Thursday
Friday
83/58
71/45
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80/63
www.southerndigest.com
Volume 57, Issue 16
The Southern Digest will return Nov. 29
Women fall to Lamar; football readies for Classic see Sports, Page 5
It’s like a jungle sometimes... see Commentary, page 7
80s crisis similar to exigency situation
SU aids joint effort Service Learning food drive donates to EBR Housing Authority
Billy Washington The Southern Digest
that it was a good idea for the students to have this event while some, on the other hand, felt that it could have been much better for the students then how it was that
Circulating rumors of Southern University functioning in the state of financial exigency in the 1980s are true, according to DIGEST archives. In July 1988, the Southern University Board of Supervisors declared financial emergency due to $5.2 million dollars being cut from the budget. A retrenchment plan was put forth in December 1988 and a 2.5 percent cut was taken from all employees who earned $20,000 or more a year. A total of 70 employees were terminated and 560 paychecks were cut. Mr. Joffre Whisenton was serving as SU System President at the time of declaring financial emergency. Mrs. Dolores Spikes followed by serving as the SU System President and interim chancellor later that year. Gov. Buddy Roemer proposed to cut $9.5 million from SU’s budget while SU was operating on a $5.2 million budget in 1988. According to DIGEST archives, Ms. Spikes was against the budgets cuts and the declaration because she felt “there will be a negative impact because of the timeliness of the entire process” and “we are being hit unfairly on all sides.” Chancellor James Llorens firmly believes that a negative image will not be placed on SU and aggressive recruiting may be the key to enrollment problems. The board also approved to close the university early in the spring semester of 1989 to save money which is similar to the scheduled four-day week, approved by Llorens and academic deans, which will be implemented for the upcoming spring 2012 semester. According to the 1989 Board of Supervisors’ figures showed that an estimated total of $909,000 was saved due to cuts and layoffs. It is currently unknown how much will be saved during this current status of financial exigency. The estimated
See Late Night page 3
See 80s Crisis page 3
Evan Taylor
The Southern Digest
After the efforts of 500 students and sorting, checking, PHOTO BY Trevor james/digest grouping and boxing up over 1,500 nonperishable food Students (from left to right) Tiana Pate, Deon Ramsey and Kimberly Jones pack boxes for Turner Plaza items, The Southern University residents for Service Learning food drive. This year was the 16th annual food drive and 500 students Center for Service Learning participated donating over 1500 non-perishable food items. donated essentials for a “For the last eight years “Not all schools have service traditional Thanksgiving meal further proves that Southern University Center for Service learning programs so, this was it’s always satisfying to see to elderly and disabled adults. In a joint effort between the Learning is doing its part in a great opportunity for me to students be blessed enough to SU Center for Service Learning the community. We thank see a food drive where students be a blessing to others. They and the East Baton Rouge the students for doing their give so tremendously and give unselfishly and many times Parish Housing Authority, part,” said Kristan Gordon, generously. I was truly amazed they go above and beyond. For elderly and disabled residents Coordinator, Center for Service by the spirit of giving displayed that we are grateful,” Kristan by the students and even some Gordon said. of Turner Plaza will have a Learning. Gordon and students assisted Thyrag Lewis a graduate staff members here at Southern traditional Thanksgiving meal. in the process of collecting, “The ability for the students assistant in the office was University,” said Lewis. Essentials donated included; consolidating, and turning to give back to the very amazed for more than one community that many of reason at the ability of flour, oil, rice, beans, and them are products of speaks students to contribute to their canned goods from corn to pie See Food Drive page 3 filling. volumes of their character and community.
SU Late Night leaves some wanting more James Teague
The Southern Digest
Good times were being had at the Annual SU Late Night hosted by the Student Union Activities Board Friday in the Smith-Brown Memorial Union with a variety of games and other activities to help students relax with finals just around the corner. This event was for students on campus who were always on campus on those bored Friday nights. It gives them an opportunity to get involve in some fun activities while being up in the union. Activities that were going on throughout this event ranged from favorite pastimes such as free bowling, shooting pool to playing games like table tennis. It even offers time for friends to just hang out and listen to music all throughout the game room. Snacks and refreshments were also served to the students in attendance as well. There were also movies played throughout the night as well with movies such as The Hangover and Friday after Next for students to enjoy in the midst of all the excitement. “It’s a good way to interact for the
Wednesday
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Tuesday, November 22, 2011 check www.southerndigest.com for updates
Today
PHOTO BY trevor james/digest
Students line up for snacks during SU Late Night Friday in the Smith-Brown Memorial Union.
students,” said Da’vine Johnson, junior criminal justice major from New Orleans. “It is something fun and positive where it can get people to steer away from going to the club.” There were mixed views on the SU late night. Some of those in attendance thought
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Page 2 - Tuesday, November 22, 2011
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or visit www.facebook.com/ southernuniversitybookstore for more information.
apartments for rent
Apt. homes available @ The Palisades. 7801 Scenic Hwy. Baton Rouge, La, 70807.
How do you think SU will fare in the Bayou Classic?
Ag Stars
Calling all Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors … Do you have a 2.5 GPA and WANT TO BUY WANTED TO BUY 1973 no declared major? Pursue an SU Jazz Band record album. exciting degree in agricultural Also 1950, 1980 45rpm sciences and become a member of records. Call 225.687.8076. AG stars mentoring program. Ag star participants will earn $1,000 Campus Briefs stipend per semester. Apply today in Fisher Hall Room 101. today
Make sure to stop by Southern Niche, a Southern University student operated retail store during their regular store hours. Tuesdays 1:30-5:30 p.m., Wednesdays 10 a.m.-2p.m., and Thursdays from 10 a.m.2 p.m. The store is located in Room 155 of Thrift Hall. Come and purchase products made by Louisiana entrepreneurs.
Do you have a 3.0 GPA? Lowincome first generation college student? Have a desire to earn a Ph.D. in your discipline? The SU Center for Social Research encourages rising juniors and seniors to apply for the Ronal E. McNair Scholarship. Applicants must have earned at least 60 credit hours. For more information contact Janeal Banks at 225.771.4717.
SU Barbershop special
Pinkie G. Lane Poetry Contest
Every Monday beginning Nov. 8 the SU Barber Shop will offer $2 off any haircut. For students only during the month of November between the hours of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Students should submit this coupon at time of purchase. Ask for Rob. For more information call 225.771.3693.
Southern University students can start submitting for the Pinkie G. Lane Poetry Contest. Each entrant may submit no more than three (3) poems of no more than 35 lines for each poem. The poems can be on any subject matter and in any format, provided the content is not vulgar or offensive, does not contain profanity, and is the original, individual work of the entrant. Failure to comply will automatically eliminate the entry. Poems may be rhymed or non-rhymed, lyric, narrative, satire, elegiac, epic, philosophic, or didactic. Entrants retain copyright on his/her own individual work. Poems must be typed and submitted via email to pinkieglane@cox.net or online at the library’s website www.lib.subr.edu. For more information please contact committee chair Angela Proctor at (225) 771-2624, angela_proctor@subr.edu or committee co-chair Maya Banks at (225) 771-2776, maya_banks@ subr.edu.
Get in the Game
Southern University is in the final phase of searching for students to participate in the campuswide Honda Campus AllStar quiz bowl competition. For additional information, contact Dr. William Moore, Team Coach or Dr. Ella Kelley, Campus Coordinator at (225) 771-4845. December 1-2 Attention Fall Graduates
You may pick up your caps, gowns, and regalia Dec. 1 and 2 from 12-4p.m. If you have not ordered, contact the bookstore right away so, it can arrive in time for your ceremony. Call 225.771.4330
Langston Williams
Brandon McGee
Gulfport, Miss. Senior theatre arts/ mass comm.
Baker, La. Freshman mechanical engineering
“We just beat the number one team, Alabama Williams State, so since Stump is now coaching like he wants his job, Grambling may need to prepare for a loss. ”
Ronald E. McNair Scholars
Southern Niche
The Sentinel Of An Enlightened Student Body since 1926
Read
“I think that SU is goind to win this year’s Bayou McGee Classic, the victory against Alabama State is going to carry over.”
Maurlence Martin
Krystal Burkes
dubach, La. junior political science
Hammond, La. Sophomore undecided
“I think we will win the Bayou Classic. Our team has shown significant improvement since the last home game.”
“I think It’s definitely our year, we have a really good chance at defeating the Tigers.”
Martin
Burkes
the Digest at
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ISSN: 1540-7276. Copyright 2008 by The Southern University Office of Student Media Services. The Southern DIGEST is written, edited and published by members of the student body at Southern University and A&M College. All articles, photographs and graphics are property of The Southern DIGEST and its contents may not be reproduced or republished without the written permission from the Editor in Chief and Director of Student Media Services. The Southern DIGEST is published twice-weekly (Tuesday & Friday) with a run count of 5,000 copies per issue during the Southern University - Baton Rouge campus fall, spring semesters. The paper is free to students, staff, faculty and general public every Tuesday & Friday morning on the SUBR campus. The Southern DIGEST student offices are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday - Friday. The offices are located on the first floor of T.H. Harris Hall, Suite 1064. The Southern DIGEST is the official student newspaper of Southern University and A&M College located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
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News southerndigest.com
Tuesday, November 22, 2011 - Page 3
The Sentinel Of An Enlightened Student Body since 1926
Speaker discusses finding success
Food Drive from page 1
Marcus Green
The Southern Digest
More than 30 companies and 80 colleges and universities nationwide were present for the Southern University Business and Industry Cluster annual Freshman Convocation Thursday in the Cotillion Ballroom of the Smith-Brown Memorial Union. Initiated by the National Alliance of Business, the Cluster program is meant to enhance the capabilities of historically minority colleges and universities in preparing graduates who are ready to take that step into the professional world in both public and private industries. The Cluster provides students with trainCyprian- ing interviews, scholarships, Porter and internships to guide students into their chosen careers. Oliver Cyprian, process chemist at Chevron Corporation said, “These first time freshman need to be at programs like this because if they start off wrong then that’s how they will end up.” The program’s purpose was to expose students to what they need to do in order to be a success in not only school but in life. The guest speaker, Alecia Cyprian-Porter, an assistant vice president for Enrollment Management at Dillard University, delivered this message. “I didn’t choose my career, my career chose me,” said Porter. She presented a presentation with the theme “Ownership of the Journey,” which stressed key points on how students can attain good study habits while managing school and balancing their personal life. According to American College Testing, one in every four students leaves college before completing their sophomore year. Nearly half of all freshmen will either drop out before getting their degree or complete their college education elsewhere. Studies done by Syracuse University in New York have shown that students devote so much time to the admissions process, they forget to focus on what lies ahead: challenging academics, living away from home, maintaining their finances, learning time management skills, and taking responsibility for their own lives.
Photo by Wayne Tilcock/The Enterprise/AP Photo
In this Friday photo University of California, Davis Police Lt. John Pike uses pepper spray to move Occupy UC Davis protesters while blocking their exit from the school’s quad Friday in Davis, Calif. Two University of California, Davis police officers involved in pepper spraying seated protesters were placed on administrative leave Sunday as the chancellor of the school accelerates the investigation into the incident.
Was Calif. police use of pepper spray justified? Garance Burke
The Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO — Viral videos of riot police repeatedly pepper spraying a row of seated, non-violent Occupy Wall Street protesters at a California university have sparked outrage, an investigation and calls for the college chancellor’s resignation. The footage also set off a debate about how far law enforcement can and should go to disperse peaceful demonstrators. Many students, lawmakers and even the university’s chancellor have called the officers’ actions a horrific example of unnecessary force. But some experts on police tactics say, depending on the circumstances, pepper spray can be more effective to de-escalate a tense situation than dragging off protesters or swinging at them with truncheons. “Between verbalized commands and knockdown, drag-out fights, there’s quite a bit of wiggle room,” said David Klinger, a former Los Angeles Police Department officer and instructor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis who reviewed the pepper spray footage. Soon after the incident on Friday at the University of California, Davis, video recordings spread across the Internet. The footage of an officer casually spraying an orange cloud at protesters’ heads while spectators screamed in horror joined other much-discussed pepper-spray incidents, such as the 84-year-old activist hit in the face in Seattle and a Portland, Ore., woman who recently was sprayed in the mouth. Images of the officer seen dousing the students
became the subject of a blog, which featured him spraying famous figures, from Gandhi to John F. Kennedy. The university announced Monday that it has placed the police chief and two officers on administrative leave to restore trust and calm. Still, nearly 2,000 students and residents gathered at the main quad to hear speeches and chant slogans against police and university officials. Students who were pepper-sprayed opened the rally, saying they felt unsafe on campus with the chancellor in power. “We were just kids sitting down in a circle singing,” said student David Buscho, 22, of San Rafael, Calif. “It felt like hot glass ... I was paralyzed with fear.” Pepper spray is an inflammatory agent that derives its active ingredient from chili peppers. When the spray is deployed, it causes nearly instant inflammation, resulting in dilation of the capillaries in the eyes, paralysis of the larynx and a burning sensation on the skin. Buscho said students were yelling at police Friday that they were peacefully protesting. One of the helmeted officers began pointing a spray can at close range on the seated group, he said. “I had my arms around my girlfriend. I just kissed her on the forehead and then he sprayed us,” he said. “Immediately, we were blinded ... He just sprayed us again and again and we were completely powerless to do anything.” The protest was held in support of the Occupy Wall Street movement and in solidarity with protesters at the University of California, Berkeley who were struck by police with batons on Nov. 9.
Late Night from page 1 night. “It was a good turnout. It could have been a bit better,” said junior criminal justice major from Houma, La., Tyese Thibodaux. Junior psychology major Carolyn Omar from Chicago said it was a good out for the Southern students. Omar continued on by stating that they should continue to have it and make it bigger and better. Some other students also agree that there
needs to be more SU Late Nights on Friday nights. “I definitely think they should have more SU Late nights,” added Johnson. SU Late night gave students an opportunity to bond and be able to have fun playing games, eating snacks, and watching movies to relieve those end of the semester worries so that they can go into the final weeks of the fall in a more relaxed and stress-free state of mind.
over the donations to Michael Stewart from the EBR Housing Authority. “This is an annual project. It’s important for our students to understand and to help those who are in need. This is Southern’s way of giving back,” Barbara Carpenter, Director of SU Center for Service Learning said. Rosa Robins, administrative assistant, SU Center for Service Learning was inspired by the willingness of students to contribute. “I was really touched by students being so compassionate and willing to give,” Robins said. Lori Hitchens, Instructor, SU Center for Service Learning along with the Center for Service Learning were grateful to students for their donations. “It overwhelms me to see the students stepped up and collaborated with the instructors and other entities on campus to join in giving to those who need it most. It shows the compassion the students have for others,” Hitchens said. Any students who would like to donate or contribute to the effort, the Center for Service Learning will host another food drive beginning in February in an effort to provide meals for Easter.
80s Crisis from page 1 figures may be released during the Friday’s board meeting according to rumors. The Board of Supervisors successfully declared financial exigency on Oct. 28 with a unanimous 14-0 vote with two members absent. In September, the vote was deadlocked with a 6-6 vote and four members were absent. The status of financial exigency is will last until June 30, 2012. Llorens, college deans, faculty and the office of academic affairs are also finalizing a reorganization proposal outlining the implementation of financial exigency. The proposal may be presented in the upcoming board meeting but according to a comment made to a local newspaper from Faculty Senate President Sudhir Trivedi, the proposal may debut in the Dec. 16 board meeting. Trivedi also believes a total of 50 faculty members may be terminated. The reorganization draft proposal outlines a five-college model that would merge programs. So far, the proposed consolidated colleges are listed as the College of Education and Liberal Arts, the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology, the College of Business and Public Policy, the College of Agricultural and Natural Sciences, and the College of Nursing and Allied Health.
Page 4 - Tuesday, November 22, 2011
The Sentinel Of An Enlightened Student Body since 1926
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TueSdAy, nOvemBer 22, 2011 - PAge 5
Southern gears up for Classic, G-Men Morris DillarD
The Southern Digest
It’s a college rivalry almost as old as the sport itself. The State Farm Bayou Classic features two Historically Black Institutions in the Southern University Jaguars and the Grambling State Tigers. Both teams have been battling each other for bragging rights since their first meeting in 1936. The latest matchup between the two rivals ended with the Tigers earning its third consecutive win, 38-17. Saturday has all the makings of being another season-ending Classic finish. The Jaguars (4-6, 4-4) last defeated Alabama State Nov. 12 and again, will go for its first back-to-back wins since the hiring of second-year head coach Stump Mitchell. Mitchell knows all about the rivalry, whose team doubled its win total from last season, which was the worst record in school history at 2-9, despite having coached in the matchup between the schools last season. “Alabama A&M and Alabama State had 56,000 to their in-state
rivalry,” Mitchell said during Monday’s weekly teleconference and last this season. “Hopefully Southern and Grambling will be able to top that and make the Bayou Classic back as being the number one HBCU Classic game.” Approximately 59,373 fans reached the Georgia Dome in September when the Jaguars traveled to Atlanta for the Atlanta Football Classic against Florida A&M. A.W. Mumford Stadium saw its largest crowd of 21,734 when the Jaguars hosted Jackson State Sept 17. Not to mention, 25,209 fans attended the Jaguars season-opener against Tennessee State at LP Field in Nashville. On Saturday (1:30 p.m. on NBC), Mitchell will get his second taste of the rivalry. “Southern pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the conference,” said head coach Doug Williams of Grambling, who team won its last five games, defeating Texas Southern 29-25. “This is the biggest game of the year from rivalry standpoint.” Apart from the anticipation of the rivalry game, the Jaguars know the problems are still
PHOTO By TreVOr JaMes/digesT File PHOTO
Southern head coach Stump Mitchell is looking to end the 2011 season on a high note as the Jaguars take on in-state rival Grambling State Saturday in the State Farm Bayou Classic.
there, who are seventh in total defense. Williams said for his team to win its last five games speaks volume after losing four games since their season-opening win over Alcorn State. “The good thing about this weeks game has been like the last couple of weeks,” Williams
said. “We’ve had to fight and claw and fight our way back in order to win the football game. Being down, which I think speaks to the character of these kids, who all year long has never given up and to come back and win five in a row the way they did speaks volume.” Southern has had its
moments, led by freshman quarterback JP Douglas, whose 1,215 passing yards ranks seventh in the league. Running back Sylvester Nzekwe is eighth in the SWAC in rushing yards per game with 52.6. Dawrence Roberts of Grambling leads the conference with 105.5 rushing yards per game.
Page 6 - Tuesday, November 22, 2011
The Sentinel Of An Enlightened Student Body since 1926
Lamar rallies late to defeat Jaguars Morris Dillard
The Southern Digest
With the game tied midway through the second period, the Lamar Lady Cardinals quickly took command. It was the Cardinals (4-1) first lead of the game and they never looked back. Kalis Loyd of Lamar, who surpassed the 1,000 point mark in the Cardinals win over Louisiana-Lafayette last Friday, had 28 points, seven rebounds and three steals Monday night as the Cardinals rallied from a seven point deficit on the road for its third straight victory, 70-62, at the F.G. Clark Activity Center. Monique Whittaker of Lamar added 14 points for the Cardinals, which held the Jaguars to 35 percent shooting in the second period, giving up only 24 points. Southern (1-2) dropped their second game in a row, including a 57-44 loss at South Alabama Nov 15. “We just have to continue to execute in the half court and clam down and trust our teammates,” Jaguars head coach Sandy Pugh said after the game. “The thing that I don’t like is just not being able to execute
like we should’ve in the crunch situations.” The Cardinals scored 17 points off 17 Jaguar turnovers, going on a tear in the final five-minutes to turn a 55-48 deficit into a 67-60 lead with 42 seconds remaining in the game. The Cardinals trailed the entire game before Loyd hit her last five shots that eventually sealed the game. “At her size she can post-up, she can shoot the three, she can do a lot of things,” Pugh said. “We wanted to sag and make her be a perimeter shooter. I thought we did a good job holding her in the first half. The second half, they just went to her which is what good teams do.” The Jaguars defense held Loyd to four points in the first half and Lamar to 35 percent shooting. Southern led 33-27 at halftime, shooting 50 percent from the floor, led by sophomore guard Adrian Sanders, who led the Jaguars with 15 points. Pugh added that the team wasn’t very effective in their half court offense, which scored 36 points in the paint and 15 second chance points. The Jaguar bench outscored the Cardinals 21-9 led by freshman guard Jasmine Jefferson. “We a young team,” Pugh
PHOTO By keldric nash/digest
Southern guard Anyssa Hoyle begins to drive past Lamar gaurd Taylor Hays in first half action Monday. Lamar rallied past the Jaguars for a 70-62 win.
said. We’re trying to incorporate young players. The one thing I saw was we definitely have the athleticism. We just got to continue to grow.” Pugh and her team begin a seven-game road trip starting Dec. 3 at Louisiana-Lafayette, then a Dec. 11 date at Tulane, who defeated the Jaguars in the Women’s National Invitational Tournament last spring.
The Jaguars will also begin conference play on their trip beginning with Prairie View — who defeated the Jaguars in the conference title game also in the spring — and followed with a game against Texas Southern. In total, the Jaguars’ next six games, including dates at Ohio State and Washington, are road dates. Southern will not play in the Clark Center until it hosts
Grambling State Jan. 7. “Sandy Pugh and the Southern Jaguars are first class,” said head coach Larry Tidwell of Lamar. “We knew we had to play hard to win. I think this team is better than the team we played last year.” The Cardinals defeated the Jaguars 87-54 at home last season, who will head to the BTI Tip-off Classic at Kansas Friday.
Commentary southerndigest.com
The Sentinel Of An Enlightened Student Body since 1926
Tuesday, November 22, 2011 - Page 7
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“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” —George Santayana, The Life of Reason, Volume 1, 1905 U.S. (Spanish-born) philosopher (1863-1952)
Students during that time understood the power of numbers but not only did the students rally and protest, the faculty and administrators were on one accord as well.
There are so many rumors flying around campus concerning SU’s legacy. My colleague informed me two weeks ago about Southern University declaring financial exigency during the Dolores Spikes era and I felt it was my duty and obligation as a SU student to track down the truth. Thanks to the John B. Cade Library’s archive department and Ms. Angela Proctor, I may have stumbled upon some truth. If I could juxtapose SU of 1989 to SU today, it’s obvious that history repeats itself; however, this repeat will require action from students, faculty, staff, and alumni to keep SU “STRONG.” In 1989, SU was facing a budget crisis. Today, we are faced with a budget crisis. Gov. Buddy Roemer, a Democrat who was an undercover Republican and came out of the closet in 1991, proposed a budget cut of $9.5 million in 1989. Today, Gov. Bobby Jindal proposed a budget of “Lord knows how much!” In 1989, academic programs were consolidated. Today, a draft proposal has been developed for SU to function with five colleges. Financial exigency was declared for both critical situations. Enrollment was sufficient after the first declaration of financial exigency, but it gradually declined over the decades until its current state. Is financial exigency the only factor to SU’s current “poor
I also ran across an article that read, “Southern’s SGA asked students to sign a ledger to signify that students are concerned with higher education.” The article continued to read, “The ledger made more than three trips down the State Capitol steps and 10,000 names were on the ledger.” (Don’t think this fact is accurate? Check out the DIGEST of June 30, 1989.) I understand Chancellor Llorens believes this phobia of SU functioning in its final days — which is being promoted by the faculty — is all “hoopla,” but since I’m a firm believer of history repeating itself, the faculty may be right. Unless we do recruit, raise funds and advise students aggressively. There still is hope for SU’s existence, but it must continue after Chancellor Llorens and President Mason’s tenure. Students must continue to raise questions to our administrators. What is a strong Southern University? How will we go about raising funds aggressively? How can we have our alumni trust SU fundraising initiatives? These are the questions administrators and leaders of SU should wrestle with on a continuous basis and it is our duty as students to ask. So, will we let history repeat itself and play out again or will we aim for a true revolution, in other words a complete change? It’s like a jungle sometimes and I wonder can SU keep from going under?
Billy Washington functioning” status? No, but I believe declaring financial exigency may have played a role. The main difference I noticed between the two eras was the sense of concern expressed from the students, faculty, staff and alumni. The crisis of 1989 was a time when the SU community came together. It was also a time when SU reached its zenith in student enrollment. According to Ms. Proctor, SU had about 15,000 plus students and there was hardly any room to house them. This was also a time when everyone was aware of the budget crisis and the entire SU community “aggressively” raised funds to keep the legacy of SU alive, according to the many stories I heard from alumni. Today, we have roughly 6,000 students, whose main and only concern is to graduate; and we have faculty who are only worried about their checks. While looking through the archives, I also saw pictures of students holding signs that boldly read, “We ARE because Southern IS,” “ SOS: Save Our Schools,” “Keep Southern Alive,” and “Roemer, What happened to your promises?”
The struggle is not over I know some 80s and 90s babies wonder why do they have to learn about History of Civilization, American History, or Cultural/ Human Geography. These “ancient” cultures and civilizations and their practices are still present today. We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. Taking that statement conceptually, we stand on the progression of those that came before us and are expected to progress so the generation after us can stand on that progression. When a generation fails to take the advancement of others and innovate and create new solutions to progress they leave the next generation stagnant. Without the sacrifice of each generation the next generation has nothing to stand on to achieve progress. Imagine a track relay. And the anchor catches a cramp or the first of the team drops or fumbles the baton. Can you imagine the crowd in unison … Awwwwww. That’s what happens when our generation fails to carry the baton.
Evan Taylor The next generation in unison says … awwwwwwww. What will we be known for: picking up the baton and running for first? Being competitive and innovative? Or will be known for dropping the baton and lazily ignoring the task ahead. We are in it for the long haul … literally. If there is one thing that is evident, it is the need for a fight and a united effort. Time to move together for one cause. If there is a cause there is a need for a fight. The struggle is not over it is continuous, and so should our effort.
Taking heed to the lessons learned before us, we need to reevaluate our efforts and rededicate our time and money to a cause worth fighting for … our future. The world is watching Southern University as an institution for higher learning for a traditionally disenfranchised people. We are only disenfranchised if we refuse to fight our disparities. There is a cause, with disparities in healthcare, education and economics; the struggle is not over it has just changed. We have matriculated from being unable to vote to having to purchase a birth certificate to prove our citizenship. We have moved from being able to own property to not being able to purchase or earn credit for housing and assets. It’s not just about being able to eat where we want, but being able to pay the check when it is set on the table. With the struggle present, the next step is a movement … the question is not whether you will be involved but, how will you be involved?
Page 8 - Tuesday, November 22, 2011
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