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Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Inside News campus briefs page 2 Students offer suggestions to save architecture Kandi burruss says go for it what usps’ decision means for you
Culture
trayvon martin: one year later SU Alum writes on obama’s victory
Columns Let’s talk politics: Do you follow because you’re scared? Serious answers to your sextions: Get creative, you’ll thank me later
Commentary love is universal ... or so you say. for our ancestors: is this how we return their efforts and struggles?
Photos of the week
Southern competes at mlb invitational, kandi burruss comes to su and tennis branded the competition at SWAC west round up
www.southerndigest.com
Volume 60, Issue 6
Students suggest help for SU Architecture program James Teague
The Southern Digest The spotlight has been on the Southern University school of Architecture since it was brought before the board to be terminated. Since, professors who were otherwise eligible for tenure have not been granted tenure, the school is in the phasing out process and no new freshmen are allowed to apply to the program. The department proposed a move to Southern-New Orleans, which was denied; now students and the department are concerned for the department’s survival. Some students view the decisions as unfair and others feel like the intervention of administrators and outside support could save the school. Peace Scott, senior architecture major from Gonzales, La., never expected her undergraduate years to be filled with these kinds of
troubles. “It is unfair to students such as me who work hard to better themselves to be dealing with this type of problems,” she said. Scott along with other architecture students feel the pressures of a demanding program along with balancing the responsibility of the fate and value of their program and more importantly their degrees. Jason Derby, senior architecture major from Orlando, Fla., said that he doesn’t feel good about the changes and that he prefers the school of architecture to remain at Southern’s main campus. “And I would prefer for everybody that is years after us to be able to graduate,” he said about the future of the younger classes in the department. Julian Rogers, senior architecture major from Chicago, believes that the main problem for the architecture department is the
lack of support from administration in aiding towards the challenges of the school. “It feels like we’re on our own island and sometimes it makes me feel like a neglected child,” he said. Students agree that there are ways to improve the school, they just have different ideas in which to do so; including making the school more visible on campus, socially and academically. “Currently, a lot of students that attend Southern really do not know we exist” Scott said. “We are not as prominent as the other colleges. Even if some do know we exist, they just see that we are the building with the lights on at wee hours of the night working on projects.” One of the issues concerning administrators and accreditation agencies is the low enrollment rate, due to it’s size it was one of the programs on the ‘chopping block’ during the restructure post
financial exigency at SU. “Architecture is not just your ordinary major, no offense to the other majors. It is a five-year curriculum, ” she said. “It calls for dedication, focus, determination and many sacrifices. It takes a lot of your time and requires you to put the time in. Many people are not cut out for this type of a tedious curriculum. In August 2012, at the Southern University Board of Supervisors meeting, a proposal was made to move the architecture program to prevent it from shutting down. Despite the reasons cited, students of the architecture school feel like it is a program worth saving, and feel as though they will suffer as it undergoes the ‘phasingout’ process. The status of projects developed and executed in conjunction with the Architecture school and the community is yet to be determined.
Kandi Burruss motivates in Lyceum Series Brittany Patterson The Southern Digest
Singer, songwriter, producer and entrepreneur Kandi Burruss motivated the students of Southern University, Friday at the first lecture of the Lyceum Series in the Cotillion Ballroom of Smith-Brown Memorial Union. Burruss discussed her life experiences as a singer, songwriter and how she learned how to save manage the lifestyle she wanted to live, including the lessons she learned. “If you conceive a thought, you can make it happen,” Burruss said. Faced with her own obstacles and challenges, Burruss discussed how the challenges motivated her to reach further for those goals she wanted. She said there will be negative criticism in life and that roadblocks motivated her to pursue her dreams even more. Burruss, a former member of Xscape, said the group’s breakup taught her not to get too comfortable and that anything can be taken away from you at any moment. “It taught me how to me how to stand-alone on my own and make things happen,” Burruss said. While attending Tri-Cities High school of Visual and
Performing Arts, she knew that she wanted to become a singer. It was her freshman year of high school that the former members of Xscape met. Her dream was to get a record deal and have a hit record before graduating high school. “I had a journal and wrote in that journal ”every…single… day” and prayed as well,” Burruss said. She said she practiced vision and goal setting techniques, “Speaking things into existence, and writing them down and vision boards and all that.” Burruss believes that if you keep doing those things, it can it will happen. Burrus said there were some roadblocks and obstacles along the way. Her famous line,” Ballin’ on a budget” comes from the experience of not knowing how she would pay her bills. Burruss advised Southern University students that, “Before you get into any business (or anything you do), you need to save money to put it towards an even bigger goal.” She also advised the audience not to settle when they deserve or want more. Her company, Bedroom Kandi was started by an idea; she said
See Burruss Speaks page 3
Arielle Burks/DIGEST Burruss shared her life experiences and discussed “Ballin’ on a budget” in the Cotillion Ballroom, Friday. Burruss was the first speaker in the Lyceum Series hosted by the Southern University office of Student Programs. Burruss motivated students to follow their inspiration and to learn the importance of saving in your everyday lifestyle.
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