Volume 76 - ISSUE 4

March 2, 2021 . Volume 76 . Issue 4

New Beginnings, New Looks and New Food: Prime Grill Ribbon Cutting Kynnedi S. Jackson The Southern Digest

On Tuesday, February 23, 2021, the Prime Grill hosted its ribbon cutting ceremony. The ceremony was held to celebrate the opening of the Prime Grill, an Aramarkowned and operated restaurant.

As many of the students know, the Prime Grill is the newest edition to dining in the SmithBrown Memorial Union at Southern University. “We saw it was time for a change. We wanted something that resonated with the generation and was made to order,” said Micah Boudreaux District Marketing Manager for Aramark. There to cut the ribbon was Chandler Vidrine, Southern University’s Student Government Association, SGA, President, and the 90th Miss Southern, Kennedie Batiste. After the ceremony, there were samples of everything on the menu served to all in attendance. This was a wonderful way to spread the word and get a feel of what the student body will experience when dining.

Though the Prime Grill may seem like just a restaurant and not much of a big deal, the opening of this branch means a lot to the entire student body. It was made

Kynnedi S. Jackson The Southern Digest

90th Miss Southern University, Kennedie Baptiste and SGA President Chandler Vadrine stand alongside Aramark Southern System District Manager, Brett Perlowski and Student Affairs Administrators during the Prime Grill Grand Opening on Tuesday, February 23. (Chris Jones/DIGEST)

very clear that the best interest of the students was always kept in mind by every party involved.

The Prime Grill replaces an older burger brand with something fresh. There is something for everyone. President Vidrine stated that, “Overall I think that this gives the University a new area to look forward to. We want the best

of the best for our students.” He also sends out a huge shoutout to Aramark for working so diligently with the team. Their actions have been relentless and have supplied new opportunities. Aramark Higher Education South Region District Manager, Brett Perlowski, followed behind and said, “Our job is to create environmental

experiences.” The Prime Grill in its brief time has already started to make those experiences.

Vice-Chancellor for Student Affairs, Dr. F. Carl. Walton says, “I am excited. There is great food, and it is a wonderful addition for the students.” The Prime Grill is See PRIME GRILL page 3

SU Agriculture Discusses Health Disparities in the Black Community Diamond Butler The Southern Digest

With the current pandemic, there are many individuals, especially in the Black community, who are skeptical about taking the COVID-19 vaccine. On Wednesday, February 24, the Southern University Agriculture Center held a discussion panel with professionals in the medical field. The purpose of this event is to go over the health disparities of the community. During this discussion, the panelist went over topics like the Tuskegee Experiment, why there is distrust of the medical field, and the All of Us Research Program.

Hosted by Ms. Krystle Allen, Ms. Nicolette Gordon, and Ms. Allison Ezidore-Tassin, representatives from the SU Agriculture Center, there was a full panel of various medical professionals. For the event, we had Dr. Delveatre D. Clements, a Clinical Pharmacist Program Manager, Dr. Rosalynn Thyssen, an Assistant Professor for the Southern University Nursing school, Nurse Tulonda Jackson,

A Conversation on Change: SU and LSU AgCenter Program

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an Infection Control Specialist and Performance Improvement Coordinator at Houston Methodist hospital, Dr. Natalie Clark, the Pharmacy Manager at Kearney Park Compounding Pharmacy, and Dr. B. Katherine Karlay, the Psychiatry Resident Physician at the University of Texas Southwestern. Along with the panelists, there was a special guest, Ms. Jakara Eason, a Group Counselor for All of Us and

the Senior Events Manager for Venn Strategies. Together these women got to the bottom of what they felt like was the root issue of the distrust of medicine. The first topic of the evening was going over the Tuskegee Experiment and its major impact on the Black community.

The Tuskegee Experiment is the 1932 study called the “Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male.”

This study involved 600 black male volunteers, who were being treated for syphilis. Even though most of the men did not have syphilis, but still took part in the experiment due to them being told that they are being treated for “bad blood”. When going over the information of this experiment Ms. Tassin said that “Although originally projected to last 6 months, the study actually went on for 40 years, the entire time the participants assuming they were being treated. Instead, the government was purposely letting their disease progress for the study.” For doctors to get participants willing to come for constant treatments like fake medicine and painful and potentially dangerous spinal taps, doctors would send letters of promotional hype stating things like “Last Chance for Special Free Treatment.” By the time the experiment was exposed in 1972, of the 600 volunteers, 28 men died from syphilis, 100 others died from related complications, See SU AG page 3

Both Southern University and Louisiana State University have agricultural programs that are well rounded. However, they are both looking forward to a change to continue the growth and well being of their department. On Friday, February 26, 2021, Xavier Bell, an LSU Alumni and Chair of the Education Subcommittee, hosted the school’s first annual bi-monthly meeting, also known as, “A Conversation on Change.” The LSU AgCenter and College of Agriculture Council for Diversity, Inclusion, Equity, and Change presented this event. The Zoom call featured Dr. Bill Richards, LSU Vice President for Agriculture and Dean of LSU College of Ag, and Dr. Orlando F. McMeans, Chancellor of Southern University Agriculture Research & Extension Center and Dean of College of Agricultural, Family & Consumer Sciences. The event was open to faculty, staff, and students of SU, LSU, SU Agriculture Center, and LSU Agriculture Center.

The main goal of this conversation was to focus on the diversity of the two programs, including faculty, staff, and students. The two schools initially began collaborating around the 1980s. LSU had the forestry program, which left Southern to grow their own urban forestry program. Dr. McMeans reflects on the fact that diversity is very dear to him, saying that “Race, gender, and all that is included” should not be a cause of worry within the program. He also speaks on how people are denied a chance to succeed due to those reasons and due to sexuality. Although this is a “touchy point,” both gentlemen see that this is a high concern in regards to this issue today. Dr. Richards states that “We need more African-Americans with PhDs. Diversity starts at the basic level and it will grow. That means beginning with undergraduate, moving on to grad school, and finally to the Ph.D. level.” In summary, the growth of the See CHANGE page 3

THE OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY AND A&M COLLEGE, BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA

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CAMPUS BRIEFS FREE COVID TESTING While supplies last, Southern University is offering free COVID-19 testing in the F.G. Clark Activity Center from 9 AM- 4 PM Monday through Friday. Students can also receive a free COVID-19 test at the intramural sports gymnasium from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Tuesdays and Fridays.

KEYS TO SUCCESS WORKSHOP On March 4th at 2 PM, the office of First Year Experience will be hosting a Keys to Success workshop for test anxiety at 2 PM in TH Harris Hall Annex room 118.

RETOOL YOUR SCHOOL Did you vote for SUBR (Cluster 1) and SUSLA (Cluster 2) today? Voting is unlimited. We have a chance to win $100K across the SU System!

Vote now at, https:// retoolyourschool.com/ vote/. #Southernu_Rys21 #Sus_Rys21#WeAreSouthern #FinishStronger FOUNDERS’ WEEK -Southern University’s Founders’ Week is March 7-14.

NURSING SCHOOL The deadline to apply to the School of Nursing Undergraduate Program is March 15, 2021.

Page 2 | Tuesday, March 2, 2021

SGA TESTING The Student Government Association test will be March 10 at 5:30 PM in the Royal Cotillion Ballroom. Questions in regards to the test can be emailed to sgaelection@subr. edu HBCU CASH OUT Collaborating with HBCU alumni Lance Gross and Keshia Knight Pulliam, the interactive social media contest, from February 8 - March 8, will award a grand prize of $25,000 to three different winners who creatively share how attending a HBCU is helping them achieve their goals.

Acknowledging the vital role of HBCUs, which were established prior to 1964 with the principal mission to educate Black Americans, applicants may enter by following a two-step process: 1. Log onto www. tbshbcucashout.com to submit their information and read the official contest rules.

2. Submit a video (60 seconds or less) via Instagram, Twitter or YouTube using the hashtag #HBCUCashOutContest and tagging @tbsnetwork (Instagram and Twitter) or @ tbs (YouTube).

graduated from an HBCU recognized by the U.S. Department of Education on or after December 1, 2015.

For more information on TBS HBCU Cash Out™, visit www.tbshbcucashout.com.

JAGUAR SPORTS Football: Ark-Pine Bluff vs Southern Saturday March 6 @1:30pm Women’s Basketball: vs Prairie View Thursday March 4 @5:30pm

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Southern University Student selected for HBCU-To-Hollywood Scholarship + Internship Program

Men’s Basketball: vs Prairie View Thursday March 4 @7:30pm Women’s Volleyball: vs ArPine Bluff March 10 @6pm Baseball vs Grambling Friday March 5 @6pm Lee Hines Field & Sunday March 7 @1pm

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Public Relations Editor....................................... Aliya Creecy News Editor ................................................. Diamond Butler Features Editor .............................................. Keenon Glover Photo Editor.............................................. Adriana Trosclair Sports Editor....................................................Evan Funchess Web Editor......................................................... Dante Davis Writer ................................................................Alexis Easton Writer ...........................................................Kynnedi Jackson Writer ...........................................................Teyanah Owems Writer ............................................................ Jalexis Edwards Writer ...................................................... Garland Johnon, Jr. Writer ............................................................ Destiny Morris Writer ..........................................................Whitney Thomas Writer .................................................................Jaylnn Jacobs Photographer ...................................................... Keith Lewis Photographer ............................................... Isaac Armstrong Photographer ...................................................... Keith Lewis Photographer ....................................................Jhalen Brown Photographer .............................................. Tiffany Williams

Courtesy/ Chaselynn Grant

Check out the full article featuring SU’s Chaselynn Grant by scanning the QR Code to the right.

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Tuesday, March 2, 2021 | Page 3

University Greeks Discuss Black History Diamond Butler The Southern Digest

On Monday, February 22, students and Greek representatives from Southern University and Louisiana State University (LSU) gathered for the “NPHC Black History Month Discussion Panel,” which was held through Zoom. The purpose of this event is not only to discuss aspects of Black History but to also discuss the status of the Black community. The panelists for this event consisted of Nicole Moore, the President of the Beta Psi Alpha Kappa Alpha chapter, Chris Hart, a member of the Nu Psi Alpha Phi Alpha chapter, Sydnee Collins, the President of the Beta Alpha Zeta Phi Beta chapter, Ravyn Prevost, the President of the Alpha Tau Delta Sigma Theta chapter, and Bryon Hall, a member of the Beta Sigma Omega Psi Phi chapter. Also in attendance was Jalen Hinton, the Vice President of the Iota Tau Phi Beta Sigma chapter, Cody Russell, the President of the Rho Phi Beta Sigma chapter, Camille Walters, the President of the Eta Kappa Alpha Kappa Alpha chapter and Douglass Smith, the President of the Beta Sigma Alpha Phi Alpha chapter.

Throughout the event, panelists answered questions from the moderators and questions given by students in the Zoom chat.

To start the event, the panelists were asked who they look up to in Black history. Even though for some it is hard to pick one person, the panelists were able to give an assortment of good responses. One of those responses came from Douglass Smith, who said that a person he looked up to was W.E.B. DuBois. While DuBois had some notable accomplishments like being the first Black man to graduate from Harvard with a doctorate, the reason Mr. Smith gave for looking up to him was “…for the fact that he was brave, and that he came out

NEWS

PRIME GRILL from page 1

like any other restaurant found in the union. It is open to the public. The current operating hours are Monday – Thursday 10:30 am – 5 pm and 10:30 am – 3 pm on Fridays. The overall concept was to put the students first in all endeavors including dining. Hope to see you there Jags!

SU AG from page 1

Courtesy/ Chaselynn Grant

and challenged the other brothers [other prominent Black figures at the time] is the reason why I really look up to WEB DuBois.”

The next discussion topic for the panelists was the difference between racism and prejudice and whether it possible for Black people to be racist. A question like this could lead to some controversy and intense feelings depending on the views of a person. However, the panelists, Nicole Moore, and Byron Hall gave a clear and nonbias response to the question. The consensus between the two was that racism is one race believing that they are superior to another, and prejudice is judging a race based on the stereotypes attached to that race.

As the event continued, the panelists have discussed topics like how their Greek chapter helps the Black and Baton Rouge community, the importance of representation in media, voter suppression, etc. A discussion topic that gave a lot of mixed perspectives is what factors went into them choosing to attend a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) or a Predominantly White Institution (PWI). Now, this is a typical topic that every college student talks about during their college career.

This is since some favor HBCUs, others favor PWIs and the small group of people finds that it does not matter what type of college you attend.

As a student who has visited both types of colleges and is an attendee of an HBCU, Ravyn Prevost gave a balanced response to the question. Ms. Prevost said, “Once I completed both of my college tours, I just felt that an HBCU would be the best fit for me due to my high school experience…Me attending an HBCU would provide me with that experience that I needed to move forward into the real world.”

She continues by saying “I know that a lot of people complain about the different struggles that HBCU students endure during their time at an HBCU, but I feel those experiences build character and prepares for real-world experiences upon graduation.”

Another panelist who commented on this question was Jalen Hinton, who also attends LSU. When it came to his answer it was more so on the factors that the school offered and from him having the experience of attending a mostly Black school. His response is quoted as “Going to a PWI was honestly a shock from what I was used to, but the fact

that went into my decision was particularly the degree program like I’m a Mass Communication major also, so the school here has a great program in that and also that the scholarships. So those are the big factors that led me to come to LSU.” As the event started to end, the panelists moved to answer questions placed in the Zoom chat by students. One of those questions came from Mary Albert, a junior Nursing student.

Her question was “Living here in Baton Rouge, there is a lot of Black-on-Black crime, and I would like to know what way you all [the panelists] advocate to stop Black on Black crimes that are happening in Baton Rouge, Louisiana?” This question brought out various points from the panelists like defining the term “Black on Black crime” and how the process must develop to stop crime.

This event had a huge turnout which produced a lot of valuable and honest feedback from its participants. Even though February is over, Southern University students can expect to see more events like this from our fraternities and sororities.

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program must start early which leads to the recruitment part of the program.

Recruitment must be made a priority for both the schools.

However, each school has a different approach and reasoning for its recruitment. LSU chooses to target specific groups, such as the African American community. They also focus a lot on scholarships. As said earlier, the main goal is to focus on the diversity aspect. However, Southern sees that there is a stereotype of agriculture. Everyone must play a part to grow the program and demystify the stereotype. Reforms and Committees are also very important for the next generation of AG. The two programs work together under an MOU under the Louisiana Corporate Extension

Service. It is understood that there is lots of work to be done. Although there are differences between the two programs, Dr. McMeans said it best by noting that one cannot put “themself on a shelf.” Everyone must respect each other’s brand and what they bring to the table.

Dr. Richards says, “That it is never going to be perfect.” However, communication is the key to success. It will keep from lack of trust amongst the two programs.

With over 100 viewers on the zoom, 31-32 perishes involved, both schools are very optimistic about the near future. They are looking forward to the direction they are heading in. It was emphasized that they cannot continue only talking about the issues and they must begin acting on them. Be on the lookout for upcoming events for both agricultural programs.

about 40 wives got infected and 19 children had contracted the disease at birth. This experiment happened less than 50 years ago but is considered one of the reasons why there is constant distrust with health providers and medical researchers.

Following the explanation of the Tuskegee Experiment, the panelist began discussing how they can get the black community to trust modern medicine once again like the COVID-19 vaccine. This section of the event had a lot of good responses and suggestions on rebuilding said trust. There were suggestions like letting patients know the data, encouraging patients to be their self-advocates, removing the fear patients feel, etc. For this part of the discussion, Dr. Thyssen talked about health equities as a practical way to help rebuild trust. She said “…we remove any obstacle that is preventing them [patients] from being healthy whether it be access to care, money issues.” Overall, this part of the discussion supplied plenty of positive ways to bridge the gap of distrust.

The concluding section of the event had Ms. Eason going over the All of Us Research Program. According to Ms. Eason, the “All of Us” program is “a historic, longitudinal effort to gather data from one million or more people living in the United State to create a diverse health database that represents us all.” While researching this program considers individual life circumstances, socioeconomics, environments, and biology to get the best precision medicine for everyone. For those who may not know, precision medicine is a new and emerging approach for disease treatment.

The purpose of precision medicine is for scientists to produce the best possible care options based on our unique genetic makeup. Some of these precision medicines we use every day in our lives like prescription eyeglasses, insulin pumps, blood transfusions, and hearing aids. For more information on this program, students can visit the website Joinallofus.org/BatonRouge.

After the explanation of the “All of Us” program, the event ended.

The panelists gave their closing remarks and based on the success of this event Southern University students can expect more events like this from the Agriculture Center.

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SPORTS

Men’s baseball falls to LaTech in weekend play Kynnedi S. Jackson The Southern Digest

On Sunday, February 28, 2021, Southern University Men’s Baseball team continued their season versus the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. The team was looking to get back into the winning category. However, the team fell short with the overall score being 4-12. Louisiana Tech won on sixteen hits and only made one error meanwhile Southern had ten hits making two errors. The season seems to be starting off a little shaky, but in due time there is still hope for an outstanding season.

In the first four innings, Southern started off slow with no home runs and only a few people making it to base. On the other side of the field, L.A. Tech had a score of five already. Freshman pitcher See BASEBALL page 4

The Sentinel of an Enlightened Student Body Since 1926

Page 4 | Tuesday, February 23, 2021

SWAC Football returns as the Jags Outlast ASU Debrandin Brown The Southern Digest

With the COVID-regulations implemented this past Fall, this year’s incarnation of SWAC football is drastically different from the seasons of the years past with audience-capacity limitations being more than evident in the newly constructed ASU Football Stadium. Despite this, the energy within the stadium from the fans that were in attendance embodied the excitement of the entire SWAC as the 2021 football season began in earnest.

This year’s matchup between ASU features many differences from the high-scoring matchups that have transpired between the two universities in recent years. Consisting mainly of stout, hard-nosed defenses from both teams, this year’s lowscoring match up will go down as one of the more entertaining matchups between the two in recent history.

Both Southern and ASU proved their ability to move the ball down the field, with a handful of turnovers on ASU’s part giving the Jags an early lead off of a pick-6 by senior

Senior, quarterback LaDarius Skelton evades a hornet defender in the Jaguars game against Alabama State on Friday, February 26 inside ASU Stadium. (Isaac Armstrong/DIGEST)

FS Chase Foster during ASU’s second offensive drive that would account for Southern’s only score of the half.

A late touchdown strike from ASU’s quarterback Nettles tied up the game late in the first half after the Jags had been leading for the entire half up to that point. The Jags went into the

halftime break tied with ASU by a score of 7-7.

The second half of play saw even more of the previously established competitive play as both teams offenses displayed immediate signs of life as Skelton drove the Southern offense down the field on their first drive of the second half and

scrambled into the endzone from 8-yards out to give Southern a 14-7 lead over ASU. ASU’s Ryan Nettles threw his second touchdown pass on the ensuing drive to tie up the game yet again as both team’s defenses See FOOTBALL page 4

Back to Back: Victory for men’s basketball at last home game of the season

this victory, head coach Sean Woods simply stated that “We know who we got now.” He went on to elaborate by saying “We’ve been gone with injuries and COVID-19, now we know who we got and we’re playing with who we know we’re going to be playing with all the way down the stretch.”

To Coach Woods, the winning streak to him means the team is “Being consistent in doing what we gotta do.” Although this was the last home game of the conference season, the Jaguars still have 2 more away games as they face the Prairie View Panthers and Texas Southern Tigers before the SWAC Basketball Tournament.

Alexis Easton The Southern Digest

On Saturday, Southern’s men’s basketball team faced off against the Alcorn State Braves for the second time this season in their last home game. The Jags had a great game, killing it offensively and securing the win at 89-75. This is their second time defeating Alcorn this season, following a 76-59 victory earlier in the season at Alcorn.

This would also be the fourth consecutive win for the Jags.

Between graduate student forward Harrison Henderson and junior guard Jayden Saddler, the Jags were scoring left and right. Before anyone knew, Jags already had a 6-point lead 5 minutes into the game. As the quarter continued, the Braves caught back up as Southern slowed down a little and started to make little mistakes like fouls and turnovers. At the same time, Alcorn was fouling so much, it gave Southern a free way of racking up free throw points, having made 11-15 and having a 73.33 % free-throw rate. These small mistakes from both teams caused Alcorn to have the chance to catch up and bring the game to a close to ending the first half with 39-43, with Southern still

Junior, Guard, Isaiah Rollins goes up for a layup in the Men’s basketball ball game vs. Alcorn State on February 27 inside the Mini Dome. (TIffany Williams/DIGEST)

leading.

Just like the first half, the Jags’ energy was still very high.

They were giving the Braves a run for their money. With the intense back and forth of the two teams, they gave the crowd a very pleasing game to watch.

Coming with a strong force, junior guard Samkelo Cele, brought in the leading amount of

points, scoring 17 points in the second half, followed by Saddler scoring 13. Although the Braves came close, they just could not prevail in the second half as the Jags went on to score another 46 points in total, ending the game with a 14-point lead. When asked about how he felt about the win, head coach Sean Woods stated that “The guys are starting

to gel a little bit now that we got who we’ve got. Every game and every day we’re continuing to get better.”

The teamwork in this game was the most noticeable thing on and off the court. There wasn’t just one person doing everything, and they worked great offensively. When asked about what he felt was key to

Jaguar Football at home

March 6 vs. UAPB 1:30pm

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SPORTS

Tuesday, February 23, 2021 | Page 5

The Sentinel of an Enlightened Student Body Since 1926

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

March 8 – 12, 2021 The Southern University: Celebrating Unity Monday, March 8

Friday, March 12

#ImSoGlad Social Media Challenge John B. Cade Library Exhibit and Video

Southern Spirit Day SU Alumni Brick Scholarship Fund Launch SU Alumni 40 Under Forty Announcement a.

Tuesday, March 9

Southern University System Virtual Convocation

Wednesday, March 10

SU System Students Celebration

Thursday, March 11

Celebrating Unity

Throughout March

SU Alumni: Founders’ Fund Campaign

subr.edu/foundersday #SU141

BASEBALL from page 4

being able to get off three hits.

To close out the rough night on the field for the Jags, Jerome Bohannon II came in and only gave up 2 hits and 2 runs.

Though this game was a tough one for Southern, the team still has the whole season to go.

Coach Chris Crenshaw spoke about his mindset coming into the series. “I didn’t think we’d walk away from the weekend not winning at least one game,” They won one game in their previous series against the University of New Orleans. Coach Crenshaw complimented their opponent’s composition saying “Louisiana Tech has a really good team.

You don’t catch a break in their lineup.” With a little work and determination, the team will look to put it together going forward. The Jags will continue their season on Wednesday, March 3, 2021, vs. the crosstown rivals, LSU Tigers.

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*All events are virtual unless noted otherwise.

Employee Service Recognition Terrence Osborne “The Bluff” Art Print Signing

Christian Davis started the game off well but, just could not seem to get a hit off, giving up an outstanding six runs. Early in the second inning, he was relieved by Sophmore pitcher Enrique Ozoa. He managed to do a little better giving up three hits to the bulldogs and only one run. However, at the bottom of the third going into the fourth inning, he was relieved by Senior pitcher Wilhelm Allen.

Allen was the second reliever, he obtained three strikeouts and gave up three runs and five hits through two innings. However, around this time the Jags were able to manage four runs in the fifth inning causing LA Tech’s starter Jarret Whorff to be taken off the mound most likely due to fatigue.

After the starter was sat down, the Jags were only able to get three other players on base.

Southern struggled at the plate after the fifth inning by only

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Celebrating Unity

FOOTBALL from page 4

looked to make their presence known during the second half of play. Southern accomplished just that on their following defensive possession on first down with a sack on Nettles by Jordan Lewis, who would account for multiple sacks on the night.

After a Southern fumble inside of their own 10-yard line, ASU recovered the ball and punched it in for a touchdown to take a 21-14 lead over the Jags going into the fourth quarter.

The Jaguars proved their resilience once more however as Skelton completed a 59-yard pass with 14:20 left on the clock in the fourth quarter to tie the game 21-21. The Jags defense followed the night’s biggest offensive play up to that point by forcing an ASU 3-and-out and shanked punt to give the Jaguars field position just at the edge of the red zone inside of the Hornet 30-yard line. The Jags convert on the field goal attempt as they take a 24-21 lead with less than

12:00 left on the clock.

On the deciding drive of the game with Southern leading the game by a score of 24-21, ASU drove the ball down into Southern’s territory on a 13 play, 47-yard drive that landed them within field goal range with an opportunity to tie the game yet again. ASU’s Hunter Hanson’s kick from 44-yards away went wide left as the Jaguars took possession of the ball with four seconds left on the game clock.

The Jags went on to run the clock out on the ensuing drive to take their first victory of the 2021 Spring Football season.

After the game, Southern head coach Dawson Odums spoke to the adversity that his team has had to face going into this COVID-affected spring season. “I don’t wish this on nobody. If you’re going to play, there’s going to be some ups and downs. Our band wasn’t here, there weren’t a lot of fans in the fourth quarter; we picked up our

own energy. You’ve got to find a way to do that and I thought our guys found a way,” said Coach Odums.

When asked what he believed could be improved going forward into next week’s contest versus Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Odums remarked, “We have to get better. We didn’t play our best football. This is probably one of the hardest games we’ve ever had to prepare for. It feels good to get a win.”

Playing their only home game of the season next week against UAPB, the Jags will be looking to build on this week’s progress and find ways to improve their overall efficiency on both sides of the ball. Until then, however, the Jags improve to 1-0 in this unprecedented SWAC spring football season and look to reclaim their spot among the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s top competitors.

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FEATURES

Page 6 | Tuesday, March 2, 2021

The Sentinel of an Enlightened Student Body Since 1926

Work it Out: Students host Bounce and Burn during Queens Week Te’yanah Owens The Southern Digest

On Wednesday night, February 24, Miss Junior Talaya Johnson, a Level 2 Nursing Student from Baton Rouge, hosted a work out event called Bounce and Burn. It was held inside the Student Union’s Cotillion Ballroom, and per social distancing regulations, tickets were given out online while masks were required for students to enter and workout.

Airee Renee, SU alumnae and Fabulous Dancing Dolls’ Captain of 2007 was the trainer for the night, as she is also the founder of Bounce and Burn Dance Cardio Sessions.

In a few weeks, it will be a year since she started Bounce and Burn. To be exact, it was the day of her birthday that she officially started the project.

“Coronavirus made me start.

People were stuck at home and not moving. Dancing was my main form of cardio and I thought it would be a fun way to get people moving and working out,” said Airee. Dancing acted as a form of therapy for her, while also helping her lose weight. Through her Instagram, she uses her platform as a Health Coach and Motivator, where she

Former SU Fabulous Dancing Dolls Captain Airee Renee instructing students dance moves at Miss Junior’s Bounce and Burn held inside the Union’s Ballroom on February 24. (Te’yanah Owens/DIGEST)

gives challenges to her audience, workouts, and weight loss tips daily.

Ms. Airee encouraged students to persevere through the workouts during the event.

Luckily, students seemed to find as much enjoyment as she did while doing so. Miss Junior Talaya Johnson stated, “I wanted to do something different. I love

bounce music and bringing out my inner ratchet. If you mix it with working out you will feel better.”

As the continued essence of strong women for Miss Southern and her Royal Court Queen’s Week, the Disney character Mulan was the face and theme of Bounce and Burn, focusing on her sense of dedication. Just

like Mulan, the lady Jags had the determination to finish the workout session strong. “This session was very needed. I’m so glad I came out of my dorm”, said Kori Toliver, a sophomore Mass Communications major from New Orleans. Students were treated with post workout fresh fruit smoothies afterwards, courtesy of Aramark workers.

Let Your Hair Down: A Virtual Affair Destiny Morris The Southern Digest

On February 22, Miss Freshman, Jasmine Brown hosted “Let Your Hair Down,” a virtual hair class via Zoom.

The class aimed to help students discover their true powers in the world of hair. This was the first event of Queen’s Week presented

by Miss Southern and her Royal Court. To start the event, Jasmine started the Zoom class with a presentation, so students could get a better understanding of the science of their hair.

The first lesson Jasmine went over was curl pattern types. There are four different curl pattern types: Type 1 (Straight), Type 2 (Wavy), type 3 (Loose Curly), and Type 4 (Tight Curly/Kinky).

She informed viewers that it is imperative that you know your curl pattern, as it determines the products that are best for your hair and the best hairstyles.

As she progressed through the slideshow presentation, students learned that hair types two through four work best when done with protective styling.

Protective hair styling includes box braids, passion twists, crochet, knotless braids, bantu

knots, and more.

After the presentation, Ms. Brown gave an actual tutorial on protective styles using a hair

model. The first style that she gave a tutorial on was Box Braids, in which she recommended using a rat-tailed comb when

parting - or a regular comb with the second, third, and fourth teeth to ensure precise parts.

Miss Sophomore Briana Hall, tuned into the session and said, “The tip that was most helpful was putting my rubber bands and bobby pins in oil, so I refrain from breaking my hair! I will use this whenever I use the [box braid] style.” After showing viewers how to add the synthetic hair to the real hair, she advised them to tuck the real hair under the synthetic hair to avoid frizz.

Next, she explained the types of braiding hair that is used for different styles. Kanekalon hair is most used for braiding hairstyles and deep wave hair would be used for twisting hairstyles. She then showed how to properly twist hair using the twist and loop method. This technique made sure that the twists were properly secured.

Jasmine opened the floor for hairstyles that viewers may have had questions about, or may have wanted to see a tutorial on.

A commenter suggested that she show flat twists, to which Ms. Brown agreed, expressing that it was a personal favorite to style for other people.

Miss Freshman reminded

viewers to take their time when learning to braid hair, as it is a process, and you will have to deal with trial and error.

There was a lot to take away from this zoom call, but Miss Junior Talaya Johnson said, “My biggest takeaway is there are tons of protective styles to protect your natural curls. I learned new products I can use on my hair and my hair type.”

As the virtual class concluded, viewers showed their appreciation in the comments.

When asked if she plans on continuing hair classes, Brown replied, “I hope to host more hair classes in the future. Hopefully a wig class, box braiding class, and a crochet class. Expanding my business by doing these classes allows me to see what people want to learn and helping them is the best way to start.”

DON’T FORGET TO WEAR YOUR MASK!

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How to Handle Your Funds During Refund Season Debrandin Brown The Southern Digest

For college students around the country, refund season is perhaps one of the most exciting times of the year. Despite the complaints of a lack of timeliness from large portions of the student body, this same principle applies to Southern students as much as anyone else.

Most college students have to work to keep a consistent amount of money in their pockets, whether this be a work study or employment outside of campus. Financial stability for a college student throughout the week has been a problem every college student faces, at least once in their college experience.

What traditionally happens once refunds are disbursed amongst the

student populace are immediate and financially risky purchases that are often made as a spur of the moment response to momentarily having money to spare in what’s likely already been a mentally straining semester up to that point.

The impact of this is felt in the following weeks; however, when you think of ways that you could use that same splurged money for something productive, or perhaps even important. Ultimately, no one knows when they’ll need money the most or which purchase may potentially hurt them in the long run. My advice in this regard is simply to be cautious and be sure.

So when refund distribution does indeed occur, it’s the prerogative of all college students, but those at Southern University and other

HBCU students specifically, to make that newly added amount in your account last for as a long as possible by budgeting the amount of money that you want to spend on a weekly basis as to make sure that you have money available to you later on the semester.

This isn’t to say that you should invest your money into stocks or an LLC, but not spending money on things that ultimately won’t matter in a month’s time is the easiest way to cut down on financial losses in light of refund season.

If you have a car that you’ve been looking to buy, a business model that you’ve truly thought out, or responsibilities to your family and

OPINION

loved ones, then by all means spend your money in the ways that best benefits you and your desired goal.

However, if you’re spending hundreds upon hundreds of dollars at a time on frivolous purchases, then that will eventually catch up to you.

At the end of the day, refunds come in all shapes and sizes, so spend what you feel comfortable spending out of your individual pot. The most important thing to keep in mind however is that this period of all our lives is anything but predictable, so be sure to have something in the piggy bank for when a rainy day inevitably comes around.

Dreams of a COVID Free Future Debrandin Brown The Southern Digest

Regardless of who you are or what your background is, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected your life in one way or another. Whether it be financially, mentally, or physically, most everyone has been taxed in some form or another by the different circumstances introduced by the pandemic, with college students being chief among those many demographics.

If you were a college student anytime before Spring 2019, you understand the volatile whirlwind that college campuses were, with constant

action and disregarded ideas of personal space. Everyone shared table tops, door handles, and on numerous occasions in the John B. Cade Library, the first and third floor sofas were constantly occupied by a new student either studying or taking a nap.

On one hand, we know better than to be so reckless with our own personal space and proximity with germs, but at the same time, it also feels like we’ve lost whatever closeness that there is to be shared between strangers in a centuries old university where we are all striving towards a degree.

It’s to this end that I daydream of a world in a not-so-distant future where COVID has been vanquished and people can once

again go in groups to fill movie theaters and concerts without the need for masks. The hardest truth to confront, however, is what it will take for us to get to that point.

With the introduction of numerous vaccinations from multiple different corporations, including big brand names such as Johnson and Johnson, getting widely vaccinated as a country is the best way to start working towards that end. Additionally, but most importantly, we have to keep our distance from each other in the short term so that the medical infrastructure doesn’t exhaust its means and resources by failing to be able to care for the still rising numbers of infected, as well as injuries

that have nothing to do with COVID. In more ways than one, the COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be an eye-opener for many people when it comes to what they are willing to sacrifice in order to reestablish normalcy on an interpersonal basis. If the goal, as previously mentioned, is to return to normalcy as soon as possible, then we must learn to follow protocols more strictly and allow the current cases to fall. It’s through this method that I can see us enjoying the liberties that we once took for granted sooner rather than later, but we’ll have to sacrifice even more in the short term to ensure that our long term is stable and efficient.

Malcolm & Marie, Worth the Watch?

Jalexis Edwards The Southern Digest

LISTEN NOW

“Episode 4”

Malcolm & Marie, a movie that stars Zendaya and John David Washington as the film’s only characters, shows the characteristics of a toxic relationship and just why people love to be in them.

Its videography, acting, theme, blocking, plot, and more all draw in watchers from the opening of the first shot.

Anyone who enjoys romance and drama movies will love watching Malcolm & Marie, on screen—the two together are truly captivating from the moment the movie begins.

As watchers nod along to the opening song and try to understand the actions of Marie, they are instantly interested by her outburst and the relatability of it.

In a battle of dominance and understanding between Malcolm and Marie, viewers are invited into an hour-long argument between what appears to be a happy couple to the rest of the world. Every angle of the camera and moment throughout the movie, makes watchers feel as if they are a fly on the wall in Malcom’s and Marie’s current housing.

From watching the tense arguments, hearing personal details about the couple’s lives, and seeing the level of intimacy between the couple, viewers become invested in the big question of “How is this going to end? Will Malcolm and Marie survive the night and stay together for another day?” This allows viewers to stay interested in the movie despite it being a rather slow buildup with moments where there is little talking and the camera

is simply panning Malcom’s and Marie’s actions.

Even in these slower moments, the videography and shots captured are simply breathtaking, and it would not be a surprise if one of the many spectacular shots won an Academy Award for Best Picture.

The videography was not the only impressive aspect of the movie. The soundtrack was also astonishing as it offered a jazz and funk vibe that was calming yet intimate at the same time. Lastly, the monologues and acting is phenomenal. Every word either breaks a tense situation, calms Malcom or Marie, or is used to infuriate one of the characters.

While this is shown through what appears to be none-ending chatter of Malcolm’s or Marie’s thoughts at times, I argue that it is necessary because it shows the thoughts of real,

genuine people rather than what sometimes feels like an over scripted moment between characters in other movies. It is this level of realness and reliability that keeps watchers interested.

Overall, the movie is absolutely incredible if the watcher can get over the slow pace and repetitive arguments of Malcolm and Marie.

While I’ve tried, words cannot truly explain the feeling of watching Malcolm & Marie, one must do so and judge for themselves. Malcom & Marie, the black and white film that stars Zendaya and John David Washington, is currently available on Netflix and is worth every view as its theme of dominance and understanding will resonate with any viewer.

OPINIONS/SUBMISSIONS POLICY The Southern DIGEST is not responsible for individual opinions expressed in speak out submissions, editorials, opinions and commentary pieces, including sports commentaries. It is the sole opinion of the writer and does not reflect the views of any professional faculty, staff or administrator of the University. The Southern DIGEST reserves the right to edit any contributions and or reject them without notification. Authors are encouraged to limit the length of submissions to 300 words. Letters should not include libelous statements. Offensive and personal attacks will not be permitted. The DIGEST will not print “open letters” addressed to someone else. All contributions must be type written, signed and must include the author’s address and phone number. Unsigned letters will not be printed. Southern University students should include their majors, hometowns and year in school.

When referring to specific DIGEST articles, please include the date and title. All materials should be directed to the editor in chief of The Southern DIGEST, P.O. Box 10180, Baton Rouge, La. 70813. Materials may be delivered by hand to the DIGEST office located in Suite 1064 Harris Hall or can be e-mailed to digest@subr.edu.

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