau chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. The pageants’ theme was firefighters. The hosts for the pageant were Vice President Kelley Watts and the former Mr. Crimson & Creme Jalon Jones. They began the pageant by introducing the 5 judges. The judges were Mr. Deandre Dearinge, Dr. Katara Williams, Ms. Yasmine Whitehurst, Alan Sharlow, and Ms. Marcey McCracklin. The pageant then went into introducing the 6th Mr. Crimson

Junior, Gerald Broussard III from New Iberia being crowned 2022 Mr. Crimson &Cream by former Mr.Crimson & Cream Jalon Jones at the event center on April 20. (Sydney Fairbanks/DIGEST)

& Cream Pageant Contestants. Contestant #1 is Alton Holloway Jr. Contestant #2 is Christopher Hunter. Contestant #3 is Clifford Ghoates. Contestant #4 is Gerald Broussard lll. Contestant #5 is jared White. Contestant #6 is Stephen Sims Jr. Contestant #1 was not able to participate in the pageant

because of a car accident, but he was there to support his fellow contestants. Each contestant participated in the categories: swimwear, streetwear, talent, and formal. The streetwear category consisted of each contestant coming out in their best swim looks. In the streetwear category each

contestant show cased their best everyday look. During the talent portion, contestants showcased dancing, playing the piano, and poetry. While speaking with Teyanah Owens, a member of the Greek sorority, she says, “I think the pageant was a success and very entertaining. The process of putting the pageant

Miss STEM: Beauty and Brains

See PAGEANT page 6

Back by Popular Demand: Kickin’ it With Cops

Kynnedi Jackson The Southern Digest

“Strength and honour are her clothing; And she shall rejoice in time to come.” Proverbs 31:25 Prayer and Discipline is all it takes for Raelyn Henderson to balance education alongside her social and personal life. The engineering field is known to be a male dominant field. However, for Southern University Senior Mechanical Engineering major, Raelyn Henderson, those are just words. She has taken the major and engineering field and made it her own. For a young black woman in a male dominant field this is big news. Just in the past year Raelyn has received several awards such as the Ebony X OLAY HBCU Stem Queen, Miss Pinchback, Miss Honors College, and even chosen to represent the school in the 2022 SXSW HBCU Battle of the Brains team. Raelyn has had several moments to truly be proud of, however, according to Henderson her proudest moment is, “representing Southern on a national level and becoming a role model for younger black girls in stem.” When looking back at why she chose the illustrious Southern University, Raelyn said, “Southern University feels like home and there is nowhere else that I’d rather be.” To future engineers, especially black women, she says, “Do it! Don’t be afraid. God would not have put this vision inside of you for you not to use it.” Raelyn’s goal is to create and inspire HBCU students through her journeys and future endeavors. She sees the talent of the young people and just wants to create a solid pipeline for future HBCU students.

together wasn’t easy, but we’re always up for a challenge.” During intermission of the show, there was a performance of women eating fire which the crowd loved. There were older and current Delta Sigma

Brittany J. Patterson & DeBrandin Brown The Southern Digest

courtesy Raelyn Henderson

Although she makes this life look easy, there are rough times that everyone goes through. Raelyn stays motivated by remembering her why. “I love engineering and seeing more diversity in the field excites me to open those doors for others. Engineering makes life easier whether it is the simplicity of tying your shoe to the complication of putting someone in space.

There are endless possibilities in engineering and complacency is seldom. Monica Brown Challenger once said, “It’s important to know that struggle does not mean failure.” Congratulations are in order for Raelyn. We are all very proud of you and looking forward to what’s next in line for you.

Many events have found themselves cut from the annual schedule following the unusual circumstances that COVID-19 has placed on society over the last two years. That said, some traditions just aren’t going anywhere if the people behind them have anything to say about it, and Southern’s annual Kickin’ It With the Cops is one such tradition. Taking into account the seemingly constant atmosphere of anxiety that many black people, especially young black college students, feel towards law enforcement, Kickin’ It With the Cops is campus law enforcement’s attempt to bridge that gap and gain a more personable relationship with the student body. “I think it’ll be a good thing. People have to understand that not all police are people. Most

T H E O F F I C I A L S T U D E N T N E W S PA P E R O F S O U T H E R N U N I V E R S I T Y A N D A & M C O L L E G E - B A T O N R O U G E , L A

See COPS page 6

ISSUE 7 . APRIL 26, 2022 THE SENTINEL OF AN ENLIGHTENED STUDENT BODY SINCE 1926

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DaVille is Back | D-Day: A Gangsta Grillz Mixtape Unleashed Ti’Ja Taylor The Southern Digest

J Cole has become notorious for being a rap antihero, as well as one of the greatest wordsmiths in the music industry. Known for his unique style and smooth flow with words, it was only right for his Dreamville crew to release another mixtape following the success of their last joint project in 2019. On March 31, 2022, the D-Day mixtape was released, and of course the fans went insane. Being that the last album dropped almost three years ago. The mixtape features the famed DJ Drama Gangsta Grillz handling production. DJ Drama is known for his infamous Gangsta Grillz mixtapes. The mixtape includes a very dynamic roster of artists in the industry with 2 Chainz, Young Nudy, A$AP Ferg, and G Perico. A total of fifteen tracks makes up the 47 minute project, highlighting the concise nature of the project that isn’t interested in a slow build up at all. It is filled with some of the most talented artists including J.I.D., Ari Lennox, EarthGang, Bas, Cozz, Lute and Omen, all of whom didn’t waste any time in turning on their A-game. DJ Drama starts a song with, “Keep playing with Dreamville’s name. Don’t get Chris Rock’d out [of] your socks,” he says on “Starting 5.” “Anything can and will happen. Then watch me walk back to my seat. Keep our names out your f*mouth,” making note of the situation that happened recently at the Oscars. The mixtape started with the most popular song “Stick” with DJ Drama, J.I.D., J Cole, Kenny Mason, and Sheck Wes. This song set the tone for what the group would do throughout the project’s entirety, with the main goal seemingly to boost the energy. With the chorus by JID, Mason, and Wes Stick, “stick (B*), stick (B*), stick, I got a new stick (B*),” illustrating their habit of keeping a gun on them to protect themselves. D-Day is composed primarily of rap,

but the queen herself Ari Lennox mixed the classic “I’m Going Down” into “Coming Down”, with a rebuild of the masterly hit by auntie Mary J. Blige. This was followed by Blackberry Sap which is a sensual love song for lovers. Freedom of Speech is rated as a fan favorite. J Cole raps about his greatness and his life experiences. “Black boy fly, stupid racks, oysters on my plate, so much bread I think I got white privilege,” said J Cole. “I enjoyed the entire album. My favorite song was Heaven’s EP. J Cole really ran the entire song,” stated Kaylee Williams a junior Biology major from Hammond, LA. The mixtape cover exhibited a deception of the artist at a D-day. The entire background was an explosion that represented D-Day. To show how lethal and deadly the crew really is, Dreamville is back with new music. The mixtape ended with “Heaven EP” with Drake’s “Pipe Down” instrumental, except J Cole made it his own with his insane flow. And of course, we can’t forget the “Ghetto Gods Freestyle” featuring 2 Chainz and Earthgang, where Chainz said, “Been a real n* turned a millionaire, why you sittin’ there, I’ll make a million dollars by the time you been got up and did your hair.” The freestyle was overpowering with chemistry from all artists. According to Discover Music, “Dreamville is continuing to shape the sound of music.” Dreamville has become the epitome of what a label could do, if the team is truly dedicated to making music that will influence the people. The mixtape serves as the follow-up to Dreamville’s 2019 Revenge of the Dreamers III, which debuted #1 on billboard 200. The album arrived just in time for the Dreamville Festival 2022, which fans have been waiting on since the dawn of the new year.

COPS from page 5 of the officers on campus are cool, students just tend to do the most sometimes,” said Jahmal Levy, a junior accounting major from Dallas, Texas. As Levy alluded to, this perception of police officers is understood, but there have been some cases where students just don’t meet officers halfway, whether this be routine ID checks or other similar trivialities. The last time Kickin’ it with Cops took place was pre-pandemic April 2019. The purpose of the event is to create, develop and grow long-lasting relationships between the Southern University Police Department and the Southern University community. “I don’t want to just see the students when something bad happens, but at other times as well,” said S.U.P.D.Community Policing Commander and Sergeant Regina Williams. As Officer Williams noted, having the students knowing them outside of negative situations could play a large role in repairing the divide that exists within police relations with not just SU students, but black people in general. In this specific way, this model can hopefully be replicated by other police departments around the state and country as law enforcement nationwide seek to

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build better relations with the people that they are charged to protect. Originally the event was created by S.U.P.D. police chief Joycelyn Johnson during her time as Community Policing Commander. Williams took over Kickin’ It With Cops in 2017. Since taking over, there have been influential changes made to the event. When she took over, the event started off with 20 Little Caesars pizza. Williams decided that there was more that could be done and was granted the

opportunity to do more. More included donations from community businesses which includes food and other items students have need of and also items they would like. With past guests, Cheeky Black, Hot Boy Ronald and Choppa, students never know who the guest will be, just that there will be a special musical guest. Kickin’ It With Cops is set to return on April 27, 2022 at 6PM at the Southern University Campus in the Shade/Totty Circle.

PAGEANT from page 5 Theta member strolling. Also, during the show there was a Delta Corner Store which sold crawfish nachos and refreshments. Finally at the end, during the formal portion of the show, each contestant was asked questions by the judges and then after a short period of time. Contestant #4 Gerald Broussard lll was named Mr. Crimson and Creme 2022. After the show while speaking with Amaryia Jackson she said, “The Crimson & Cream pageant turned out amazing. All the contestants did a wonderful job. The audience had a great time, and everyone enjoyed the performances during intermission. Rate 10/10 “ While this year’s pageant was definitely a unique experience for all involved, many of the contestants are eager to get back on the pageant train once again with next year not coming fast enough.

T H E O F F I C I A L S T U D E N T N E W S PA P E R O F S O U T H E R N U N I V E R S I T Y A N D A & M C O L L E G E - B A T O N R O U G E , L A

ISSUE 7 . APRIL 26, 2022 THE SENTINEL OF AN ENLIGHTENED STUDENT BODY SINCE 1926

COMMENTARY

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How SU’s System lacks hospitality Austin Powe The Southern Digest

Southern University A&M College is considered one of the most recommended HBCUs due to what the college has to offer. There are many opportunities as well as relatively affordable college tuition and fees compared to other universities. Sadly, what people see on the outside is exceptional, the reality is that Southern University is one of the most non-hospitalible colleges any student would ever have to experience. In other words, their system of staff is some of the worst I have ever dealt with. To begin with, there are so many teachers on campus that are not qualified to teach. This is mostly

in reference to the fact that some teachers usually get the job due to the connections they have. On one hand, it’s great that black people have their own systems of corruption that can benefit other black people, but as the quality of instructors drop, I feel like real questions have to be asked about who will allow some of these people to teach the next generation. It’s ridiculous because some of these teachers are either rude, lack teaching abilities, or just abuse their power due to their position. An example of this is my History Teacher in my very first semester of college. His class was online, so we went on zoom, and while he was nice, he lacked the teaching abilities and the way he talked made it seemed as if he was hired because of someone

he knew on campus and not any real skill he has in teaching the subject. But the teachers are just the beginning, because the administrator team is much worse. A lot of them are so rude or just don’t know how to do their job. It’s frustrating to always try and handle business when every time there is a huge line of students because of workers not knowing how to do their job. For example, I lost my white key to the building, so I had to pay for it in the registrar office. They then told me to head to the housing office in the back to get the key, only to say they didn’t have it and asked for my receipt. I didn’t even get a receipt. So, then they told me to head to my dorm and meet with the RA. Guess what, he was not there. Eventually,

the RA was there the next day and he told me to wait until they had a new card. It took a whole week just to get a new card. These adults don’t know what they are doing, and it shows in the inefficiency around different parts of campus. Also, some of these administrators are rude. Some of the Cafeteria workers have a nasty attitude which is not welcoming by just speaking in an aggressive manner. Overall, I find that the administrative team and the teachers on campus just don’t provide everything that the students need, causing us students to have a somewhat harmful college experience compared to what could be.

to treat her ovarian cysts. Later, she began to ask for her medical records to see what procedure she received but they wouldn’t allow her to see her records. Cardentey kept her hospital bracelet, and it had her doctor’s name on it which was Dr. Mahendra Amin. Dr. Amin has been linked to many allegations of unwanted hysterectomies and other procedures done on detained immigrant women that jeopardize their ability to have children. It’s situations such as these that illustrate just how dire the situation is for many women around the world whose autonomy isn’t even recognized by their nations of origin. To have these types of procedures happening under the watch of American doctors and medical professionals in any setting is not

only reprehensible, but unbelievable on many fronts. The privilege of serving in the medical profession is one that’s undertaken with a medical oath, and I can’t understand how any oath taken to preserve human life and the overall human experience can have such rampant opportunity to do harm on such a scale. All I’ll say is that if human rights mean anything at all to the powers that be in the government and foreign policy leaders, the treatment of these women in these centers would never even come to pass. To that end, this is just another example of hypocrisy on the part of those under the United States banner whom could care less about the rights of anyone who isn’t from the same place as them or look the same way as them.

No Green Card, No Uterus? Amaya Rosser & DeBrandin Brown The Southern Digest

Detained Immigrant women are getting unwanted hysterectomies and other procedures that can jeopardize their ability to have children. A hysterectomy is defined as a surgical removal of the uterus. A facility in Georgia which houses male and female detainees for ICE has been accused of giving multiple women hysterectomies they had no knowledge of and ultimately didn’t need. Many immigrants in these types of facilities face many challenges like unclean facilities, lack of access to food, water, and other basic needs. Dawn Wooten was a full-time nurse that worked at the Irwin County Detention Center. Wooten says she was a witness to how poorly these

women are treated and the different medical conditions they suffer from while detained. Wooten says there’s an outside gynecologist that works outside the facility and they refer to him as “the uterus collector.” Wooten says that everyone he’s seen has needed a hysterectomy and he’s even taken out the wrong ovary out of a young lady. The young lady was supposed to get one of her ovaries removed but he took at the wrong one. So, then the young lady had to go back and get an entire hysterectomy. Wooten claimed the young lady had no idea what she was getting and didn’t understand why she had to get this medical procedure. Mileidy Cardentey Fernandez was an immigrant at an immigration detention center in Georgia. She was told she would undergo an operation

Do modern generations care about traditional art Austin Powe The Southern Digest

Traditional art is a part of the culture of a group of people with skills and knowledge of which are passed down through generations from master craftsmen to apprentices. For many generations, people have been astonished by traditional artwork in many places such as the museum and art galleries. However, this modern generation does not seem to care about traditional art. I believe this generation doesn’t care about traditional art because simply put, this generation does not care about the past artworks and

the cultures associated with them as much as their social media feed would indicate. Instead, they are focused on what types of art are considered trendy in the present and future, or it could be that this generation is focused on how they can create their own art and have publicity with it. For example, when this modern generation creates their own art, It involves their own photographs, videos, music, memes, and/or Web pages. They create this stuff so that they would be popular for the modern, trendy audience that watches them. They also like to be their own curators of art by making playlists

and Instagram feeds and seek out recommendations of new art experiences from their friends. Furthermore, this generation acts as distributors of art and routinely passes on to others what they have created and curated. All of this goes back to the fact that their goal is just to have a lot of publicity for attention to their work as well as for just what’s trendy. Another reason why this modern generation may not care about traditional artwork is that they want an active way of creating their own art instead of a passive way. Think about it like this, they would rather make their own art instead

of visiting a museum and looking at past artwork that was created for seeing. Instead of seeing someone else expressing themselves through art, they would rather express their own and within the culture that is now modern times. I believe through this generation wanting to express their own ideas of art shows that they care about modern art rather than traditional art. In the midst of this however, it’s important for creators of this new generation of art to at least give their predecessors a chance; after all, who knows what one will be inspired by as the evolve as creatives.

SUBMISSIONS POLICY The Southern DIGEST welcomes letters from readers commenting on current issues and other matters of general interest to the SU family and public. We set aside this space to publish these letters for others to enjoy. This newspaper is not responsible for individual opinions expressed in submissions, editorials, opinions and commentary pieces, including sports commentaries. It is the sole opinion of the writer and does not reflect the views of any professional faculty, staff or administrator of the University. The Southern DIGEST reserves the right to edit any contributions and or reject them without notification. Authors are encouraged to limit the length of submissions to 300 words. Letters should not include libelous statements. Offensive and personal attacks will not be permitted. The DIGEST will not print “open letters” addressed to someone else. All contributions must be type written, signed and must include the author’s address and phone number. Unsigned letters will not be printed. Southern University students should include their majors, hometowns and year in school. When referring to specific DIGEST articles, please include the date and title. All materials should be directed to the editor in chief of The Southern DIGEST, P.O. Box 10180, Baton Rouge, La. 70813. Materials may be delivered by hand to the DIGEST office located in Suite 1064 Harris Hall or can be e-mailed to digest@subr.edu.

T H E O F F I C I A L S T U D E N T N E W S PA P E R O F S O U T H E R N U N I V E R S I T Y A N D A & M C O L L E G E - B A T O N R O U G E , L A

ISSUE 7 . APRIL 26 2022 THE SENTINEL OF AN ENLIGHTENED STUDENT BODY SINCE 1926

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Wooden Nickels? COVID-19 Breath Test Rumors Gain Traction

Amaya Rosser The Southern Digest

On March 15th,2020, The United States began to shut down the country to prevent the spread of The Coronavirus. Covid 19 is a disease or illness that can cause you to get severely sick with the potential of dying. Since then, there’s been two different types of tests to detect Covid 19. These two types of tests are rapid and laboratory test. Now in April 2022, The FDA has started the process of trying to authorize the first Covid 19 breath test. This test is called the InspectIR COVID- 19 Breathalyzer. The test

can only be performed by qualified and licensed health care workers. While doing trail runs, the FDA says the device was able to spot 91.2% of cases The purpose of the new test is to help patients get a Covid test that is easy to take and with quick results. Results are said to come back in around 3 minutes. The test cannot be conducted at home because of the type of machinery it takes to conduct the test and get results. The company says they would be able to produce around 100 instruments a week and evaluate around 160 samples each day. The test works by analyzing

a person’s breath to detect 5 compounds exhaled when people are infected with Covid 19. Coronavirus has affected a lot of big state- and city-wide events that have been going on for years. Because of the virus cities and states have canceled these events because of the potential of getting the virus while attending these big events. Now that there will be a breath test, it will ideally be much easier to take Covid test and detect Covid 19. This means more events that have been canceled because of Covid can potentially begin to happen again, if these tests are as advertised.

The ‘if’ is a big part of this entire scenario, as even though we understand medical technology to rapidly be evolving, it does seem somewhat fantastical to have a test that tell if you’re sick by blowing your breath in it. For one, this would be unprecedented as far as testing methods go. No other disease in history has has a test that could give on the spot diagnosis, whether it be Ebola or tbe common cold. So while the hype surrounding this potential advancement is warranted if it’s the genuine article, I could definitely see the skepticism that many could feel.