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Wounded Jags regroup to take on PV see Sports, Page 4
Kendrick Lamar shines on ‘good kid’ see Culture, page 8
Drugs at SU prompt searches
COB finds a purpose for pink
James Teague
The Southern Digest
Christie Carral
The Southern Digest
Breast Cancer Awareness month was celebrated in symbol, memory and testimony in “Pink with a Purpose” Wednesday. The event sponsored by The Southern University College of Business, Black Executive Exchange Program and Collegiate 100 Black Men and Collegiate 100 Black Women. “Pink with a Purpose” focused on those directly and indirectly affected by Breast Cancer with personal testimony. Garrett Edgerson, a senior computer science major from New Orleans, was one degree of separation from his mother who was diagnosed. “I’m talking on behalf of my mother who has had breast cancer for nine years,” Edgerson said. He found out about his mother’s diagnosis when he was in eighth grade. “My mother told me, my sister and my brother that she had breast cancer,” Edgerson said.
photo by marian horace/DIGEST
The Encore Plus women informs the audience on the importance of getting checked for breast cancer during Wednesday’s “Pink with a Purpose” program.
He initially did not know how to react to his mother having breast cancer and still doesn’t. “I still don’t know how to react,” Edgerson said. He is thankful for his mother’s life, his mother recently graduated from Southern University-New Orleans earning her masters degree in social work. Edgerson said it was difficult to see his mother go through breast cancer. “I’ve never seen my mother with a bald head (before treatment). That was just
something I never wanted to see in my life,” Edgerson said. He urged the crowd to get tested and know the symptoms of breast cancer. “It can happen to anybody,” Edgerson said. Janifer Peters a breast cancer survivor also spoke. Peters discussed her experience when she first discovered she had breast cancer See Pink Purpose page 3
Sinkholes force Stone Ave. closure Students and faculty have noticed sinkholes appearing on Southern University’s campus at the intersection of Jesse N. Stone Avenue and Elton C. Harrison Drive within the last month. The area of Jesse N. Stone Avenue between W.W. Stewart Hall and Seymour Gymnasium has been blocked off for most of the semester because of the sink holes appearing. Eli Guillory III, executive director of facility services, has been adamant that they are aware of the problem. “Back in 1948 the existing water piping system failed in that particular area due to age of underground piping,” Guillory said. He said a new piping system was designed in 1948 and installed in 1949. Guillory said that most of the problems were created because
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of the large volume of traffic in that area. “A large volume of traffic and heavy vehicles have caused it to fail,” Guillory said. He said some of those pipes are two to three feet below the street surface. Guillory explained how when photo by arielle burks/DIGEST the physical problems arrived. “It started having stress Sinkholes on Jesse Stone Avenue between W.W. Stewart Hall and Gymnasium were determined to have been caused by cracks within last two years, but Seymour faulty piping and heavy vehicle traffic. it was difficult to find the exact location,” Guillory said. He said it started giving out out to provide price to have issue unseen,” Guillory said. Jerald Williams, instructor over the year and a month ago corrected,” Guillory said. He said the bids will be open in the health and education and started caving in. Guillory said the project had this week, and will be awarded to department said the blocking of that part Stone has caused issues. to be delayed because of the lowest bidder. “Parking, traveling to and “The project has been homecoming activities. “We slowed the process up budgeted around $200,000,” from which is making traffic come from behind Seymour at because of homecoming, and said Guillory. He said they will provide a faster rate,” Williams said. the contractor has to get all their He said the speed of traffic numbers together and mobilize timeframe of how long project cutting through Seymour will take. for construction. Guillory said it is hard to know parking lot has been risky and Guillory described the process that has to take place to fix about underground issues. “Never know of underground problem. See Sinkholes page 3 because their “Five contractors will come conditions the official student newspaper of southern university and A&m college, baton rouge, louisiana
Southern University Police Department, Student Affairs and Residential Life have joined forces against drugs on campus. SUPD, Student Affairs and Residential Life established a campaign to create a safer drug free campus. Shandon Neal, director of Residential Life not only wants the campus to be a safe place for learning and living. “We must eradicate the solicitation of drugs and controlled substances,” Neal said. According to Lieutenant Williams of SUPD and Brandon Dumas, vice chancellor for Student Affairs said, this campaign began on October 11 with the initiation of three delta drug task forces. The start of the task force searches were joined by a interdiction, (or legal sanction/ prohibition) regarding highway drug trafficking activity and campus/dormitory activity. The task force was composed of law enforcement officers from EBR and surrounding parishes to conduct random checks of residential facilities. K-9s were in the plans to be utilized, however, due to the lack of communication, the exercise was cancelled. While on campus, the task force made several random traffic stops. Because of these traffic stops, it resulted in three arrests for various charges. The charges consisted of one count of possession of marijuana, one count of paraphernalia, and one count of an open container. According to Lieutenant Williams, this operation will ongoing and will be periodical and unannounced. “Primary reason for this is to discourage drug trafficking or the use of drugs on Southern’s campus,” Williams said. Even though there is still knowledge about drugs that are being either sold, distributed, or used all around campus regardless of this campaign going on, housing is taking the necessary steps in making sure that they are making it as See Drug Searches page 3