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Volume 72, Issue 1
Tuesday, January 29, 2019
Inside this Issue:
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SPORTS WHO’S THE GREATEST QB ? PG. 5
NEWS ELECTION SPOTLIGHT PG. 3
A&E SOUTHERN GOES GLOBAL PG. 9
COMMENTARY ARE AIRPODS WORTH THE HYPE? PG. 11
Sophomore Class President creates internships for students Gabrielle Hutchinson
The Southern Digest
Sophomore class president Chandler Vidrine has initiated an internship placement program open to sophomore students of all majors. Vidrine has partnered with local businesses to offer a variety of internships, including both online and on-site positions, in the Baton Rouge area. “I wanted to make sure that my sophomores were well-prepared for the real world, so I’m trying to get them into those places of business to prepare them for that.” Ideally, every semester completed is one semester closer to a career. Some students may be faced with uncertainty early on or even wait until the junior or senior year to realize that they are in the wrong field. “That is not a bad thing,” Vidrine reassures, “but the majority of them are changing majors because they didn’t know or have direction regarding what their major actually
VIDRINE
entails.” Such was the case for Mathematics major, Aliska Franklin. As a junior, Franklin experienced a change of heart that caused her to choose a better major for herself. “I started out as an Elementary Education major with intentions of teaching upper elementary mathematics; however, as I started taking my 300 level courses, I realized that Elementary Education, in general, was not something I was really interested in,” Franklin shared. Since high school, Franklin has
been working closely with the local Boys and Girls Club of America, where she received hands on experience in elementary education and has developed pertinent skills from inspiring creativity to lesson planning. While it is still in Franklin’s plans, she realized that her previous major would limit her to teaching and stifle her love for Mathematics. Having realized that, Franklin says, “Literally a week before the Spring 2019 semester began, my mind and spirit led me to change my major to Mathematics & Physics with a concentration in Mathematics and a minor in Math Education.” It is Vidrine’s goal to uplift his class and give them the chance to make educated decisions on their career paths. After the application process, applicants will undergo interviews with a panel of upper-class student leaders. Students will then be walked through a series of orientation and trainings with the Department of Student Affairs, “so that we go out
The Legacy of MLK Lives On
The three winners of the 2019 MLK Unity awards from BRCC,Southern University, and LSU stand united in the Cotillion Ballroom on January 24. (Keith Lewis/ DIGEST)
Aliya Creecy
The Southern Digest
On Thursday, January 24, 2019, Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge Community College and Louisiana State University joined together to celebrate and carry on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s dream of peace and unity. The MLK Unity Reception was held in the Royal Cotillion Ballroom in the Smith-Brown Memorial Union on the campus of Southern University and A&M College. Many individuals who have impacted the community, were given the opportunity to speak about African American history and give motivation to the collegiate students who attended. Introduced by Anthony Kenney, a senior
Mass Communications Major from Baton Rouge, LA and our current SGA President, was guest speaker Dr. Shawn Wilson. Dr. Shawn Wilson currently serves as the Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development and was chosen as the speaker for his progressive actions toward the enlightenment of the community. Dr. Wilson began his speech by giving credit to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for his motivation. “Public service is a passion and there are a lot of people who inspire me and have changed the things that have happened for me and my family and Dr. King is certainly See UNITY page 3
www.southerndigest.com THE OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY AND A&M COLLEGE, BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
and represent the university to the best of our abilities and respectfully.” Applying and preparing for internships alone can be daunting, but with the help of the Sophomore class, Student Affairs, and even the Department of Career Services, our students can go for it with confidence. There are local companies who are searching for interns, and sophomores are encouraged to consider them regardless of perceived obstacles. “There are internships for everyone, including on-site internships within the city limits and the online programs,” Vidrine explains. This alternative is offered so that students who have heavy class loads or busy work schedules can experience professional training without the hassles of transportation and scheduling. Interns will be paid for their work after placement, and even online interns can earn money by See INTERNSHIPS page 3