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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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Campus Life southerndigest.com
Page 2 - Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Campus Briefs
New services at John B. Cade Want to try out a tablet? Check out a Kindle Fire from the library. Need a quiet place to study and use the computer? Individual and group study rooms are available for 3 hour checkout. Faxing and printing services are now available in the 1st floor copy center. Need to do an job interview via skype, there’s a room for that. For more information in these new services visit the Ask Here desk at John B. Cade. All you have to do is show your valid SU ID.
today AWS Week Ladies get ready to Relax, Relate and Release… AWS week continues today with Release Day, A self defense class in the Cotillion ballroom at 6:30 p.m. tonight (Attire: workout clothing). Tomorrow visit the Smith-Brown Memorial union courtyard at noon for a DJ and ladies come pick up your AWS t-shirts. SU Girls Rock Awards at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, dressy casual attire. Thursday is Pamper day, meet us at the Cotillion ballroom at 6:30 p.m. On March 1, we will host the AWS BBQ from 12-3 p.m. at the Pavilion (back of campus)Free food and a DJ, everyone is welcome to attend.
School of Nursing accepting Applications The School of Nursing applications for Fall 2013 are now available online at http://www.subr.edu/assets/ Colleges-SchoolOfNursing/ pdf/APPLICATIONSUSONSPRING2013.pdf The deadline to apply is March 1. Students who are interested in applying need to meet the following criteria; been admitted to Southern University Baton Rouge, cumulative GPA of 2.6 or above, submit writing proficiency, SAT and ACT scores and completed all courses listed in first three semesters of nursing curriculum with “C” or better.
OPEN MIC NIGHT ATTENTION all poets, rappers, singers, comedians, spoken word artists and others!!! The T.J. Jemison Baptist Student Center (located on Harding Blvd. across from Southern University tennis courts) will be hosting an “Open Mic Nite” for Southern University students. If you are interested in participating in this event, or know someone who would like to participate please email: mtillis3@ gmail.com or call 225-774-8924 for more information.
A Celebration of Black History Month 2013 SU English, history and music departments along with the SUBR/SUSLA partnership will be showing “Lest we forget our ‘rich’ African American Heritagemoving Forward” featuring The SU concert choir, Jazzy Jags and music, expressions, song an dance by SU students, faculty and staff. Come and bring friends and family and joins us Thursday February 28 at 6:30 p.m. in DeBose Music Hall Auditorium. Hope to see you there.
African American Cinema Like African American cinema? Want to watch a movie in quiet and bring your own snacks? You’re in luck John B. Cade Library will be concluding their African Americans in Cinema this week. See Cleopatra Jones today at noon and/or 2 p.m. and/or watch Bad Boys II on February 28 at noon and/or 2:35 p.m. Don’t miss out on the opportunity, all the showings will be in Classroom A on the third floor of John B. Cade Library. Sociology Club meetings The Sociology Club will hold weekly meetings from 5-6 pm on Thursdays (twice a month) in Higgins room 218.
Stop the Violence March The Black History club of Southern University, The Criminal Justice Club, NAACP, and SGA is sponsoring the “Stop the Violence March” today; starting at SmithBrown Memorial Union; the march starts at 5 p.m. and students are encouraged to meet at the Union at 4:30 and wear comfortable clothing.
Bookstore hours The Campus Bookstore is open Mondays through Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information about specials and updates like the bookstore on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ southernuniversitybookstore
The Sentinel Of An Enlightened Student Body since 1926 Fridays, Smith-Brown Memorial Union is open. Burger Klng, The Bowling Alley and Lacumba’s playpen are open. If that’s not enough to bring you out of your room Lacumba’s playpen and bowling are half price on Fridays. John Singleton next in Lyceum Series Save the date: SU Office of Student Programs hosts John Singleton next in the Lyceum Series on March 3. Attention Prospective Spring 2013 graduates If you think you may graduate this semester, Make sure you don’t miss grad prep days at the bookstore. You can order invitations, announcements, class rings, caps and gowns on March 26 and 27 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information contact the bookstore at 225.771.4330. Wesley Foundation Come join us at The Wesley Foundation at Southern University and A&M College for Sunday worship on 1st and 3rd Sundays at 5 p.m. Looking for a place to study the word? Join us for Bible Study Wednesdays at 6:30p.m. The Wesley Foundation is located at 748 Harding Blvd. Next to Villa Apartments and across Harding from the football practice field. For more information contact us at 225.778.0076.
Who’s Speaking Out? A year after Trayvon Martin, has it changed violence in America? If so, how? “No, I believe vioence has actually gotten worse. In Louisiana alone, black males are 20 times more likely to die before they reach 24 and its a proven fact.” Zykia Stewart Accounting & Financing Freshman Gulfport, MisS.
“I feel as though violence has calmed down due to the severity of Trayvon’s case. People are now more aware about violence against innocent people.” Adrian Carr Political Science Senior New Orleans
“ I feel that violence has not changed and it wont change. People feel the need to defend themselves physically instead of mentally. As long as that mindset stays, violence will still be present.” Janae Williams Music Freshman New Orleans
“I feel that violence has not changed in racial crimes.”
Tyler Lighter Criminal Justice Sophmore Monroe, LA
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Tuesday, February 26, 2013 - Page 3
The Sentinel Of An Enlightened Student Body since 1926
Burruss Speaks from page 1 she gambles on herself more than anyone else and she tries all her ideas. “Anything I think will make money, I research it,” Burruss said. Burruss said that any idea she had, she would just do it; sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. She encouraged the audience to become “Queen and King Bees” and not worker bees. Burruss said that these (Queen and King Bees) are the people who go after their dreams no matter what happens in life. When asked the question, what was the one thing she said that inspired him the most Tyler Mickens, Freshman mass communication major replied, ”I can’t really depend on anyone but myself and that to go further with what I want to do I have to be the “King Bee”.” Burruss advised students who wants to become artists to be active, do shows and have a website. Apart of the music industry since 1993, Burruss said that it all started with a dream. Queen Latifah inspired her along the way and when she was a little girl. Burruss managed Jagged Edge, after Queen Latifah inspired her to try the things that she wanted to do. Burruss advised students who wants to become artists to be active, do shows and have a website. Stephanie Humphrey, a junior biology major from Alexandria, La., said she was informed by the lecture. “It’s been very informative because I am an aspiring artist and she gave really good business advice about a way to reach the goal,” Humphrey said. Burruss said that she is always outgoing and that she isn’t afraid of no, and that the audience shouldn’t be either. Breanna Hawkins, freshman apparel and textiles major from Los Angeles said she appreciated Burruss’ concern for the well being of her and her peers in attendance. “It was exciting and famous people do care and that they want to share their experience with young adults so we can be on the right track,” said Hawkins. Hawkins said the most memorable part was, the motivation to just go out and do what you aspire to.
USPS: No weekend deliveries Marcus Green
The Southern Digest Buzzing rumors for the past few weeks that The United States Postal Service (USPS) would be ending Saturday deliveries, leave some people questioning the fate of their letters and packages. The increase of the use of internet to pay bills, make purchases and the elimination of ‘snail mail’ as a major source of communication are all factors in the fate of USPS and their decision to stop some services. According to an article on federalnewsradio. com, USPS Post Master General Patrick Donahoe announced the post office will be ending Saturday mail delivery starting in August. According to the article, Donahoe stated the reasoning behind this change is, to gain more financial flexibility in the agency. According to 2012 numbers from USPS, the company processed and delivered 528 million mail pieces, 262.4 million pieces in advertising mail, and 727,167 packages picked up through package pickup.
Understanding Donahoe’s premise, Melissa Waters, a Southern University Economics professor, offered some insight on the issue. According to Waters, in 2012, USPS lost $15.9 billion, and was forced to default on its pension plan contributions in order to avoid bankruptcy. “It has also reached its borrowing limit. This trend will not reverse but continue to worsen. The agency has had billion dollar annual deficits since 2007,” Waters said. She said that the struggling economy isn’t the primary reason for the change but more so the changes in communications technology. “First-class mail has decreased by 37% since 2007 as households increasingly use the Internet to pay bills, and communicate through email, texting, social media and fax,” Waters said. Fortunately the change may not have as big an impact economically as some people may think since USPS will continue deliveries of Saturday packages which is good news to some students.
Kenneth Jones, a sophomore business major from Baton Rouge said, “I heard through different sources that USPS was stopping Saturday deliveries and was alarmed because I order a lot of stuff online.” Jones said that he glad to hear that packages will still be delivered. Waters mentioned how even though isolated rural areas and businesses will see some negative impact, the fact that package delivery will continue makes a difference. “Package delivery is one area in which the USPS has seen growth in recent years due to Internet purchases,” Waters said. The Southern University Post Office will not experience any impact from the change because they don’t operate on Saturdays. Companies like Wal-Mart and Amazon, depend on carriers like USPS, especially with their same-day delivery services. Unfortunately Wal-Mart and Amazon customers cannot breathe a sigh of relief just yet as there have also been reports of the companies ending their same-day delivery services due to delivery expenses becoming too high to keep up with.
The Onion apologizes for tweets offending Wallis Mark Kennedy
The Associated Press NEW YORK — The Onion is apologizing for calling the 9-year-old star of “Beasts of the Southern Wild” a vulgar and offensive name on Twitter, an attack that led to a firestorm online. The satirical newspaper on Sunday referred to Quvenzhane Wallis with an expletive intended to denigrate women. The Onion was lambasted overnight and asked for forgiveness Monday. “It was crude and offensive — not to mention inconsistent with The Onion’s commitment to parody and satire, however biting,” The Onion CEO Steve Hannah wrote on Facebook. “No person should be subjected to such a senseless, humorless comment masquerading as satire.” Hannah said the offensive tweet was taken down within an hour and the newspaper has “instituted new and tighter Twitter procedures” to ensure it will never happen again. Those responsible would be disciplined, he added. “Miss Wallis, you are young and talented and deserve better. All of us at The Onion are deeply sorry.” A message sent to Quvenzhane’s representative seeking comment wasn’t immediately returned Monday. The Onion’s original tweet brought some calls for the fake new organization to publicly identify the writer of the tweet, vows to refuse to retweet its material, and requests from outraged consumers to email The Onion to complain. Oscar host Seth MacFarlane also joked about the young star during the ceremony.
Some found the quip offensive, albeit not to the degree of the outrage over The Onion’s tweet. MacFarlane joked that “it’ll be 16 years before she’s too old for” George Clooney. Despite the attack, Quvenzhane had some reason to stay positive Sunday. By the time she’d arrived at the Oscar telecast, she could boast that she had been cast to play Annie in a contemporized adaptation of the Broadway musical and the “Little Orphan Annie” comic strip to be directed by Will Gluck. It wasn’t the first time The Onion has gotten into hot water for trying to push its humor. Last year, the site attracting public ire for an image that showed an airliner about to crash into Chicago’s Willis Tower, the tallest building in the country. And the year before, U.S. Capitol Police released a statement refuting tweets and an article claiming members of Congress had taken a group of schoolchildren hostage. It included a doctored picture of Republican House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner holding a gun to a child’s head. The Chicago-based publication was founded in 1988 by two students in Madison from the University of Wisconsin. Starting as a local college newspaper, it became a national comedy institution and went online in 1996, and has since developed a television news parody. The publication is distributed weekly in cities, but it has also embraced Twitter and has an app for the iPad and other tablets. It says it averages 40 million page views
Matt Sayles/ AP Photo Actress Quvenzhane Wallis arrives at the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday, in Los Angeles.
Black History Month: Black History Fact On this day in 1964., the Kentucky boxer known to all as Cassius Clay, changed his name to Cassius X as he accepted Islam and rejected Christianity. “I believe in the religion of Islam. I believe in Allah and in peace.. I’m not a Christian anymore.”
CulTure southerndigest.com
page 4 - Tuesday, February 26, 2013
The senTInel oF an enlIghTened sTudenT body sInCe 1926
One year after Trayvon Martin: Students weigh in on the change in
violence Get involved in the conversation & Put in your 2 cents
Reach out and touch someone...Lift as you climb... Look back and move forward... Choose to overcome...Don’t forget on whose shoulders you stand...Be aware of the journey ahead... The struggle is not over... The battle is not over, it is just transformed...Look to your past to learn and to your future to win... It is your time to fight...
Is Black History Month still needed or relevant?
The Sentinel Of An Enlightened Student Body since 1926
Tuesday, February 26, 2013 - Page 5
JFK’s place in Black History: complex Jesse Washington The Associated Press
Not that many years ago, three portraits hung in thousands of African-American homes, a visual tribute to men who had helped black people navigate the long journey to equality. There was Jesus, who represented unconditional hope, strength and love. There was Martin Luther King Jr., who personified the moral crusade that ended legal segregation. And then there was President John F. Kennedy. Kennedy’s inclusion may seem puzzling, considering that his civil rights legacy has undergone substantial reassessment since his Nov. 22, 1963, assassination. But a look at why so many black people revered him then — and why younger generations have largely forgotten his civil rights work — shows that even 50 years later, Kennedy holds an important but complicated place in black history. “We’re still trying to figure it out,” says John Mack, a longtime civil rights activist who was fighting segregation in Atlanta when Kennedy was elected president in 1960. Mack says that we can only speculate on what Kennedy might have done for civil rights had he not been killed. “It’s a question we’re wrestling with and cannot answer,” Mack says. ___ For many older African-Americans, Kennedy was a president who sympathized with black struggle like no other before him. They recall him speaking eloquently against segregation despite resistance from Southern racists in his own Democratic party. Some even feel that his support for civil rights was one reason he was killed, even though racial motives are not prominent among the many theories about Kennedy’s death. Yes, these black folks say, Kennedy may have moved reluctantly on civil rights. Yes, he may have been motivated by the need for votes more than racial justice — but they speak of the effort he made. “People say he should have moved faster, but he’s dead because of the pace that he did move,” says Rev. Shirley Jordan, a pastor and community activist in her native Richmond, Va. She was 13 when Kennedy was shot in Dallas. She heard the news in school, she recalls, but especially felt the impact when she got home: “My mother cried as though it was her child who had died.” “That was just the tone, the aura. There was a big cloud over the whole black community,” Jordan says. “When you look at the pictures of the funeral, you see so many black people out there.” Later, Jordan’s parents hung Kennedy’s portrait next to King’s in their housing project apartment. Such portraits also were a common sight in black homes for Rev. Charles Booth, who grew up in Baltimore. “You always saw pictures of Jesus Christ, John F. Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King,” says Booth, now a pastor in Columbus, Ohio. “You could go in an average home and see a picture of JFK on the wall. In the minds of most black people at the time, he was a friend to the African-American community.” One reason why, Booth says, was Kennedy’s relationship with King — though that, too, was complicated. They first met in June 1960. Kennedy, then a senator from Massachusetts, would soon win the Democratic presidential nomination. King had become a national figure for leading the victorious bus boycott in Montgomery, Ala., that ignited the civil rights movement.
toward civil rights legislation. Publicly, Kennedy’s administration was reluctant to intervene in the Southern violence unless federal law was being flouted. Privately, Kennedy’s men urged protest leaders to slow down and avoid confrontation. Many saw the administration’s stance as aloof or even helpless. Earlier, after Kennedy had disowned proposals that were part of the Democrats’ 1960 campaign platform, NAACP president Roy Wilkins said Kennedy was offering “a cactus bouquet.” Mack, the civil rights activist, was at the Democratic convention where those promises were made. He recalls being highly frustrated with Kennedy’s pace once he became president. “We were deeply committed young people who were out to change the system. Down in the South we were fighting segregation in all its original ugliness,” Mack says. But amid the frustration, Mack says, there was recognition among movement leaders that Kennedy was politically constrained. “He had to deal with some segregationists,” Mack says. Kennedy needed some of those segregationists to advance his foreign policy agenda, says Barrett, the Villanova professor. AP PHOTO He also had to think about reelection, and not In this Aug. 28, 1963 file photo, President Kennedy stands with a group of leaders of the March alienating white Southern voters. on Washington at the White House in Washington. Immediately after the march, they discussed “Civil rights simply was not a top priority,” civil rights legislation that was finally inching through Congress. says Barrett, who studies the Kennedy administration and teaches a course on the As a Democrat, running against Republican aide managed to convince the candidate to civil rights movement. “He was busy with so many other issues, Richard Nixon (at the time, many influential place a sympathetic call to King’s pregnant especially foreign policy issues, he didn’t give blacks, including Jackie Robinson, were wife, Coretta. News of Kennedy’s call was leaked to it the kind of energy and attention that we Republicans), Kennedy faced some difficult reporters. Yet King was still in jail — until might wish in retrospect,” he says. racial calculus. Civil rights was a top priority — in a The South, where Jim Crow kept black Robert Kennedy called the judge. Suddenly, different way — for J. Edgar Hoover, head of people in a second-class status, was ruled by bail was granted and King was freed. The story of the Kennedys’ involvement the FBI. Democrats. To win the presidency, Kennedy Hoover believed the growing civil rights needed white Southern Democrats, and many made headlines in black newspapers of them hated King, whom they saw as a nationwide. King issued a statement saying movement was under Communist influence he was “deeply indebted to Senator Kennedy,” and a threat to national security. He closely threat to their way of life. In a speech soon after meeting King, although he remained nonpartisan. The monitored King and others in the movement Kennedy spoke of the “moving examples Kennedy campaign printed tens of thousands with surveillance, informants and wiretaps. In 1963, “the FBI assigned full enemy status of moral courage” shown by civil rights of pamphlets describing the episode, and protesters. Their peaceful demonstrations, distributed them in black churches across the to King,” Branch wrote, noting that even “after receiving intelligence that someone was he said, were not “to be lamented, but a great country on the Sunday before the election. Kennedy, who got 78 percent of the black trying to kill him, the Bureau would refuse sign of responsibility, of good citizenship, of vote, won the election by one of the narrowest to warn King as it routinely warned other the American spirit.” potential targets.” Referencing the growing “sit-in” movement, margins in U.S. history. Yet Kennedy still worked with King, even “In an election that close,” says Villanova in which black customers demanded service at white-only restaurants, Kennedy said: “It University professor David Barrett, “you as his FBI tried to tear King down. In June 1963, King had a private meeting is in the American tradition to stand up for could make a case that Kennedy’s call to with Kennedy at the White House. During a one’s rights — even if the new way to stand up Coretta mattered enough to win.” Booth, the Ohio pastor, has pondered stroll through the Rose Garden, the president for one’s rights is to sit down.” told King that he was under surveillance. But there was another side to Kennedy’s Kennedy’s motivations. “He was playing both sides of the issue,” “I don’t know if a large number of Africanstance. Behind the scenes, his aides were urging Americans thought critically about Kennedy’s Barrett says. A few minutes after Kennedy’s warning, King to end his nonviolent protests, according shrewdness,” Booth says. “He was very much to historian Taylor Branch in his authoritative courting that Southern vote. Politicians do he and King joined a meeting with other civil what politicians do. The political reality may rights leaders. The March on Washington had civil rights chronicle “Parting the Waters.” been announced, and Kennedy had hinted Since the protests were being suppressed not always be the ethical reality.” publicly that he was against it. Someone in ___ by Democrats, they made it harder for As president, Kennedy’s top priority was the meeting asked if that was true. Kennedy to get black votes in the North. But if “We want success in the Congress, not a Kennedy criticized the suppression, he would foreign policy. There were enormous Cold War challenges — from the Soviet Union and big show on the Capitol,” Kennedy replied, lose white votes in the South. Declining to heed Kennedy’s men and Vietnam to Cuba, site of the failed Bay of Pigs according to “Parting the Waters.” In the end, the peaceful mass march made curtail protests, King was arrested with invasion and of a crisis over Soviet missiles headlines around the world. a group of students at an Atlanta sit-in that threatened to trigger nuclear war. Kennedy watched it on television. Meanwhile, at home, the boiling civil rights on Oct. 19, 1960, scant weeks before the Immediately afterward, he met with march excruciatingly close election. King refused to movement could not be ignored. “Freedom Riders” seeking to integrate leaders in the White House, where they post bail. He remained behind bars as the Ku Klux Klan marched through Atlanta streets Southern bus lines were mercilessly beaten. discussed civil rights legislation that was and Kennedy and Nixon held their final Whites rioted to prevent the black student finally inching through Congress. The leaders James Meredith from enrolling at the pressed Kennedy to strengthen the legislation; televised debate. Authorities produced a 5-month-old traffic University of Mississippi; two people were the president listed many obstacles. Some believe Kennedy preferred to wait ticket from a neighboring county, and King killed after Kennedy sent in Army forces to until after the 1964 election to push the issue. was sentenced to four months’ hard labor. By ensure Meredith’s admission. In Birmingham, Ala., police loosed clubs, Yet in his public speeches, he spoke more and the next morning King was in a maximumsecurity prison. Many feared he would soon dogs and fire hoses on peaceful protesters, more about justice for all. La Trice Washington, a professor at and a church bombing killed four black girls. be killed. Over the objections of Kennedy’s brother Images of the violence shamed America Otterbein College in Ohio, says some of Kennedy’s rhetoric went “well beyond and campaign manager, Robert Kennedy, before the world. As blood flowed, Kennedy moved cautiously sympathetic.” who wanted to steer clear of the matter, an
photos of the weekend
Upper left, Baseball Hall of Famer and Beaumont, Texas native, Frank Robinson signs autographs at the MLB Urban Invitational at Minute Maid Park in Houston. below, Cedric Parms, admission recruiter discusses the opportunities Southern at the career Bottom Unidentified protestors stood withatsigns, pamphlets andfair. words in center the left, Second baseman Kevin Williams swings at the ball in the last game of the MLB Urban Invitational, Sunday. Bottom left, Thirdof baseman Caleb Hatcher swingsUnion, as the catcher for PVAMU prepares to catch, Sunday. courtyard Smith-Brown Memorial Wednesday. The protestors right,off Pitcher Jose DeLeon releaseswas a pitch to the batter, Saturday in Southern’s second game in the MLB Urban Invitational against Alabama State. Below, Daniel Garcia cranks up to pitch, wereUpper escorted campus after SUPD called. (Evan Taylor/DIGEST) Sunday against Prairie View. Lower right, Pitcher Jesse ‘Doc’ Holiday throws one in Texas Southern’s direction, Friday at the first match of the MLB Urban Invitational in the home of the Houston Astros, Minute Maid Park in Houston.
Kandi
Burruss comes to SU
Above, Singer, songwriter, producer and entrepreneur Kandi Burruss came to Southern as the first speaker in the Lyceum Series presented by the SU office of student programs. Above left, Burruss talks with students at the reception held before her lecture (Arielle Burks/DIGEST)Lower left and right, Burruss poses with students and smiles. (Photos courtesy of Wil Norwood. Below left, Laura Syori returns a volley from Alicia Shaw of Grambling Saturday. Center, Southern senior Demetria Woods leaps to return a hit by Alcorns’ Kersten Vanem Sunday in the SWAC West Roundup at the Southern University Tennis Courts. Upper right, Lois Alexis leaps to return a volley backcourt volley from Alcorn’s Merilin Tipp Sunday. Lower right, Sophomore Gabrielle Moore, returns against Khadijah Kenyatte of UAPB, Friday (photos courtesy of Wil Norwood)
Culture southerndigest.com
Page 8 - Tuesday, February 26, 2013
The Sentinel Of An Enlightened Student Body since 1926
“Yes We Can” proves to be more than a campaign slogan Lauren Johnson
The Southern Digest Southern University alum, Phelesha Hamilton turned her ‘master theory’ into a book titled, “Yes We Can!” discussing the path paved to reach the election of the first African American president, Barack Obama. Hamilton a Dallas native received her masters in social science with a concentration in history and credits Southern for emphasizing her African American heritage. “I would like to thank Southern University for showing me the importance of being an African American,” Hamilton said. Upon reading Hamilton’s book I have my own thoughts on her master thesis turned into a worthy piece that should be read by all. Hamilton opened with an introduction about the purpose, driven to show the road paved over time to lead to the election of a African American president. Hamilton wrote, “This book should serve as a reminder to all races in every country on the importance of the 2008 presidential election. This book is not here to bring hate, but serve a divine purpose.” This line catches your attention because it summed up the entire purpose of the book, which if you do not agree with when you turn the first pages, you will once you complete reading. “Yes We Can!” the slogan in which president Obama created during his 2008 Presidential campaign as a senator from Chicago has been transformed into a book.
The quote turned out to be more than just a quote, but a new lifestyle for the African Americans. After reading, Hamilton inspires the reader to feel a part of the lifestyle and more understanding of the meaning between the words. Throughout the book Hamilton supported and provided facts throughout her book in relation with her topics, such as the relationship between Caucasians and African Americans as a sense of inferiority. Hamilton explained her reasoning of inferiority. She explained how the system of slavery has created a sense of inferiority and affected the productivity of the African American race. Hamilton chronicled different court cases in favor of progress of the African American race. Overall I would give “Yes We Can!” and all time yes. It was an easy read. I feel Hamilton did great in a developing story line. As a reader, I was able to follow the information as in leading to the last chapters and how events of the past allowed the opportunity for President Barack Obama. If I had to critique, one thing I would have liked to have a small portion on the theory of John Hanson as being the first black president. Of course with opinions, theories etc. in favor or against it. I would recommend all students to read “Yes WE Can!” It is available at Amazon, Books -a-Million, and Barnes and Noble for only 9.99. Proceeds will go to Hamilton’s Non Profit Organization IamABeliever.
Photo courtesy of Hamilton Hamilton uses “Yes we can” as a tool of empowerment and sharing the journey of African Americans to what most never fekt was possible, the election of the first African American President of the United States.
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Tuesday, February 26, 2013 - Page 9
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Commentary southerndigest.com
Page 10 - Tuesday, February 26, 2013
The Sentinel Of An Enlightened Student Body since 1926
Talking Politics with Caesar Smith Jr.: Do you support & agree in loyalty and belief, or fear? The Jindal administration kicked off a month-long state budget debate Friday by presenting a $24.7 billion budget that relies on the finalization of contracts involving public hospitals, property sales and other unresolved issues. College tuition will increase, many parents will be required to make a copayment for their children to receive therapy for developmental delays and the elderly no longer will get help receiving free prescription drugs. “We’re proud of this budget even though this budget certainly has been a challenge,” Commissioner of Administration Kristy Nichols told members of the Joint Legislative Committee on the budget. Nichols said the Jindal administration had to hold the line on cost increases and find offsets because of a $1.3 billion shortfall in the revenue needed to keep state government services at their current level. No new State Police troopers would be trained for another year. Several thousand state government workers could be out of a job. College tuition would rise by $75 million to help balance universities’ budgets. More than $1 million would be saved by no longer helping the elderly apply for free medicine through pharmaceutical company programs. The presentation of the proposed spending plan for the fiscal year that starts July 1 is the starting point for a budget debate that will ramp up next month with legislative hearings. A final version of the plan that funds colleges, schools and other public services will be crafted in the legislative session that starts in April. The governor’s proposed budget includes $7.9 billion in state general fund revenue and $9.7 billion in federal dollars. The biggest spending area is in health care, with the state Department of Health and Hospitals slated to receive $8.9 billion. The most dramatic change from the current year to the next is in the LSU Health Care Services Division, which runs most of the state’s public hospitals. Total funding for the division would drop by $781 million in the governor’s
proposal. The Jindal administration wants to turn over most of the public hospitals to private business, saving the state money. However, only some of the agreements are in place, making legislators anxious about funding being stripped without any guarantees on who will provide health care to their constituents. Higher education funding would remain largely static, with tuition increases and one-time, or nonrecurring, revenue sources helping fill gaps. The Governor’s Office argues that the tuition hikes they are counting on to keep higher education funding stable aren’t new increases because the law authorizing them was passed three years ago. The 2010 LA GRAD Act gives colleges the authority to raise tuition 10 percent annually after hitting certain academic benchmarks. Additionally, without using $424 million from one-time revenue generators, such as, property sales, public colleges and universities would face a 19 percent drop in funding, Nichols said. State Sen. Dan Claitor, R-Baton Rouge, complained that the Jindal administration’s approach to higher education funding is threatening LSU’s flagship status. He said staff is leaving and classes are crowded. Higher education officials said later in the day that they still are looking at the governor’s proposal. “We have not yet had an opportunity to fully assess the potential impact of the proposed budget, but we look forward to working with the governor, legislators and other state leaders in finding solutions for funding higher education in Louisiana,” LSU interim President and interim Chancellor William Jenkins said. Southern University System President Ronald Mason said, “It still is early in the process.” State Sen. Sharon Broome, D-Baton Rouge, said her constituents are unhappy about the speed with which the Jindal administration is shifting care from LSU’s Earl K. Long Medical Center to Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center. The shift is part of the governor’s strategy for private business taking over public health care. Private business taking over health care
Caesar Smith Jr. is not the answer to our healthcare woes. Private business will lead to a lower quality of healthcare and in the longterm very little or no coverage for those who will need it most. By default private business is about a dollar. Profit is what private business thrives for, not providing services to those who cannot provide for themselves. This is what I call a phony debate, because the truth just won’t come out. Yes, the state will save money, but it will cost the citizens more. The effects will be long lasting and very expensive going forward. Nichols said the partnerships produce savings that ensure the state still is able to provide health care. Details of the governor’s plan to eliminate the state’s personal income and corporate taxes remain a mystery even though the administration has conceded that a state sales tax hike is likely to replace the revenue. Do you see the governor’s plan to make this state business friendly and no so friendly to those who live here. In foresight there will be a rebate at some point for those who earn higher incomes while others pay what the governor called last week “a flatter tax.” A “flat tax” and a “flatter tax” are not the same; one with a brain should see the writing on the wall. The state’s top earners will get relief, but those who need it most will not have relief. The question is where are the funds going to come from? Any loss in revenue will result in further budget cuts. Nichols told legislators that the budget contains no tax increases.
Afterward, she said any increases will not be viewed as such because the governor wants to make the eliminations in a budget neutral fashion by swapping revenue sources. There is no explanation on where the swapping will come from. The answer is simple. Make it one in the same for all whether one makes a penny or a dollar. Flat means exactly that, no matter how much is spent the percentage is the same. Time has shown when taxes increase society goes forward in paying them. I am not angry, mad or upset at the governor. I know what tune he is marching to. You know that old beat; we have heard that beat when the Tea Party came along. This is some old dry music; I do not understand how one would get a groove onto what they are saying. It is important to understand the context of where we are today. This is the same group of people who opposed the New Deal, the great society, opposed the changes in the seventies and this president. They are back in full force with corporate backing and it is going to be trouble. They are going to hurt poor people, a disproportionate number of young people and people of color. Governor Jindal, those who support his ideology (in fear of retaliation or not) and the Republican party in this state have warped priorities. Many do not see the greed, hypocrisy and the indifference towards poor and working people. It is downright cowardice in terms of hatred. Will Louisiana have what it takes to engage in this radical revolution led by Governor Jindal and his priorities and values? It looks as if many feel greed is good, politics are polarization, the indifference between poor and working people. I can argue with those significant breakthroughs in the sixties and seventies and social movements, black freedom movement, the student movement, feminist movement and so forth that by the eighties I have seen through studies the right-wing redistribution of the wealthy with the cut back of taxes and social services, but not the industrial prison complex.
Get Creative with food and flowers, Thank me later Just because Valentine’s Day has passed does not mean spoiling and surprising your partner has to end. We should not designate one day to show someone how much you love them. Every day should be a new chance to truly treasure and please your partner in all ways possible. With that being said, I am going to give you some tips to make your sexual experience on this day much better. When looking to make your sexual experience better, go out and look for things that are aphrodisiacs. Aphrodisiacs are things that stimulate sexual desire. Be careful when looking for aphrodisiacs. Many companies claim their products are aphrodisiacs because they enhance sexual performance. Always remember that aphrodisiacs do not enhance sexual performance, they naturally
stimulate sexual desire. Chocolate is the most common aphrodisiac. When a person eats chocolate, dopamine (a central nervous system neurotransmitter essential to control of motion; it also acts as a hormone) releases in the pleasure part of the brain. Chocolate can create a feeling of euphoria and excitement for some people. Bananas are also aphrodisiacs. Now bananas are not the most romantic food, but if you dip them in chocolate it can give you the romantic twist that you need. Besides food, flowers can make sex, especially foreplay better. Be creative with flowers. Instead of just handing them to your partner, put them all over the bedroom. Just remember to clean the petals first. If you are thinking about buying candles, make sure they are aromatherapy candles. These candles contain natural plant
Kate McConnell compounds that can enhance a person’s mood. Sex is the perfect activity to be imaginative with your partner. Get more inventive by using oils to massage your partner. Using the right oils can create good foreplay that will lead to excellent sex. Lavender and Jasmine are two oils you should have for your romantic night.
Lavender has a relaxing effect on a person and promotes relaxation. According to an article in Technol Health Care, Lavender In women, lavender fragrance stimuli increased arousal and relaxation. Jasmine is also said to have aphrodisiac qualities along with promoting an improve blood circulation and metabolism acceleration. Always know what your partner likes before going out and buying any of this stuff. Make sure they are not allergic to any food and/or oils and scents. An allergic reaction is a quick way to have the worst sexual experience of your life. Above all, be safe. Know who you are getting sexually involved with regardless if it is for a night or for a lifetime. Use a condom despite what your friends think. You only have one life to live, so never be pressured into doing something you will regret.
Commentary southerndigest.com
The Sentinel Of An Enlightened Student Body since 1926
Tuesday, Febraury 26, 2013 - Page 11
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Civil rights and Gay rights are the same, the struggle for equality whether by race or sexual orientation deserves to be granted to every citizen. The civil rights movement was inherited with the founding of the United States; from the Trans-Atlantic slave trade to the rise and fall of Jim Crow. This unexpected history began with the kidnapping and brutal transport of blacks from African shores and the stripping from them of their language, identity and culture in order to overpower and exploit them. The Constitution protected of these hardships in the form of a U.S. Supreme Court decision (Sanford v. Scott) that denied blacks any rights that whites people had to regard. The movement included the establishment of Jim Crow culture and racial discrimination after the decision case was overturned by a civil war and three historic constitutional amendments. In my opinion, gay rights and civil rights are two sides of the same coin. Yes, there are different sets of historical and social issues as it relates to race and sexual orientation. Yes, the distinctions between the African American and homosexual movements are complex and multilayered, the citizens (despite labels and classifications) have the right to political and social equality. Gay rights are actually civil rights as well.
Jessica Sarpy The right to choose who can marry can be seen as a legal issue as well as a civil rights issue. Some people like to argue this, even take offense when anyone acknowledges gay rights as civil rights. It’s a legal issue because it really deals with the benefits that one gets from being married. There are plenty of rights awarded to married couples. Among them are the rights to joint parenting, joint adoption, status of nextof-kin for hospital visits and medical decisions, inheritance of jointly owned property, and more. It’s not about being able to go to a church and stand in front of a preacher. The definition of marriage as the union of a man and a woman does not establish a sexual system or regulate one’s sex to conditions. It does, to be sure, exclude the lawful recognition of “marriages” formed from marriages defined outside of one man to
one woman. Examples of this would be polygyny (the practice of having more than one spouse), polyandry (where brothers share the same wife), polyamory (a open relationship with more than one intimate partner) and same-sex relationships. The law of marital consummation makes it clear that this bodily union serves as the foundation of the profound sharing of life at every level, emotional, biological, rational and spiritual. Does the law not recognize a bodily, emotional, biological, rational and spiritual connection between partners of the same sex? No gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender person is asking for anyone’s acceptance. No one is asking for anyone’s permission to exist, existence is a God given right. You can’t make someone love you or accept you but, you can create an environment of tolerance. In the same sentiment as the Martin Luther King Jr., “It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can stop him from lynching me, and I think that’s pretty important.” Who are we as human beings to deny the happiness of a person or group if it causes no physical harm? I say if a man loves another man or a woman is in love with another woman, then what’s the harm? It’s all love, and in my opinion that’s exactly what the world needs.
For our ancestors: How to pay it forward Southern University paid homage to two students by naming the Smith-Brown Memorial student union after them. Leonard Brown and Denver Smith were shot during a student protest on campus in November of 1972. Many students gathered in front of the Administration Building to protest for the release of students who had been arrested the previous night. As students entered and surrounded the building Police were called to patrol the area and shut down the campus. They attempted to chase off students from the building with tear gas. While students were leaving the area, Smith and Brown were shot. The shooters were not identified and it is unknown if the shots were fired purposely or by accident. Many incidents similar to this have occurred in the past in regards to black history. Many lives have been taken due to protesting and fighting for the rights of African Americans. Smith and Brown along with other students stood up for what they believed was right. They wanted change and did something
Jade Smith about it. I say kudos to both young men, because it takes a lot of courage to do what they did. I am not aware of whether or not the students were released or if the university’s administration made any changes, but these young men did not just sit around complaining. They did not wait on something to happen. They tried to make it happen. Not many people do that today. Many of us complain about what isn’t fair or right and what our school or government isn’t doing; but what are we doing about it? What have we done to make a change?
I’ve heard students complain about the cafeterias and parking on campus. They say the food isn’t cooked or we need more of a variety and healthier choices. Also, at one point both cafeterias; Mayberry and Dunn stopped letting students take to go plates for dinner. How many students contacted campus dining and gave their opinion or started a petition to change it? How many students contacted campus police, the chancellor or the system president and asked what can we do to get better student parking? If you want something different, you have to do something different. Departments such as campus police and dining want to hear our feedback. When I say our, I mean the students. They want to know how they are doing and what they can do to better serve and protect our campus. In order for our school or anything to be productive as possible, there has to be feedback. There is no better source than the students since we are the ones complaining and giving all of our money. We should be getting our money’s worth.
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the sentinel OF an enlightened student bOdy sinCe 1926
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