Tennis goes for HBCU three-peat see Sports, page 7
The Big Buddy program of Baton Rouge collaborated with Southern University Jaguars head coach Stump Mitchell to make the opportunity possible for participants of the Big Buddy program to attend the Jackson State game last Saturday at A.W. Mumford Stadium. Mitchell felt compelled to allow the participants to attend a Southern University football game. “I bought 55 tickets for the game so they could have the opportunity to see Southern at its best,” said Mitchell. “I wanted to provide the opportunity to go to a Southern game to those who never had the opportunity to go.” Mitchell gave the participants this opportunity because he wanted to open the participant’s eyes to consider attend Southern University in the future. In response to questions about his plans to participate with Big Buddy again, Mitchell said, “I plan on making myself available to the community. I think everyone has an obligation to make everyone’s life better.” Ed Pratt, Southern University, Media Relations said, “It was wonderful because coach Mitchell made a financial sacrifice in order to make this program possible.”
Philip Elliott
ORLANDO, Fla. — Side by side in confrontational debate, Republican presidential hopefuls Mitt Romney and Rick Perry sarcastically accused each other Thursday night of flipflopping on Social Security and health care, flashpoints in their intense struggle for the party nomination. In a debate that focused on character and credibility as much as other issues, Perry insisted he had backed off “not one inch, Sir” from what he had written in a campaign-season
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Piping repairs on track
Both Mitchell and Pratt see this as a great opportunity for the students who are still in high school to look at Southern as a place they might attend for college. “My main reason was to show Southern in a good light,” Mitchell said as one of his reasons for his contribution. “People from the outside speak badly about our school and I just wanted to show them how great the school’s atmosphere was.” This wasn’t the first time Big Buddy collaborated with Southern. They have been linked to each other through service learning. Laurie Hardison, Public Relations, Events Consultant, Big Buddy Program, discussed the service learning students from Southern that had participated prior to Mitchell’s collaboration. “In the past years, we have had an average of about 20-30 students volunteering in the Big Buddy Program from Southern University. We were blessed this year with 70 students who worked after school programs giving instructors much needed help,” Hardison said. A relationship between Southern and Big Buddy maintained over the years. “Over the years, students have helped more than you know. The hours given by Southern students add up quickly and is an invaluable resource to Big Buddy,” Hardison said.
Trevor James
The Southern Digest
photo by trevor james/digest file
Southern head coach Stump Mitchell worked with the Baton Rouge Big Buddy program to bring participants to the Jackson State game. Mitchell wanted participants to see all that the university had to offer.
Mitchell hasn’t been the only one who has helped contribute to the program. The Association of Women’s Students (AWS) have also assisted with helping the program by holding a thanksgiving lunch for the Big Buddy program participants. They donated thanksgiving baskets to the participants last fall. Some alumni have made an impact in the program, giving back by either volunteering or donating monetarily. Pratt said, that the office of enrollment management and the people from the Ombudsman’s office got involved by speaking to the Big Buddy program about Southern
University. Hardison encouraged people to join, “Any organization is encouraged to organize with the Big Buddy office to get things started.” The program has more plans coming up real soon. “Big Buddy has grown over 30 years of existence,” Hardison said. “The principals of Big Buddy program are going on a retreat to come up with a strategic plan for the next three years with our missions.” For more information about donating and volunteering to the Big Buddy Program visit their website at www. bigbuddyprogram.net.
Romney, Perry go after each other in debate The Associated Press
Monday
Ignorance isn’t bliss ...
Mitchell aids Big Buddy James Teague
Sunday
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Davis’ supporters still seek justice
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book published a few months ago. Romney vouched for his own steadfastness moments later. “There are a lot of reasons not to elect me,” he said. “There are a lot of reasons not to elect other people on this stage. ... But one reason to elect me is I know what I stand for. I’ve written it down. Words have meaning.” The two men assailed one another in the third debate in as many weeks in a race for the Republican presidential nomination growing testier by the day. Perry runs ahead in national opinion polls, with Romney a
photo by phelan m. ebenhack/AP PHOTO
Republican presidential candidate Texas Gov. Rick Perry, left, listens as former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney makes a comment during a Fox News/Google debate Thursday.
close second, and they compete daily for endorsements from members of Congress and other party luminaries in hopes of gaining a permanent edge before the caucuses and primaries
begin early next year. The other contenders on the stage struggled at times to gain See GOP Debate page 3
the official student newspaper of southern university and A&m college, baton rouge, louisiana
The five-mile, buildingto-building central heating ventilation and air conditioning piping system renovations remain on track to be completed by May of 2012. Endas Vincent, Director of Southern University Facilities Planning said, “They have done several sections on the campus, near the administration building and Smith-Brown Memorial Student Union.” The contractors have been moving through different stages to help alleviate pedestrian and vehicular traffic issues during regular class hours and campus events. “They’ve been trying to do certain things at certain times like holidays and weekends when there isn’t as much traffic,” said Vincent. The 30-year-old piping system has been redesigned by Vivien & Associates, a mechanical and electrical engineering consulting firm, and is currently being renewed by Bernhard Mechanical Contractors, after mineral damage was found in the hot water pipelines. Vincent discussed the allocation of funds, “The overall cost for these repairs are $4,855,500 from a budget of $ 6,938,118.” This leaves a remaining $2,082,618 to be used to repair the heating ventilation and air conditioning piping system in student dormitories Camille Shade Hall, Ulysses S. Jones Hall, Samuella V. Totty Hall and The Southern University Agricultural Center. “The plan is to set the chillers inside of an external satellite plant and the boilers inside of the buildings, it may change but right now that is what we have set,” said Vincent. The plans are expected to be sent in for design within two months, and sent back in about ten months. “It takes about ten to twelve months for the construction so we’re looking at about two years of planning and work,” Vincent said. Water usage for students residing in the dormitories will not be affected when the construction begins. Buildings are still to be kept at a consistent temperature while they are still connected to the existing piping system.
Campus Life southerndigest.com
Page 2 - Friday, September 23, 2011
Classifieds
Admission will be accepted at the door. For more information, apartments for rent contact the SU Department Immediate occupancy @ The of Music at 225.771.3440 or Palisades Apt. 1.866.936.5544. 225.771.5984.
WANT TO BUY
MADDEN 12 TOURNAMENT WANTED TO BUY 1973 SU Jazz Band record album. Smith-Brown Memorial Also 1950, 1980 45rpm Union will be hosting a Madden records. Call 225.687.8076. 12 Tournament. Students who are interested must pay $5 registration fee and sign up Campus Briefs Sept. 19-23. The tournament will be on September 28 in today LaCumba’s Playpen. Trophies will be presented to the 1st and SU TV AUDIO SUTV is experiencing 2nd place winners. technical difficulties. Their audio on SUTV 75 is currently BACK TO SCHOOL SPECIAL IN SU low and distorted. If you have BARBER SHOP any questions about when the Every Monday beginning audio will be working properly, Sept. 12th the SU barber shop etc. please call 225.771.5119 will offer a “Back to School Special”. Students can receive a $2 discount off a student PEER TUTORING Center for Student Success haircut. This special is only is offering Peer Tutoring during the month of Sept. in Stewart Hall Room 107 between the hours of 11a.m.Monday through Fridays 3p.m. Students should bring in from 8:00 am to 5:00pm. Any this coupon and ask for Rob to tutoring sessions after 5pm redeem the discount. For any Monday through Thursday will questions call 225.771.3693. be held in John B. Cade Library until 9:00pm. SEPTEMBER 28 OPERA CREOLE
SENIOR CLASS EXTRAVAGANZA & NAACP VOTER APPROCIATION
Southern University’s Department of Music will present the New Orleans vocal group “Opera Creole” at 7:30 p.m., Sept. 23 in the Recital Hall of the DeBose Music Building. Opera Creole is an ensemble of professional artists who live in or are natives of New Orleans. The ensemble is dedicated to educating students, sharing the contributions of Louisiana Creole composers with the community, and preserving the Creole culture through historically/genealogical research, education programs and celebrations. The concert will consist of a standard operatic repertoire, musical works by composers of color, and New Orleans 19th Century free Creoles. Admission to the event is $15 for adults, $5 for students with a valid university ID.
The Senior Class and NAACP invites you to the Union Courtyard on September 28 from 12-2p.m. for a celebration. Join them for food, music, prizes, and fun. SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT
The Southern University Center for Social Research, Collegiate 100 Black women, Collegiate 100 Black Men present a HIV/AIDS awareness event, “Setting the record straight” in Higgins Hall Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. Come out and get valuable information, hear speakers, play games, and leave more knowledgeable than you came. october 1 SCHOOL OF NURSING APPLICATIONS
Applications for the School of Nursing for the Spring 2012
semester are now available online at www.subr.edu. Click on Academic Affairs and follow the School of Nursing Undergraduate program link. All students must meet the following criteria; have been admitted to Southern University-BR, Have a cumulative grade point average of 2.6, Submit ACT/SAT scores and writing proficiency score, Complete all courses listed in the first three semesters of nursing curriculum with a minimum of C in each course. The deadline to apply is October 1, 2011. october 19-20
The Sentinel Of An Enlightened Student Body since 1926
Who’s Speaking Out? What do candiates in the SU area need to be paying attention to at Southern? Jordan Gregory
Mariah Domino
Alexandria, la. sophomore nursing
Baton rouge junior nursing
“They should pay attention to the students gregory because they are accepting the role of being a role model.”
NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ALOCHOL AWARENESS WEEK
The Southern University Counseling Center presents National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week Wednesday, Oct. 19 and Thursday, Oct. 20. Wednesday’s events include “Drunken Goggles” and “BYOB (Bring Your Own Bananas)” from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on the front lawn of the SmithBrown Memorial Union. Thursday’s events include “Mocktails” from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. in the Royal Cotillion Ballroom of the union. Can you make an award-winning non-alcoholic beverage? Prove it. Register to participate in Happy Hour with Mocktails. Contact the UCC for more information at 225.771.2480.
“They need to pay more attention to the Domino students and their needs by making short term goals instead of always making long term goals.”
Kayla Culbert
Chelsea Ferrell
natchitoches junior mass comm.
alexandria, la. junior nursing
“They need to pay attention to the needs of the students,faculty culbert and departments by helping to find ways of making areas of Southern better in the long run.”
“They need to pay more attention to Ferrell financial aid processing, housing assignments and living conditions.”
FALL 2011 WRITING PROFICIENCY EXAM
The Writing Proficiency Examination is scheduled for October 20. Only those students who have officially registered will be allowed to take the test. The WPE must show up on the student’s class schedule. Students currently enrolled in Freshman Composition 111 will take the WPE as their final exam. Student need to sign in at appointed sites by 3:45 p.m. NO STUDENT WILL BE ADMITTED AFTER 3:45 P.M. Last names A-L report to School of Nursing Auditorium and M-Z report to Stewart Hall Auditorium.
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.
Articles, features, opinions, speak out and editorials do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the administration and its policies. Signed articles, feedback, commentaries and features do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors, staff or student body. Southern University and A&M College at Baton Rouge is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097, telephone (404) 679-4500, Website: www.sacscoc.org. MISSION STATEMENT The mission of Southern University and A&M College, an Historically Black, 1890 landgrant institution, is to provide opportunities for a diverse student population to achieve a high-quality, global educational experience, to engage in scholarly, research, and creative activities, and to give meaningful public service to the community, the state, the nation, and the world so that Southern University graduates are competent, informed, and productive citizens. Website: www.subr.edu.
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PAGE 2 / CAMPUS BRIEFS All submissions must be received by 3 p.m. each Friday prior to Tuesday’s Issue and by 3 p.m. each Wednesday prior to Friday’s Issue. PAGE 2 is only available to officially registered campus organizations, Southern University Departments. All briefs should include a date, time, contact name & number. Submit announcements to: The Southern DIGEST - Suite 1064 Harris Hall, Attn: PAGE 2 CORRECTIONS Fact and accuracy is our goal and our job. As the voice of the Southern University student body we are committed to ensuring to most fair, truthful and accurate accounts of our work. In the event of an error we will make all corrections on Page 2. Bring corrections to The Southern DIGEST office located in Suite 1064, Harris Hall.
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Friday, September 23, 2011 - Page 3
The Sentinel Of An Enlightened Student Body since 1926
GOP Debate from page 1 the debate spotlight, even as they struggle to gain traction in the polls. The GOP presidential hopefuls all agreed quickly on one point — that President Barack Obama’s handling of the economy was woeful. They said they would cut taxes, eliminate government regulations and take other steps to help create jobs in a nation with 9.1 percent unemployment. Yet the two-hour event was marked by clashes over Social Security, health care, immigration, gun rights and more. Romney accused Perry of having said the federal
government “shouldn’t be in the pension business, that it’s unconstitutional,” a reference to Social Security benefits. Noting his rival’s denials, Romney mocked him. “You better find that Rick Perry and get him to stop saying that,” he said. Perry soon returned the favor, saying that Romney switched his position on health care between editions of a book he had published. In one edition, Perry said, Romney advocated expanding to the rest of the country the health care program he signed in Massachusetts. “Then in your paperback you
took that line out, so speaking of not getting it straight in your book, Sir.” “It’s like badminton,” said Perry. The Massachusetts legislation required residents of the state to purchase health coverage or pay a fine, a cornerstone of the law that Obama won from Congress last year that has inflamed conservative voters across the country. Perry also accused Romney of flip-flopping his views on the rights of gun owners. In fact, both Perry and Romney have sought to blur if not rewrite portions of their own records as
they vie for the nomination. In Romney’s case, that has meant trying to win support from conservative voters despite the moderate positions he held on social issues while he was governor of Massachusetts. And for Perry, it has meant trying to fend off criticism that his views on Social Security and other issues render him unelectable. Perry gave no ground on one issue — his support for a state law in Texas that gives the children of illegal immigrants reduced tuition to state colleges and universities. “If you say that we should not
educate children who have come into the state for no other reason than they’ve been brought there, by no fault of their own, I don’t think you have a heart,” he said. That drew a retort from former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum. “No one is suggesting that students who are illegal in this country shouldn’t go to colleges and universities,” he said, adding that he objects to giving them state subsidies to do so. “Most folks have to pay the full boat. ... Why should they be given preferential treatment as an illegal in this country?” he said.
Page 4 - Friday, September 23, 2011
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State & Nation southerndigest.com
The Sentinel Of An Enlightened Student Body since 1926
Friday, September 23, 2011 - Page 5
Davis’ backers seek next step after execution Greg Bluestein The Southern Digest
ATLANTA — Minutes before he was put to death, Troy Davis asked his supporters to “continue to fight this fight” — but will they, and how? The Georgia inmate’s case outraged hundreds of thousands of people around the world who found the evidence against him weak, and opponents of the death penalty hope their anger provokes a backlash against capital punishment. Some activists say a fitting legacy of the case would be laws that bar death sentences for those, like Davis, whose convictions are based on eyewitness testimony. With Davis gone, however, the loose coalition of groups who pushed for his freedom may simply crumble. Much may depend not on the death penalty’s most strident opponents, but on less politically active people who were drawn into the debate by Davis’ two-decade struggle. That includes Melvin Middleton, who believes capital punishment can be appropriate. After learning more details about Davis’ case, he decided to show up at a downtown Atlanta rally opposing the execution. “If you’re going to take someone’s life, you better be damn sure you are making the right decision,” he said. “I don’t know if he’s guilty or not, but he’s not proven guilty.” Davis was executed late Wednesday for the 1989 murder of off-duty Savannah police officer Mark MacPhail. Defense attorneys said several key witnesses disputed their testimony and other people claimed that another man confessed to the crime, but state and federal courts repeatedly
photo by stephen morton/AP PHOTO
Anti-death penalty protester is helped off the ground after hearing about a delay of the execution by the U.S. Supreme Court for Georgia death row inmate Troy Davis In Jackson, Ga., Wednesday. Davis was scheduled to die Wednesday for killing off-duty Savannah officer Mark MacPhail.
upheld the conviction. Davis maintained his innocence even as he was strapped to a gurney in the death chamber, where he told the MacPhail family to “look deeper into this case so that you really can finally see the truth.” Prosecutors and MacPhail’s relatives say they have no doubt that justice was done, but among Davis’ supporters, frustration runs deep. “We did not want to lose Troy Davis as a casualty of this war, but I do think that his execution in a real sense will only add momentum to the movement of those of us who understand that the state really cannot be trusted with the ultimate punishment,” said the Rev. Raphael Warnock, who spoke on Davis’ behalf at a pardons board hearing this week. Already, there are calls for lasting changes to the capital
punishment system from Davis’ advocates. Former President Jimmy Carter said he hopes “this tragedy will spur us as a nation toward the total rejection of capital punishment.” Filmmaker Michael Moore posted a statement on his website calling for a boycott of Georgia. The Rev. Al Sharpton, who visited Davis on death row, said he will push for a national ban on capital punishment in cases that rely on eyewitness testimony. Maryland passed such a law in 2009. “We must not only mourn what happened to Troy Davis but take strong measures so that it does not happen again,” Sharpton said. The Davis execution comes at a time when death penalty decisions are under increased scrutiny. The number of executions has dropped by half
over the last decade, from 98 in 1999 to 46 in 2010. Illinois abolished capital punishment in March and several other states, including California and Connecticut, are expected to consider similar proposals next year. More than 3,200 U.S. inmates were on death row at the beginning of 2011, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Public support for capital punishment remains strong, according to several polls. This month, a CBS/NY Times poll found that 60 percent of those surveyed supported the death penalty for people convicted of murder, with 27 percent opposed and 13 percent unsure. Gallup polls over the past two decades have shown slightly higher support, though Gallup found Americans to be closely divided
when asked to choose between the death penalty and life imprisonment with no chance of parole. Laura Moye of Amnesty International said she expects the Davis execution to be used to rally repeal movements across the country. She plans to meet with activists in Georgia over the next few days to plot out an attempt to banish capital punishment there. “I’m meeting people who didn’t really ever speak about the death penalty and now they are. They’re hungry about the information and now they know,” she said. It’s far from clear, however, whether the thousands who rallied and the hundreds of thousands who signed petitions on Davis’ behalf will become any kind of political force. Organizers have announced few concrete steps, and legislative proposals have yet to take shape. “The emotion of the moment passes and unfortunately so does the urgency to address these issues,” said Bruce Barket, a New York criminal defense attorney who specializes in investigating wrongful convictions. Spencer Lawton, the Savannah prosecutor who helped convict Davis, said the case shouldn’t morph into a broader debate about capital punishment. “Whether you are for or against the death penalty case is irrelevant in this case,” he said. “You shouldn’t be making Troy Davis into a vehicle for you to distort the truth, and that’s what I think is going to happen. Whether you are for or against the death penalty, this has been a clear and fair and honest proceeding throughout. If you don’t like the result, don’t attack the proceeding falsely.”
Obama challenges Boehner, McConnell Jim Kuhnhenn The Associated Press
photo by Pablo martinez monsivais/AP PHOTO
President Barack Obama delivers remarks at the Brent Spence Bridge, regarding his American Jobs Act Now legislation, Thursday in Cincinnati, Ohio.
CINCINNATI — Employing in-your-face politics, President Barack Obama sold his jobs plan Thursday from the turf of the top Republicans on Capitol Hill, combatively calling them out by name to demand action. Obama stood in front of an aging bridge that links House Speaker John Boehner’s home state of Ohio with Kentucky, home to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, to call for passage of his $447 billion package in tax cuts, jobless aid and public works projects. “Mr. Boehner, Mr. McConnell, help us rebuild this bridge,” Obama said. “Help us rebuild America. Help us put this country back to work. Pass this
jobs bill right away.” It amounted to one of Obama’s most direct and defiant challenges to leaders of the opposition party. And the incursion into the Republicans’ territory illustrated a new White House aggression and a desire by the president’s advisers to distinguish him from Republicans and to get them to share some of the blame for the struggling economy. It also was a shift from the president’s outreach to Boehner this summer, when the two men tried to work out a deal that would extend the nation’s borrowing authority and cut long-term deficits as well. Then, the president took Boehner golfing. Now, he’s taking him to task. “Part of the reason I came here is because Mr. Boehner
and Mr. McConnell are the two most powerful Republicans in government,” Obama said. “They can either kill this jobs bill, or they can help us pass it.” Obama said his legislation would put construction workers back to work around the country on projects like the Brent Spence Bridge, but the White House gladly conceded that the choice of the aging span south of Cincinnati was symbolic. The bridge is scheduled to be repaired anyway starting in 2015, although White House press secretary Jay Carney said the president’s job bill could speed up that timeline. The trip also raises Obama’s profile in politically important Ohio, a state that he won in 2008 but that George W. Bush also won twice.
Page 6 - Friday, September 23, 2011
The Sentinel Of An Enlightened Student Body since 1926
SPorTS southerndigest.com
The SenTinel of an enlighTened STudenT Body Since 1926
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Payton, Journet earn SWAC honors
Two Southern athletes earned Southwestern Athletic Conference player of the week honors in their respective sports. Football player Jamie Payton earned the SWAC’s top weekly defensive honor while volleyball player Chanda Journet picked up her sport’s top weekly honors for offense. Payton, a 6-foot-1 senior from Gonzales, registered 11 total tackles (8 solo) and accounted for three turnovers in the Jaguars 28-24 loss to Jackson State. He recorded two fumble recoveries and an interception to go along with a sack and two tackles for loss. Payton and the Jaguars return to action Saturday against Florida A&M in the Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic. Kickoff is 3:30 p.m. Eastern/2:30 p.m. Central and shown live on Versus (Cox channel 105/1105 HD, AT&T U-Verse channel 640/1640 HD, DirecTV channel 603). Journet, a 5-7 sophomore from Breaux Bridge, La. piled up 131 assists last week, averaging 21.83 per set. She helped the Lady Jaguars earn their first win of 2011 and propelled the team to a 3-3 record this week. In a 5-set thriller versus Valley in the Delta Devillettes tourney, the Breaux Bridge native posted 39 assists in leading SU to 3-2 win. On Monday night, Journet recorded 33 assists in a 3-0 Southern loss to Xavier-NO. Journet and the Lady Jaguars return to action at home Monday against Xavier. Play begins at 7:30 p.m.
SWAC CFO named to BCA committee
Southwestern Athletic Conference Chief Financial Officer Nitra Avery has been selected by the Black Coaches and Administrators (BCA) to the organization’s strategic planning finance committee. The selection was made by the BCA Board of Directors The Black Coaches & Administrators primary purpose is to foster the growth and development of ethnic minorities at all levels of sports both nationally and internationally. The BCA is committed to creating a positive enlightened environment where issues can be examined closely, debated sincerely and resolved honestly. The BCA’s focus involves the concerns of its colleagues in professional sports, NCAA, NAIA, junior college and high school levels.
friday, SePTemBer 23, 2011 - Page 7
Tennis sets sights on 3-peat SU defends HBCU national title this weekend in Atlanta-area tournament morrIs DILLarD III The Southern Digest
The Southern women’s tennis team will look to claim their third consecutive HBCU National Championship at the 11th annual tournament in the Clayton County Tennis Center in Jonesboro, Ga., this weekend. This year’s tournament was moved to the Atlanta area for more exposure after humble beginnings in 2000, when the first championship was first held in Tallahassee, Fla. Last year’s event hosted 16 HBCU collegiate men’s and women’s tennis programs from 10 different states with a total of 150 studentathletes participating. The Jaguars captured its second straight Southwestern Athletic Conference several months ago, it’s sixth in the last nine years. SU defeated Alcorn State 4-3 in the title match, led by Demetria Woods
and Lois Alexis, who made the All-Tournament team after last year’s championship. Senior Carlista Mohammed, who earned player of the year last year, Alexis, and Woods lead the Jaguars into the 201112 season, with their first stop in Atlanta. Mohammed finished runner-up in A Flight Singles in the conference tournament and Alexis won the C Flight Singles. SU coach Jeff Conyers, a five time SWAC coach of the year, said his team main goal is to be relentless in competition. “The energy is high will the retuning players,” Conyers said. “They’re trying to go for that third one in a row. Lois has taken it upon herself to try and get others on board to bleed that blue and gold.” Conyers added that the main focus is finding their doubles team. He’s set for one doubles team for the tournament, which began play Thursday.
photo by daVid clark iii/digest
Gabrielle Moore focuses on the ball for a forehand return as the women’s tennis team prepares for their defense of their HBCU Title. The team will grace the courts in Atlanta this weekend.
“It’s been a tedious task trying to figure them out,” Conyers said. “Mohammed and Alexis is going to be up there in the top A flight. I just have to figure which young ladies will
go into the B flight.” The annual affair includes events such as a welcoming mixer, a Pro-Am double tennis mixer Friday and a junior tennis clinic Saturday.
Southern seeks to gain ground morrIs DILLarD III The Southern Digest
Last Saturday’s loss to Jackson State was tough for Southern coach Stump Mitchell to swallow. The Tigers enjoyed a thrilling comeback victory in Mumford Stadium, their third straight win between the schools. Southern finished last in the Southwestern Athletic Conference a year ago with 90 yards rushing per game. Mitchell said he hopes the running game will eventually click, which is on pace for another last place finish, averaging 27 yards per game this season. The Jaguars (1-2) face the Florida A&M Rattlers in the Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Saturday at the Georgia Dome. In the loss against Jackson, a total of six ball carriers including the punter, gained 19 yards led by sophomore quarterback Dray Joseph, whose longest run was 23 yards. “It’s not like we’re not working on it everyday in practice,” Mitchell said, speaking at his Tuesday press conference. “We work extremely hard trying to run the ball in practice and I’m going to give it an opportunity in the ball game.” Joseph is the leading rusher for the Jaguars with 102 yards, including 44
photo by treVor James/digest
Southern running back Byron Williams runs a first down against Alabama A&M. The Jags hope to get the ground game going against FAMU in Saturday’s Atlanta Football Classic.
yards against Jackson. Behind him, freshman quarterback J.P. Douglas, who led Southern with 31 rushing yards in the season opener against Tennessee State. The biggest concern is the offensive line. Mitchell pointed out that line stepping will impact the run game more than pass protection. “Sometimes our guys tend to pivot as oppose to taking the step with the right or left foot,” Mitchell said. “It’s a habit that they have to break. We work on it everyday. When they break it will be okay.” Junior running back Sylvester Nzekwe lead all rushers a year ago with 248 yards and five touchdowns. So far Nzekwe is sixth on the team with nine yards on four attempts and the offense hasn’t scored a rushing touchdown. “He provided spark in the passing
game,” Mitchell said of Nzekwe. “If given the opportunity, he may be one of those guys who could make guys miss more so than the other back that we have.” Nzekwe totaled a career-high 71 receiving yards on four catches against Jackson, including a 24-yard gain in the third quarter that led to a 23-yard field goal by kicker Manuel Canto. He caught 15 passes and gained 68 yards last season. Southern brings the conference’s leading passer and pass offense to Atlanta to face an FAMU defense ranked seventh against the run and last in total defense in the MidEastern Athletic Conference. Saturday’s matchup at the Georgia Dome pairs both teams’ greatest strengths against their See gain ground page 8
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The Sentinel of an Enlightened Student Body since 1926
QB McGinty removed from team
Gain Ground from page 7
Perryn Keys The Advocate
Southern quarterback Jeremiah McGinty, who started seven games as a sophomore last season, has been dismissed from the team with no explanation from coach Stump Mitchell, the player’s father said Wednesday. Durward McGinty said his son called him late last week to say the coaching staff told the junior quarterback he was no longer a member of the squad. “We talked to Jeremiah just yesterday (Tuesday),” Durward McGinty said. “He said nothing has changed with that.” Mitchell said he had no comment regarding McGinty’s status with the team. Jeremiah McGinty completed 45 percent of his passes for 1,271 yards, nine touchdowns and six interceptions last season. He also ran for 229 yards. He underwent offseason surgery on his left (nonthrowing) shoulder, an injury that bothered him much of last year. Durward McGinty said that this summer Mitchell told the quarterback that he would probably redshirt this season, then return in 2012 as a fourthyear junior. McGinty went through preseason camp but took fewer snaps with the first-team offense, working behind
photo by april buffington/digest file photo
Head coach Stump Mitchell talks with Jeremiah McGinty on the sideline at the MEAC/SWAC Challenge. McGinty was dismissed from the team earlier this week for unspecified reasons.
sophomore Dray Joseph, freshman J.P. Douglas and senior Hasoni Alfred. McGinty did not travel with the team for its Sept. 3 opener at Tennessee State. Asked if he dismissed McGinty or if the quarterback quit, Mitchell again declined comment. “We have not talked to (Mitchell) since this thing happened,” Durward McGinty said. Jeremiah McGinty was named AllGreater Houston Offensive Player of the Year by the Houston Chronicle in 2007, but received no scholarship offers and spent one year at a prep school. He threw five passes as a freshman
at Southern in 2009, then assumed the No. 1 job last season. McGinty had a 2-5 record in seven games as a starter, though Joseph came off the bench during the second half in both of Southern’s two wins. Redshirt freshman Wynton Perro, who moved from quarterback to safety this summer, rejoined the quarterbacks this week, wearing a red No. 7 jersey. Joseph is now the clear-cut starter at quarterback, with Douglas the main backup. Joseph has completed 50 percent of his passes for 717 yards, with six touchdowns and one interception.
most glaring weakness. “Right now were number one in passing,” senior widereceiver LaQuinton Evans said. “They’re going to have to respect our pass. It’s going to open up for our run.” The Rattlers come in averaging 20 points per game, ranked sixth in the MEAC. Quarterback Austin Trainor is second in passing (214.3 ypg) and fourth in total offense, tossing four touchdown passes and four interceptions in 93 attempts. Southern has received plenty of production from its receivers Evans, junior Charles Hawkins, who was knocked out of Saturday’s game with a mild concussion, and junior tight end Mike Berry, who’s tied with Evans with two scores. “Last time we played Florida A&M, we lost to them in the last seconds of the game,” Evans said, who at the time was a freshman. “This year it means a lot.” Joseph is second in the conference in passing yards (239 ypg) despite a season-low 122 in the season opener. He threw a career-high 47 passes for 287 yards and three touchdowns in the loss to Jackson. “Dray is a leader,” first-year wide receiver coach Jorge Baez said. “He’s a guy that has taken the offense, and now that he feels comfortable, he wants to learn.”
Culture southerndigest.com
The Sentinel of an Enlightened Student Body since 1926
Friday, September 23, 2011 - Page 9
Hart’s ‘Pain’ makes push at box office Sam Ross
The Southern Digest
On the heels of one of the most successful comedy tours in history, actor and stand-up comedian Kevin Hart is now raking up substantial figures from his new full-length feature film, Laugh at My Pain, which was released domestically in select AMC theaters earlier this month. Laugh at My Pain documents Hart live, raw and uncut, from his two-day stint at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles. In addition, the film features exclusive backstage footage as well as a trip back to Philadelphia, where Hart was bred and also where he launched his career to become one of the most successful comedians of all time. The film was produced by Jeff Clanagan, founder and owner of Codeblack Entertainment, for a mere $750,000 and managed to bring in over $2 million its first weekend at the box office. The movie, which was released through Hart’s own Hartbeat
Productions, was sent to a total of 99 theaters and 25 markets domestically its opening weekend. So, this earned the film an average of $20,619 per theater. Stand-up comedies garner strong ratings on television and even sell considerably well when released to DVD, but in rare cases when they make it to the silver screen, chances of a standup comedy being a success is almost never guaranteed, especially one targeted towards an urban audience. Retrospectively, The Original Kings of Comedy with Cedric the Entertainer grossed a respectable $38.3 million back in 2000 and Martin Lawrence Live: Runteldat made $19.2 million in 2002. On the other hand, Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Show flopped, grossing only $603,984 back in 2008. Hart’s two nights at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, which are shown in the film, were sold out. This broke a record previously set by Eddie Murphy. Hart’s “Laugh at My Pain” tour grossed over $15 million in ticket
photo by chris pizzello/ap photo
Kevin Hart, center, star of the new comedy concert film “Laugh at My Pain,” reacts to a t-shirt worn by actor Jamie Foxx at the premiere of the film in Los Angeles. Looking on at left is Hart’s date Eniko Parrish.
sales, which catapulted him into the number one comedian spot this past February. “At 32, I’ve truly experienced what the true meaning of love and support of your fans is. It’s unbelievable. The one thing about the business of entertainment is that you have to learn patience. And the thing with patience is
Facebook users: Get ready for more changes Barbara Ortutay
The Associated Press
NEW YORK —Facebook is at it again. The social network is tweaking the home pages of its 750 million users, much to the chagrin of some very vocal folks. The world’s largest online social network is expected to announce even more changes on Thursday, when it holds its annual f8 conference in San Francisco for developers who create games and other applications for its site. The gathering follows a trickle of changes to Facebook in the past few of weeks. Some, such as larger photo displays and a feature that makes it easier to group friends into categories, were met with approval — or at least silence, which in the age of social-media oversharing could well be considered an endorsement. Then came Wednesday, when many users woke up to find their homepages altered, with what Facebook calls “top stories” on the top of their pages, followed by “recent stories” listed in chronological order. On the right side, meanwhile, there’s something called a “ticker,” a live feed of all the ongoing activity that also appears in users’ news feeds. It’s a kind of Facebook inside Facebook, if you will. By mid-morning, the words “new Facebook” quickly became one of the most discussed topics on Twitter. Many comments were negative, though some pointed out that Facebook makes many
changes to its site and people eventually get used to it. Then there were the jokes. John Kovalic from Madison, Wisconsin poked fun at Netflix’s recent public relations fiasco, tweeting: “On the plus side, at least the new Facebook isn’t calling itself “Qwikface.” (Netflix, for those who missed it, is facing a big backlash from its subscribers because it raised prices and renamed its popular DVD-by-mail service “Qwikster.”) Another online critic liked Facebook to a pop star who’s addicted to cosmetic surgery. For its part, Facebook has long asserted that it makes changes to keep users engaged, and that those alterations are often based on user requests. Other tweaks derive from the company’s study of activity on Facebook and what it thinks people will enjoy using. Privacy advocates, meanwhile, have contended that Facebook changes its site in order to get people to share as much as possible about their habits, hobbies and likes -all to give advertisers a better picture of who to target. In reality, it’s a little of both. The way Facebook sees it, the more people enjoy using the site, the more time they’ll spend there. The latest changes are “tailored at making sure this news feed is what you want to see,” said Mike Schroepfer, vice See Facebook Changes page 10
your time will come, there’s just no telling when. Your job is to be ready when the time comes. I’ve been in the business for 14 years. And 13 of them have been just me hustling to get to this point,” said Hart in an interview with Entertainment Weekly on his new found success. Due to its success and high
demand, “Kevin Hart: Laugh at My Pain”, has been shipped domestically to an additional 58 theaters. “[The] goal is to get to 300 screens independently,” said Hart. For promotion, according to Clanagan via The Los Angeles Times, Hart did not spend much money promoting through traditional marketing mediums.
The Sentinel Of An Enlightened Student Body since 1926
Page 10 - Friday, September 23, 2011
Arizona man charged in Sony hacking case Yung Humma
The Southern Digest
LOS ANGELES — An Arizona man was arrested and charged Thursday in connection with the breach of computers at Sony Pictures Entertainment early this summer where more than 37,000 users had their information stolen. Cody Kretsinger, 23, of Tempe, Ariz., was arrested and expected to make a court appearance later Thursday in a Phoenix courtroom. An indictment unsealed in Los Angeles charged Kretsinger with one count each of conspiracy and unauthorized impairment of a protected computer. If convicted of both counts, he faces up to 15 years in prison. It wasn’t immediately known if Kretsinger had retained an attorney. Sony Pictures computers were compromised in late May and early June by a group known as Lulz Security, whose members anonymously claimed responsibility. The organization had bragged
of accessing more than 1 million accounts, but Sony, whose offices are located in Culver City, Calif., later said about 37,500 users had personally identifiable information stolen. Kretsinger is the first person arrested in the U.S. who is a current or former member of LulzSec, which has been linked to other hacking scandals involving various government and business entities across the world, authorities said. Kretsinger, known by the moniker “recursion,” grabbed confidential information from Sony, passed it along to other members of LulzSec who posted the stolen material on its website, according to the indictment. Additional charges may be forthcoming because the indictment notes Kretsinger was aided by other known and unknown coconspirators. The investigation is ongoing, said FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller. Parent company Sony Corp. has been dogged by personal data loss problems, including separate hacks that compromised the personal information of more than 100 million users earlier this year.
photo by paul sakuma/ap photo
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg talks about Timeline during the f/8 conference in San Francisco Thursday. Facebook is dramatically redesigning its users’ profile pages to create what CEO Zuckerberg says is a “new way to express who you are.”
Facebook Changes from page 9 president of engineering at Facebook. And, so far, that’s been good for business — despite the grumblings of vocal minority of Facebook users. The company is expected to bring in $3.8 billion in worldwide advertising this year and $5.8 billion in 2012, according to research firm eMarketer. Facebook is well-aware of perhaps the biggest downside of being the world’s largest social network: With so many users, pleasing all of them is difficult. Schroepfer said the tweaks to the news feed are meant to appeal to a broad range of people, whether they have 15 friends and log in once a week or 800 and spend four hours a day on the site. “We want to make sure we provide the right kind of basics to make sure that the core of Facebook is sharing and (seeing) the right kind of things,” he said. Facebook, though clearly king of social networks, is also competing with Twitter and Google Plus for attention. As such, the race to add new features has the potential to confuse users, said Debra Aho Williamson,
principal analyst at eMarketer. “It’s like...who’s going to come up with the best, most interesting features to keep people using their service,” she said. “Everyone is copying each other, making sure whatever feature Twitter offers, Facebook offers, whatever Facebook offers, Google Plus offers.” On Thursday, Facebook is likely to push forward again, unveiling a slew of new ways to share content on its site and beyond. It keeps changing because if it doesn’t, it could go the way of MySpace, the once-great social network that even an ownership stake by Justin Timberlake seems unlikely to rescue. “The idea of a social network and what a social network is continues to evolve,” Williamson said. “First it was creating a profile and sending status updates to your friends. Facebook is (now) going toward helping companies be more social and helping consumers and users feel like they have a stronger connection to these...businesses, media and things they are interested in.”
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Friday, September 23, 2011 - Page 11
Ignorance isn’t bliss, just a disadvantage SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY SUITE 1064 T.H. HARRIS HALL POST OFFICE BOX 10180 BATON ROUGE, LA 70813 PHONE: 225.771.2231 FAX: 225.771.5840 ONLINE @ www.southerndigest.com
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It’s about to be that time a year again … campaign Season for Louisiana. If there was any time to be making demands for what you need in your communities and school it’s now. We have to do preventative maintenance for our communities and not just damage control after the damage is already done. Look up your district and get to know those running for your area. Don’t be afraid to hold them accountable for their promises and demand they take input from you and your community. After all that’s what they were put there for. Don’t just vote for someone because of their name and who they are associated with. Know them like people who you would invite to your house. Ask how they plan to help your area and how far they are willing to go for you. Know where their loyalties lie and make sure that when they are elected you hold them to it. Our system fails if we are only involved in the voting process. We have to stay
Evan Taylor involved before, during, and after. If candidates host a listening tour or community session attend and take people in your neighborhood or area with you. Voice your opinions and ask if the candidates have any suggestions of what you and the community should be doing on the grassroots level. Our candidates represent us in the state legislature, congress, and federal landscape but ultimately we have to represent ourselves.
Address those issues that the candidate may not have considered or heard about. They cannot properly and adequately represent you without knowing your problems and concerns. Remember you put them there and you can take them out. They are only representatives of you. Use the power you have to make a difference in your community. Please don’t let anybody take away your rights by failing to exercise them. Be aware of what’s going on in your school, neighborhood, community, city, state, country, and world. Ignorance is not bliss but, it is a disadvantage. If you have a problem with the system change it, don’t just idly by and watch it change in the opposite direction. Ask questions, ask questions, ask questions, the only stupid questions are the important ones that go unasked.
Make some actual change SU Disclaimer: This editorial will be truthful, harsh, and from the heart. All those with a weak constitution for realness should not read this … May cause self-doubt, a loss in self-esteem, and sudden sense of self-realization. Now that that’s out of the way, Southern University and A&M College has some issues … a laundry list of issues that I can’t get into with just one editorial but I’ll give it my best shot to hit a few of them. SU has got to do a better job at handling itself as a business. It makes no sense for it to take as long as it does to get refunds, scholarships, and PAFs processed. I understand that there was an issue with Banner (it’s the root of all evil) but what was the excuse last year? Or the years before that? After awhile people (students mainly) get tired of hearing excuses. You would think that after years of making the same mistakes that someone would have enough sense to make some changes. Or is that too much like making sense? One would expect for people who work here to actually do some work. I know you have a lot on your plates with the whole “Banner shuffle” but I mean at least act like you enjoy your job. In a business employees should
Norman J. Dotson Jr . always make sure that the customer is happy but here they do the exact opposite. I waited for a week for some answers on PAFs for my colleagues and me because we have basically been working for free since school started and no one could give me a straight answer. After much detective work and hair pulling we finally found them in the exact same place we left them! Why in the world I thought that the right thing would be done but I was optimistic. That’s just one instance that I as well as many others have had to endure here which has caused many to think that Southern is full of incompetent idiots… can you really blame them though?
I mean its starting to become very sad and sort of embarrassing, how do you expect to attract and retain students when you can’t treat people right? If Southern wants to move forward it needs to walk the walk instead of talking the talk. Get rid of the dead weight that is dragging our university down. I mean those people who don’t know how to do their jobs or have nasty attitudes when people ask them simple questions. Wonder why people go off in your offices? Its because we had to deal with at least three old ladies whom obviously need to retire before we get to you and your nonchalant attitude. At least feign some sense of urgency when a student is looking for their money. How do you think we feel when we spend eight hours walking the campus in search of answers and each place we go to somebody gives a vague answer or a crappy attitude? I am genuinely surprised no one has been hurt yet. I’m just saying if you don’t your job, QUIT! I’m not forcing you to stay here and I’m surely not going to miss any sleep with you gone. By the way if this insults you, I’m talking about you. In conclusion lets get our act together and not further embarrass ourselves or frustrate each other.
Page 12 - Friday, September 23, 2011
The Sentinel Of An Enlightened Student Body since 1926