VOLUME 80 - ISSUE 3

Eula D. Masingale Hall: Highlighting S.U.’s Child Development

Most Southern students have seen the building in between Higgins and the agricultural building: The Eula D. Masingale Hall, also known as Southern University’s Child Development Lab.

The Southern University Child Development Laboratory was established in June 2019 by a team of dynamic individuals who continue to support our laboratory today.

The Lab serves as a learning laboratory for our Child Development students and staff involved in the Child Development Program. The Laboratory also presents itself as a rich resource for the scholarly and creative work of faculty and students. These individuals have an interest in child development, family life, and the teaching/learning processes.

It is also available for those involved in other programs of study on our campus such as social work, education, speech and language pathology, nursing, and psychology studies.

The Southern University Child Development Laboratory is administratively located within the Child Development Program in the College of Agricultural, Family, and Consumer Sciences. Together, they work towards the goal of a more sustainable future, referred to as “Learning Without Limits” by the lab’s Director.

The proud yet humble director of the S.U. Child Development Laboratory since July of 2019, Keisha Yvette Dandridge, is a native of Baton Rouge, LA. She has worked at S.U. since 2018.

The Child Development Lab currently assists children from the ages of 6 weeks to 5 years old. The present enrollment is 48 students in 5 classrooms

Mass Communication’s Plans for Student Future Success

Let’s Get Mental: S.U. BeTheMatch and NAACP Panel Discussion

Students and faculty at Southern University joined together for an event that highlighted open, vulnerable, and learning conversations.

Kailen Bourne THE SOUTHERN DIGEST

While Southern University is known for its outstanding law, nursing, and business programs, there is one department that has yet to reach its potential spotlight. Students in the Mass

Communication Department have many concerns. They are wondering what The Mass Communication Department has to offer for them while earning their degree and after graduating. After a sit down with The Chair of the Mass Communication department, we get updates about

scholarship opportunities, internships, and clubs.

Dr. Yolanda Campbell, chair of the Mass Communications Department, shared what she hoped to expect in her upcoming years as chair.

The Future is Virtual: DoIT Departmental Updates

Southern University’s Information Technology department are always developing new ways to stay up to date with these new technologies. This is with a goal of bettering teachers, students, administrative personnel, and security personnel’s daily lives.

In an effort to highlight all the recent and upcoming Information Technology updates, the Digest conducted an interview with a few admins from the IT department. They are described as Ms. Rachel Carriere, who was the university’s first webmaster and has been the director of Web Application Services since 1998. Mr. Lloyd Allen, who is the director of Network Services, has served as the director of Network Services for more than ten years here at Southern University. As well as Dr. Gabriel Fagbeyiro, who has served as associate

vice president, and chief information officer since 2015.

The first upcoming IT project that was discussed was Virtual ID. Dr. Fagbeyiro saw the idea at a conference and immediately put the idea into motion here at S.U.

Ms. Carriere explains, “It would be connecting the current ID that you guys have with the [student] portal, so if anyone loses their ID, you

don’t have to spend money to get a new one.” With this new virtual ID students can now use their phones to scan it anywhere such as at the union, football games, and more! Despite the fact that physical IDs are not going out of style, the virtual ID aims to make students’ lives easier on campus. The IT department is working with student affairs

This past Monday, SU’s chapters of Be the Match and NAACP hosted a panel discussion with one member of each of the Divine Nine sororities and fraternities: Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., and Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. Each member was given the opportunity to give advice on all-around health, such as sexual health, physical health, mental health, and so forth.

The audience was also able to ask questions and give advice. Questions such as ‘What does mental health mean to you?’, ‘How do you think we should get people to give blood to Be the Match?’, and ‘What’s some advice for good sexual health?’ were asked.

In order to properly discuss Black health and wellness, it was imperative to accompany this topic with this topic in relation to the Be the Match program at Southern University.

Be the Match is a national marrow donor program that works diligently to connect patients suffering from leukemia, sickle cell, and other life-threatening diseases with a donor match to potentially save a life, including our student body.

Haley Wesley, the current senior class president, and Auriyonne Lopez, the current Miss Freshman, brought along their own stories of being a sickle cell survivor and how students could possibly “be the match” by becoming a donor.

(Brittany J. Patterson/DIGEST)

Kalani Jones THE SOUTHERN DIGEST

Jenna Bernard THE SOUTHERN DIGEST

Jasmine meriedy THE SOUTHERN DIGEST

Director

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SUBMISSIONS POLICY

The Southern DIGEST welcomes letters from readers commenting on current issues and other matters of general interest to the SU family and public. We set aside this space to publish these letters for others to enjoy. This newspaper is not responsible for individual opinions expressed on its editorials, commentaries, ans speakouts. 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.

PUBLICATION ASSOCIATIONS

The Southern DIGEST is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), Associated Collegiate Press (ACP), College Media Advisers Association (CMA), Full member of the Associated Press (AP) and the Louisiana Press Association (LPA).

The Office of Student Media is a department in the Division of Student Affairs.

She also shared the changes she has proposed to the department. “I’m serving my second semester as Interim Chair of the MCOM Department. It is my priority to move the department forward. This begins with putting students first in every decision.”

Previously, she was a professor for the department before being appointed chair. She provides assistance with resources to help students who are interested in the radio field. The department offers concentrations in broadcast, print, and public relations. “We plan to re-visit our curriculum to ensure that our courses are on par with the practices of the industry for print and broadcast journalism as well as public relations.” Having radio courses also gives Mass Communication students a chance to expand their horizons and put their interest in more than their focused concentration.

Several students have concerns regarding scholarships and internships to help them after graduation. However, professors feel

to introduce the virtual ID very soon. Hopefully it will be put in motion as soon as the next fall semester.

The next upcoming IT update is the upgrading of Southern University’s wireless networks. Southern has already replaced several of their main core switches which service banner, wi-fi, and other network services. Between this semester and this summer there is going to be a massive increase in the internet connection going from 20 gigabits to 100 gigabits.

The IT department has the objective of adding 50 additional outdoor access points to the 1,090 already spread throughout campus. The goal is to serve more Wi-Fi in those outdoor areas where most students hang out.

With an upgrade in the network is the distribution and core switches. “ One of our highest traffic areas is our distribution switch in Totty Hall, which feeds everything back there,” Allen states. The distribution and core switches are both being upgraded from 10 gig connections to 100 gigs. Lloyd Allen mentions they

and consists of children from S.U. System students, faculty and staff, and our local and surrounding communities.

In addition to ensuring education and care, the Laboratory is fortunate to offer families tuition and fee options that allow all socioeconomic backgrounds.

The children are learning using a Creative Curriculum for infants through kindergarten while also using Frog Street for the Pre-K3 and Pre-K4 classes.

“At the SUCDL we want to ensure that each child enrolled in our Laboratory knows that they are an asset to this world and that their potential is limitless. Our goal is to always provide a place of unconditional love, respect, and limitless materials and an opportunity to experience high-quality instruction. We provide hands-on experiences for students through involvement in

they are giving the necessary resources to prepare students for their future careers. MCOM junior students Joshua Williams and Deanna Moncriffe stated how they feel about the effort from the department. “I do believe that they prepare us for our careers in the future, especially the younger professors. Unfortunately, our department does not offer scholarships,” Williams stated.

“I am getting prepared for my future career to a degree. Just being at the university in our department it’s always a stay ready so we don’t have to get ready. However, I do believe we have a lack of resources. The equipment we have is old or sometimes ineffective. I also have not received any scholarships or internships from the MCOM department itself but I have received interactions outside of the department,” said Moncriffe.

Dr. Cynthia Stephens, a mass communication professor said, “We have the resources, but some students are not aware of the resources we have

provided. We let them know we are implementing updated equipment for the studios and clubs that are provided. It is up to the students to check into those resources.”

Some students also feel that while other departments are having opportunities handed to them such as business expos or career fairs, the mass communication department does not get the same support.

“As Interim Chair, I plan to make scholarships a priority so that students in good academic standing can have a source of opportunity outside of the ones offered by the University. I’m proud that I was able to secure a $2,000 scholarship for a student experiencing financial hardship this semester. A non-profit organization out of Texas, The Butler Family Foundation made that help possible. “I look forward to gaining the support of other organizations to increase our scholarship giving,” says Dr. Campbell.

As for special events, the Mass

have been working with the Louisiana Optimal Networking Initiative to upgrade the connection.

Another upcoming IT project is called CampusESP. Campus ESP is essentially a parent portal that is being unveiled sometime this summer. It’s essential for students who wish to keep their parents in the loop about things moving on with them on campus. This will be completely up to the student if they wish to share with their parents, and the student has full control over what the parents will see.

The last upcoming IT update will be the upgrading of campus security. Mr. Lloyd states, “We are replacing/installing 530 updated cameras throughout campus. These updated cameras are significant upgrades from the old cameras that were bought some time ago.”

What will these updated cameras allow one to do? They have built-in analytics that allow for a person search and facial recognition. This greatly improves the safety of Southern’s campus as if something were to happen wrong, the system can notify the police by using

community and professional activities,» Dandridge explains.

SUCDL’s teachers and staff are wellequipped, knowledgeable, and collectively have more than 40 years of expertise in early childhood education. More than half of SUCDL personnel are alumni of the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences with a specialization in Child Development at Southern University A&M College. To impact the lives of each child and their families, our team wants to ensure that we are completely competent to provide excellence in teaching.

SUCDL’s sustained success is due to a dynamic team of early childhood educators. This team works relentlessly to ensure that we address the cognitive, emotional, and physical development of our students individually and collectively.

SUCCESS from page 1

Communication Department hopes to bring back its annual Spring Awards Luncheon/ Senior Banquet this semester. An MCOM Career Seminar with guest speakers and student workshops will hopefully make its way back in the Fall of 2023. A MassComm Hall of Fame event is also in the works.

As of now, there are five active clubs provided for students to get the experience they may need to pursue their career: Public Relations Students Society of America, Public Relations Association of Louisiana, Baton Rouge Area Association of Black Journalists, Mass Comm Club, and On This Bluff Production Organization.

With the updates provided by the chair, a professor, and opinions from students of the mass communication department, we look forward to these updates coming into action. We also look forward to more opportunities for students to pursue their careers after graduating from Southern University.

a picture of them in the system and be able to quickly locate someone. This information of course will be exclusively available to campus security, protecting the privacy of students, faculty, and administrative. Information technology is working on numerous projects to keep the campus safe and secure.

Southern University’s Information Technology department is constantly working to evolve and push out new things for the campus. They have already created great features such as the Student Portal, MySU mobile app, Banner9, and Degreeworks which allows students to see their degree plan.

Since Dr. Fagbeyiro, Mr. Allen, and Ms. Carriere have been serving Southern University for years, they emphasizes hearing more from the students, getting their feedback on these updates, as well as voicing any problems students may have regarding technology. Students can email their feedback to: ITfeedback@subr.edu and call or email the IT helpdesk if they need assistance. Be on the lookout for a plethora of changes coming to Southern University very soon Jags!

DAYCARE from page 1

Dandridge said, “We know that none of this would be possible without the consistent support of our administrative team, who are our most loyal supporters. Dr. Kenyetta Nelson-Smith, executive director, Dr. Renita Marshal, vice chancellor for Academic and Student Support/associate dean director, and last but not least our prestigious chancellordean of our Southern University Research and Extension Center, and the College of Agricultural, Family and Consumer Sciences are among our unrelenting supporters.”

The future of our children lies in what we do for them today. Open enrollment for children opens on April 13, 2023, for the next school year. For more information contact them at (225) 7712081 or suchdvlab@subr.edu.

“Be the Match was implemented on Southern’s campus to create awareness for the sickle cell disease that runs predominantly in African Americans,” stated Taylor Curtis, the current representative for Be the Match, the current secretary for S.U.’s chapter of NAACP, as well as a junior majoring in Elementary Education from Houston, Texas.

Raising awareness on becoming a donor, allowed students to get educated as well as erased fear and stigmas that the Black community has with doctors and giving out blood; as unlawful and unethical experiences in history prohibit forward movement in the Black community, such as the Tuskegee experiment and the case of Henrietta Lacks.

While mentioning resources on campus, students were told about the services of the University’s Counseling Center and another helpful organization on campus.

Mental Milestones Association is an organization that was erected at the end of last year’s spring semester that is “dedicated to helping individuals identify the importance of self-awareness and self-reinforcement.” The organization hosts healing circles, group events, and things alike for community and support.

DoIT from page 1

GET MENTAL from page 1

A Marathon of a Night: SU vs. Alabama A&M Doubleheader

All eyes were on the F.G. Clark Activity Center for senior night. It was a series of intense and emotional moments as the men’s and women’s basketball teams hosted a doubleheader. Both teams squared off against Alabama A&M for the final game of the regular season. It was bittersweet for the seniors as it was their last time playing as a jaguar at home. As a result, both squads were looking to reign victorious going into the SWAC tournament next week.

The girls tipped off at 3:00 PM, and for the most part, the girls controlled the tempo throughout most of the game. Led by senior guard Genovea Johnson and sophomore guard Aleighyah Fontenot, the Lady Jags (15-14, 12-6 in conference) cruised through the first half leading by seven with a score of 34-27.

At halftime, Johnson and Fontenot had an impressive 8 and 9 points. Senior guard

Taylor Williams also added 7 points toward the halftime total. The Lady Jags played tremendously well on the defensive end, turning that defense into offense. They scored 10 points off turnovers and held a lead of eleven at one point.

In the second half, the Lady Bulldogs (1414, 12-6 in conference) began to make a push towards the end of the third. That’s when things started to heat up as both teams had to be pulled apart after an exchange of words from opposing sides.

Going into the fourth, the Lady Bulldogs pulled within one, but the Lady Jags kept their composure and rallied together. Genovea would go on a relentless path to the basket scoring 6 points in the fourth, helping her team push a 13-3 run. The women eventually beat the Bulldogs with a score of 66-53, sending the seniors off with a win in their last

regular season at home. Since the regular season is over, the girls are now focused on the SWAC tournament.

“I know without a doubt, in my mind, if we play good basketball, quality basketball on both ends of the court and execute, knock down shots, and rebound the basketball

we can win the tournament. I said that from day one, and I really believe it,” said Coach Funchess about the upcoming tournament. With the win, the Lady Jags are the 4th seed in the SWAC Tournament, holding the tiebreaker over Prairie View A&M, who they will face on

March 9th at 5:30 P.M. in Birmingham, Alabama, at Bartow Arena.

On the men’s end, there was a plethora of events; that transpired before the game could even take place. The power in the mini dome

See MARATHON page 5

A Long Way to the Mountain Top: Men’s Baseball

Lee Hines Stadium was the place to be as the Southern University Men’s Baseball Team had their home opener against the McNeese State Cowboys. The Jaguars’ record was sitting at around .500 as they looked to add to their win total. Under the bright lights, the Jaguars battled for nine intense innings. Although the crowd lacked the energetic atmosphere they’ve shown in previous games, the Jags maintained close competition throughout the afternoon.

In the early innings, the Jaguars did trail the Cowboys in hits and runs batted in (RBIs), resulting in an early lead for McNeese that was maintained throughout the match. Head Coach, Chris Crenshaw, expressed, “at the start of the game, we weren’t executing at all.” The third inning became the breakaway for the Cowboys due to them accumulating five runs off of four hits. McNeese was able to spark up momentum from their runs earned and did not cool down until the sixth inning. Their final point scored was a run that was crushed into left field by Cowboys senior catcher, Kade Hunter.

The critical factor that allowed McNeese to hold onto their lead, and slow down Southern’s steam, was phenomenal pitching from the Cowboy’s starter. McNeese’s starting pitcher, senior Burrel Jones, produced seven strikeouts over only five innings pitched. The Cowboys’ relief pitchers’ performances were not as

great as their starters, but they still managed to strike out four batters while propelling themselves even further in the lead over the Jaguars. However, Southern’s bullpen put on a show by earning fifteen strikeouts.

Southern’s Sophomore pitcher, Perry Kyles, battled McNeese for three innings obtaining five strikeouts and only allowed four runs to be scored off of him. Also, in the final innings, the Jaguars’ bullpen executed pitches with a precision lower in the batting zone, which resulted in no hits. Unfortunately, the Jaguars did ultimately lose this matchup with the final score being 10-3. Despite

such a heavy loss, there were still positive takeaways from the game. According to Coach Crenshaw, four players were starting for the first time and managed to withstand the immense pressure of the moment and competition at hand. When asked what his opinion was on the players that made their big debut and received in-game experience, Coach Crenshaw optimistically stated that, “hopefully it’ll pay off in the long run”!

Next up on the plate for Southern is the South Alabama Invitational! The Jaguars will be traveling to Mobile, Alabama, on March 3rd, where they will be taking on three teams over the

next three days. The Jaguars will begin their crusade with the University of Iowa, where the first pitch will be thrown at noon at Stanky Field. The following games in the tournament will be against Pepperdine University, and the University of South Alabama. Hopefully, the Jaguars will be able to achieve a full sweep in the tournament. In addition, they hope to continue progressing through their season successfully. Coach Crenshaw conveyed that there is nothing that the Jaguar nation needs to fear, and, “things will start clicking for us”!

thomas

Antoine Harris deliver the pitch during the Jaguars game against Mcneese State on Wednesday, March 1 at Lee Hines Stadium (Knykolas Ross/ DIGEST)

Antoine Harris deliver the pitch during the Jaguars game against Mcneese State on Wednesday, March 1 at Lee Hines Stadium (Knykolas Ross/ DIGEST)

Sophmore guard Aleighyah Fontenot drives to the basket during the Jaguars game against Alabama A&M on Saturday, March 4 inside F.G. Clark Activity center. (Amaya Rosser/ DIGEST)

Jaguars coming from the huddle at the start of the 3rd quarter against Alabama A&M on Saturday, March 4. (Amaya Rosser/ DIGEST)

Madness in March?

christian PhilliPs THE SOUTHERN DIGEST

With March Madness being a week away, everyone is wondering who will win the men’s tournament this year. Will a top-ranked team come out on top, or will an underdog emerge from the shadows? In 2022 based on fivethirtyeight.com, a team outside of the top 4 has about a 32.2 percent chance of winning march madness. This leaves just enough room for the impossible to happen.

The NCAA tournament started in 1932 when the Oregon Ducks beat Ohio State 46-33. As the years went on, the tournament expanded four times! The expansion happened in 1951, 1975, 1985, and 2011 to its current 68-team competition. The University of Kansas was the most recent team to win, with a 72-69 score against The University of North Carolina. The tournament selections aren’t final until March 12th, but we can still predict which teams are most likely to make it into the tournament.

Based on the NCAA, the qualifying tournament rules state that every conference champion will automatically qualify for March Madness resulting in 32 teams getting in. The other 36 teams will have to be selected at large. Some of the teams seeded high as of the publishing of this article include Alabama, Kansas, Purdue, Huston, UCLA, Baylor, Texas, and Marquette, cracking into the top eight. They say defense wins championships, so it shouldn’t surprise us that Huston currently has the number-one defense. Huston allowed an average of fewer than

56 points scored against them per game. Purdue is 18th with 62.2 points allowed. Alabama is seeded 3rd. UCLA is seeded 6th. Marquette is seeded 20th, and Texas is seeded 30th in scoring offense. What is March Madness without an upset? A low-ranked team that I believe will do well is Saint Mary. They are currently ranked 17th in the nation, but they could go further. They played Huston back on December 3rd and lost 48-53. However, a 5-point loss against a current number-one-ranked team is

not as terrible as it seems. They beat Gonzaga (#10) once this year and beat San Diego St. (#18).

There are a lot of good teams this year that could make it into the tournament. One of those teams, located in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, is Grambling. They are currently #17 in the nation for the fewest points allowed. Who knows, they might start March with madness.

MARATHON from page 4

went out as the campus experienced a power outage. With the game having severe implications for the standings, officials did everything in their power to get the lights back on. Eventually, the power would be restored, and the game took place at around 7 p.m. The Jags, however, would struggle throughout most of the game. For the majority of the first half, Alabama A&M looked phenomenal and did a great job of creating shot opportunities for their teammates. On the other hand, the Jags did not get a lot of separation from the defenders, causing a lot of contested shots, on top of not getting stops on the defensive end.

In the second half, the Jaguars regrouped and then went on a run knocking down the Bulldog’s lead one possession at a time. Graduate guard Brion Whitley would overcome a terrible shooting slump scoring 13 of his 17 points in the second half, assisting the Jags in the comeback. In the winding moments of the game, with the score being 64-61, redshirt senior guard/forward Tyrone Lyons glided to the goal making a dunk and getting fouled in the process. He went on to attempt the free throw but heartbreakingly missed. However, Southern was given another opportunity to go to overtime, but could not get the shot off, falling short 66-63. The Jags shot an abysmal 3-23 from three-point range and were outscored on the bench 27-12. When asked about the game, Coach Woods was honest and modest. “This was very, very, strange, that’s all I could say, this was strange. I don’t want to judge my team off of this because this was a strange day.” With the loss, the Jags are going into the SWAC tournament in fourth place and may have to play Alabama A&M again. Coach Woods left saying, “We’ll be ready. We’ll be ready to play.”

The SWAC tournament is coming up, so let’s continue to support our teams as they try to bring back glory on the hardwood. Fun fact, Southern has not won the SWAC tournament since 2016. Jag Nation hopes that will change. Southern will be the 4th seed and will face Alabama A&M on March 9th at 8:30 P.M.

DIGEST Graphic

Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc strolling in front of the student union during Kappa week on Pretty Wednesday March 1. (Christopher Toler Jr./DIGEST)

The Alpha Sigma Chapter of Kappa Alpha PSI at Southern University hosts a “Pie A Nupe’ on the Union Court Yard on Tuesday, February 28. (Jakavion Ashely/DIGEST)

Senior Guard P.J. Byrd sets up the offiensive play for the Jags on Thurday nights game against Alabama State. (Ashley Lovelace/DIGEST)

Code Blue performing during a brief intermission at the Krimson and Kream pageant on Wednesday March 1. (Stefan Davis/ DIGEST)

(Left to Right) Sophomores, Loren Sullivan, Yazlynn Arceneaux, and Janiece Keller enjoying Pretty Wednesday outside the studnt union March 1st. (Christian Phillips/DIGEST)

Group 2, winners of the Shimmy Like a Nupe contest posing with members of the Alpha Sigma chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fratenity Inc. (Stefan Davis/DIGEST)

The first place winners, group 2 performing their second routine at the Annual Shimmy Like a Nupe contest on Thursday March 2. (Terae Collins/ DIGEST)

Senior Guard Tyeniesha Metcalf, sets up the play for the Lady Jags. (Ashley Lovelace/DIGEST)

The NAACP hosts a “Let’s Get Mental” panel, on Monday February 2e in the Stewart Auditorium. (Jakavion Ashely/DIGEST)

Students mingling during the PinchBack Engineering week Organization Fair. (Justin Moore/DIGEST)

A Defining Moment: Weary featured in lastest exhibit

taniya nichols THE SOUTHERN DIGEST

Art is the expression of human creativity filled with skill and imagination. This month, Frank Hayden Hall is hosting an art exhibit featuring the works of Mike Weary. Students and staff gathered at the exhibit to admire the thoughtprovoking pieces of media.

The opinions of Jada Smith and Kahlea Scott while visiting the exhibit yielded a detailed description. These two students were both from Alexandria and were freshmen. After viewing the painting Smith stated, “It was giving slavery…trials and tribulations at first glance,” but upon closer examination, she believed the man in the painting was a runaway slave. Scott agreed that the man looked like a slave and also believed, “He was on a journey, but got overwhelmed.” She added, “He looks to be saying he’s done and cried his last tear yesterday.”

It was then they stated this that Randell Henry, the curator spoke. Randell Henry is an endowed art professor in Frank Hayden at Southern University.

Henry put the exhibit together and saw first-hand Mike Weary’s painting

in his apartment. He said that “I Found a Junebug Dangling in an Oak” was the reason why he needed to put on an exhibit. His opinion of the painting is that it is “one of the most wonderful paintings I have ever seen in Baton Rouge.”

“The skin color seems to symbolize life draining from the body,” Henry explained. He agreed with comments from other students who said the man

looked tired and added, “People look at him as if he is just as insignificant as a bug,” and continued saying that his descendants will be the ones to help continue the fight he started and had to suffer as an effect of.

Henry described interesting techniques the artist used such as painting upside down and dabbing his paintbrush against the paintings. After getting the opinions of both

Kappa Alpha Psi Week: A Recap

Kappa Week was truly a highly anticipated week that did not disappoint, with little to no hiccups. Kappa Week is a week where there is at least one event that day, put on by the Nupes, for SU Jaguar students to enjoy. On Sunday, the fraternity held a church service at Philadelphia Baptist Church, entitled Brotherhood Sunday. It was led by Pastor Anderson. The Nupes commented, «They wanted to start off Kappa Week right, by having God in control of this week, and by doing so will make it all the more successful.”

The DJ battles were held between 12 p.m.– 2 p.m. in the Union. Upon the event starting no one was around due to class and other student life activities. However, as the event progressed down the line around 1 p.m. more students dressed in gorgeous dresses and unique outfits began showing up and showing out. The union was packed and so vibrant that some students started jigging and singing along to the songs. Everyone was having a good time and loved the music selections played by the DJs.

On Tuesday, between 12 p.m. – 2 p.m. the Nupes hosted “Pie a Nupe” and at first, the event was looking listless, once again due to class and other student events. The event didn’t start to pick up till 12:45 p.m. until a group of female students started to “Pie Nupes” they had encountered.

The next day the Union courtyard was packed and decorated in the colors of red and white to represent Kappa Week, for this special Pretty

Wednesday. The Kappas put on a show for all students by stepping and passing out roses to the female students in the audience.

Later that same day at 7 p.m. the Kappa’s hosted the Miss Krimson & Kreme Pageant, and upon entering, the stands were packed and the energy was overflowing. The lights dimmed and a stage light focused on the host. He then announced that there would be three rounds of modeling and a talent portion of the pageant. During the first round, all the pageant contestants then show off their business professional attire. The crowd cheered for the contestants due

to their creativity and the outfits they wore. Next was the game day portion. The contestants strutted their stuff in their best SU attire.

A brief intermission took place, and the contestants were ready for the second round which was swimwear. After the girls exhibited some of their beautiful swimwear outfits, the SU crowd did not hesitate to show their love. Moving on to the talent round, the contestants put on a range of talents ranging from contestants singing iconic songs all the way to contestants putting on eye-catching dance performances. While the next

students and faculty, I wanted to hear from the artist himself. When asked why he wrote about the painting he said, “I write a story or short narrative for every one of my paintings,” Weary elaborated. Anti-lynching was the inspiration for the painting. “Originally, when I started writing about it, it was about anti-lynching. It is imperative to focus not only on

deidricK Johnson THE SOUTHERN DIGEST

Mike Weary’s “I Found a Junebug Dangling in an Oak” oil painting in the Frank Hayden Hall art gallery. (Taylor Haywood/ DIGEST)

Alpha Sigma Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Freaternity Inc. members posing with Miss Krimson & Kream pageant winner, Amya Winborne (right). (Stefan Davis/ DIGEST)

Mural just outside the Frank Hayden Hall art gallery. (Taylor Haywood/ DIGEST)

Senior, Bailie Boyd “Pies A Nupe’ in the Union Court Yard on Tuesday, February 28. (Jakavian Ashley/DIGEST)

Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc strolling infront of the student union during Kappa week during Pretty Wednesday. (Christopher Toler Jr./DIGEST)

Rap Queens: True Legends

M.C. Lyte, Salt ‘N’ Pepper, Queen Latifah are among those who paved the way for females in the rap game. Suddenly, new rap queens are popping up left and right, either blowing up on Tik Tok or being featured by a big-name artist. Who is truly changing the game or are the upcoming girls just following in the same footsteps left behind by the big names we know today?

Najah Black, a sophomore business management major from Houston, Texas, spoke about her favorite upcoming female rapper. After some thinking, she landed on Flo Milli. She likes Flo Milli because «I like her attitude and her persona,” she stated.

Najah also expressed that she liked Monaleo. As for her favorite song, she stated, “Not necessarily because to be honest I listen to their songs when they’re trending sounds, but I haven’t listened to a whole song from either of them.

Najah felt this way because, “They make good songs for Tik Tok, which I feel is a current trend now since a lot of artists are aiming more for catchy lyrics and hooks that’ll make their song go viral on Tik Tok.”

Kappa Week Was Giving

This year’s «Think Like A Nupe» Kappa Week was organized by the Alpha Sigma Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated. During this week of events, organizations recognized their founders. Students were also able to enjoy events together with them. The week started with a church service at Philadelphia Baptist Church on Sunday.

On Monday, they hosted a Battle of the DJs in the union area and a Campus Safety Event. Tuesday consisted of students throwing pies at their favorite Nupe. The proceeds were donated to St. Jude Children’s Hospital. There was also a Black Art Expo with a lineup of black musicians, poets, art galleries, clothing vendors, etc. Pretty Wednesday with a yard show from the Kappas.

During the evening, they hosted a Miss Krimson & Kreme Pageant for the ladies of SU. The winner received a $500 scholarship. Shimmy like a Nupe was held Thursday night, where students were to mimic the famous “shimmy move» like the fraternity members. Finally, at the end of the week the “Lovers and Friends” masquerade ball off campus on Saturday.

Najah

Najah also felt that a lot of artistry and lyricism has been lost because most artists are just trying to go viral.

The student body participated and attended these events, but what is it giving? Its giving is a term used to describe someone or something whether it’s praised or bad. We asked how they felt about this week’s events.

Janai Gooch, a sophomore responded to the question. She said, “It feels boring, the pageant was too long and I know most of the time during the performance there was no crowd interaction. The crowd was dead.” She also responded, “It’s giving end it.” Another student, Dahlilah Vincent, a freshman felt a different perspective although, she did not attend. She said, “From IG, it looked like everyone was having fun. I have seen a lot of people posting it.” She expressed that she clearly was going off based on what she saw on social media.

Another student, Amerie Terry, a freshman, shared that the Kappa week had been pretty exciting. “In my opinion, both the pageant and the pie in the face were enjoyable. I’m looking forward to the “ Think Like A Nupe” event.” she stated. Terry expressed that she found this week to be quite fun for her.

Another student, Shaniah

sandi huggins THE SOUTHERN DIGEST

taniya nichols THE SOUTHERN DIGEST

DIGEST Graphic

The Culture Fest: A Trip Around the World Event to End off Black History Month

sarah griffths THE SOUTHERN DIGEST

To end the Black History Month program on campus with a kick, Culture Fest was held to celebrate Black culture in its totality. This was done with music, dancing, and delicious food.

After an initial realization that there hadn’t been a Black History Program in the last decade, all hands were on deck. This was to bring the students an engaging event that connected them to Black culture. The event was hosted by Darby Smith, director of the office of Community Outreach and Inclusion, in collaboration with Cedric Noel, director of Smith- Brown Memorial Union, and Nala Anderson, coordinator of the office of Student Leadership and Engagement.

Before this event, the collaborators planned a month of programming including events from Kickoff on the 1st, Zumba, a movie series, and alike. “We wanted to bring more of a culturally enriched and educational point of view. You guys have lots of fun events, but we would like them to be fun, educational, informational, and culturally enriching,” said Smith. The host delved into detail about

her office’s desire to reach out to the community. She wanted to welcome them onto campus to indulge in all things Black love and Black health.

The vendors that participated in this festive event included Southern Style Bistreaux on the Geaux, Southern Café, Geaux Ride Baton Rouge, the student-

intermission was unfolding, the DJ turned on some line dance music, and no Jag could sit still.

At last, the host announced the last round of modeling, which was formal wear. The contestants then show off their snazzy formal wear. The crowd was loving the pageant contestants outfits. The round concludes and colorful lights start flashing in disco style rhythm, and a live band starts to play for the audience. After that, everyone is enjoying the music played by the band, and the energy skyrockets. A SU student Inan Mckinley, a sophomore political science major from Houma, La said,” I enjoyed the live band, they sounded really good! And it was just a pleasant pageant all around.”

After the performance, the hosts called all the contestants to the stage and the room grew quiet. The announcer stepped on the mic, and yelled,” CONGRATULATIONS! Amya Winborne, you are our new 2023-2024 Miss Krimson & Kreme.” Winborne then covered her mouth and cried as a group of people came to hug and congratulate her.

Finally “Shimmy Like a Nupe” was held in the event center. Upon entering the stands, there was plenty of space for all students at the event to sit. However, the seats on the floor closer to the Nupes

led Elite Fashion Society, We3Kings Cultural Corner, and Royal Taste of Jamaica. Royal Taste of Jamaica sold oxtail, jerk plates, and rum cake. “We were very happy to come because students are the future, and we have to support the future,” exclaimed David, the owner of the restaurant. Another fun addition

and all the activities were packed. The host then came on the mic and said, “There will be 3 teams of dancers, and 3 categories of music for them to dance to.” The announcer then continues on to say, “The team with the highestquality songs for those categories and choreographing will be the winner of Shimmy Like a Nupe.”

He then revealed the categories the contest would be participating in, which were New School, Old School, and Slow. The New School performance was first and Team One took the stage. They then started to perform and mid-performance they started to shimmy like a Nupe and the audience loved it. After leaving the stage, Team Two took over. The dancers formed a line facing each other which formed a cool pattern. Then performed the same Nupe dance move and combine it with their own dance moves to blow the audience away. They then exited the stage and Team Three came in and did something that blows everyone away. As they exit the stage, they form a pyramid mid-dance and shimmy like a Nupe as they lean the pyramid. The crowd compliments them with admiration as they shimmy.

The second round of Old School begins. All teams played old school classics from Mindless Behavior to Chris Brown. The audience energy level

was the performance by the Watoto’s of Kombuka. This increased the energy levels in the atmosphere, attracted students passing by to watch the talented African women perform traditional African dances, and invited students to join the dance.

Annessa Whitlow, a junior from Houston, TX majoring in Interdisciplinary studies, immediately participated. She finished with a solo. Having come from a PWI, she expressed the joy of being at Culture Fest on the last day of Black History Month, explaining, “I love it because I really need to experience this culture after coming from one.” I had a blast doing this with people who have been doing African dance, getting into their culture, understanding it, and experiencing it for a while!”

Another student, Nyla Thibadeaux, a freshman from Lafayette, La, described her experience at the event. “It feels good to be at an HBCU already; you feel the love and a homey feeling. If you came from that and you come here you’re still with it. This event specifically emphasizes that feeling.”

increased due to song selection, and until the end of each team performance, the audience energy level did not die down. In the final round, the Slow category, all the teams’ dancers performed eyecatching and breath-taking moves in sync. The highlight of the performance category was when three female dancers from team three pulled three Kappas in for the show. They sat them down in chairs and danced and performed with so much grace that the audience couldn’t control their excitement.

The round concludes. While the judges decided on a winner the Kappas and dancers stroll all over the event center. Meanwhile, the audience is dancing and having fun in the stands. All teams then assemble in the middle of the event center and the announcer comes on the microphone and said, “In last place he has team 1,” he then says, “The winner of the Shimmy Like a Nupe is Team 2.” The team then runs around the event center in excitement and the event concludes.

Carrie Algobaga, one of the dancers on team 2, a sophomore music education major from Houston, TX says,” All the performers did their all, but I feel we deserved the win because of the dedication and work me and my team have been putting in all week.”

GIVING from page 9

Lanus, a freshman responded that she wasn’t impressed. She said, “This week is boring and I’m not surprised.” She also expressed, “It really didn’t feel like anything was occurring this week. It felt like a regular week on campus.”

Student, Dashaleah Lewis, a freshman responded, “It’s giving hot like the sun. It’s giving it can be a bit of fun. But at the same time, it’s giving its dead. It’s giving I like fall semester better than this!” She expressed that she wishes this week could’ve been exciting. According to certain students, Kappa Week was giving… mixed reviews.

actually introduced me to an upcoming rapper, Deetranada, who she said is extremely underrated and believes to be a fantastic lyricalist.

Dajuan Francisco, a sophomore political science major from Marksville, Louisiana said that he liked Lola Brooke. “Lola knows what to say and how to get people’s attention just like Beyoncé,” Francisco discussed.

Simeon Hill, a freshman political science major from Jacksonville, Florida said his favorite is Flo Milli. Simeon said, “Flo Milli is very versatile and she’s for Nicki [Minaj].”

Anzabia Roberts, a sophomore psychology major from Atlanta, Georgia said she also liked Lola Brooke. Anzabia expressed he liked Lola Brooke because, “Her flow is just like Nicki’s flow and she really rides the beat, so she knows how to execute a beat unlike other up-andcoming rappers.”

According to the students, all these rappers bring something new to the table.

Anzabia stated, “Women empowerment…when you’re a female rapper you make the statement that just because you’re a girl you don’t have to be prissy all the time. She adds to the message that a woman can rap about things other than her genitalia and still get a point across.”

Dajuan agreed and added, “She really knows how to pull a younger audience’s attention without being provocative.”

Simeon stated, “Flo Milli contributes to the rap game because she’s a dark skin woman. It’s different when you’re light-skinned. She’s putting it on for dark skin girls.” These rap queens are making waves through their music.

RAP QUEENS from page 9

KAPPA WEEK from page 8

Play4Keeps selling their merchandise at the Black Art Expo during Kappa week. (Kynedi Nichos/ DIGEST)

SpeakOut!

(by: Karah Rainwater)

What are your Springfest expectations?

Childhood Trauma vs. Black Youth

imani Badie THE SOUTHERN DIGEST

BRYSON ARMSTRONG ANIMAL SCIENCE BATON ROUGE

“IT SHOULD BE A NICE ENVIRONMENT, WEATHER GOOD, AND A NICE ATMOSPHERE. LOOKING FORWARD TO THE SPRINGFEST EDITION OF PRETTY WEDNESDAY AS WELL.”

As time goes by in the world, a lot of choices African American youth make are due to childhood trauma.

Childhood trauma endures from a lack of love and support. The way someone is raised says a lot about their characteristics as a person. Childhood trauma shows when people get into relationships and don’t know how to properly love their significant other. Things such as not listening to your partner, only worrying about yourself, and saying hurtful things can come from the neglect felt as a child. Usually, people don’t even realize that trauma

has made them this way, and in most cases, people are aware but don’t know how to change this matter.

Outside of relationships, childhood trauma can cause one to have jealousy in their heart. Being loved poorly by guardians can often cause one to hate to see another with that type of love in their lives. This is heartbreaking because inside they are still that inner child looking for love. They have no idea what love is, and they look for it in the wrong places. The topic of childhood trauma is so common nowadays because this generation is making one another aware and is trying to break these generational curses.

Something that I would do to help prevent this for my children is to give them an abundance of love and

support no matter who they choose to be or what they choose to do. I feel like the problem in today’s world is that everyone has an opinion on something “you” chose to do. For my kids, I want them to always know that they have someone to confide in. It’s hard to confide in people now because people have negative intentions which makes it hard to trust anyone. I will teach my kids lessons about how to never lose themselves because of what someone else thinks of them. Self-love is truly important when enduring in a world full of opinions. Life comes with these trials and tribulations, but I will give my children every lesson that I’ve learned and how I got through things. That way they never lack knowledge.

White People in Black Spaces/Opinions

“FOR SPRINGFEST, I EXCEPT A LOT OF WATER EVENTS, MAYBE A FIELD DAY OR WATER GAMES. I THINK IT’LL BE A WEEK FULL OF FUN EVENTS”

INDIA SIMMONS COMPUTER SCIENCE

BATON ROUGE

“FOR THIS SPRINGFEST, I THINK THERE WILL BE SUPER FUN EVENTS, SUCH AS A CARNIVAL OR A FOAM PARTY. I’M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO IT…WHAT SOUTHERN HAS IN STORE.”

JONISE FOOTE’ GARDENA, CALIFORNIA NURSING

“DURING SPRINGFEST, I EXPECT FUN AND GOOD VIBES ALL WEEK. A LIT WEEK FULL OF EVENTS AND MAKING NEW MEMORIES. “

White male, Micheal Newman, a former student of Howard University’s law school, claims the school was a “hostile educational environment” and pursued a 2-million-dollar lawsuit after being expelled. Howard University expelled Newman in September 2022, and Newman is seeking compensation for “pain, suffering, emotional anguish, and damage toward his reputation.”

laila hazel THE SOUTHERN DIGEST

Newman claims he has communicated with school administrators regarding being mistreated by staff, and he was disregarded. However, a conversion on Zoom was mentioned that consisted of Newman comparing the struggles of an African American

child at a predominately white school with the experience of a white child at a historically black college. After reaching out to Wayne Fredrick, the president of Howard, Newman wanted to receive an acknowledgment stating that he is to be treated just as his African American colleagues. He attached in his email a screenshot from a ‘GroupMe’ chat where a student addressed him as “Mayo King.’’ Howard’s administrators denied he had ever been discriminated against. His comments made via GroupMe created tension between him and other students. With time, Newman was removed from the group chat. Newman was held accountable for the actions and words he chose to display in the eyes of the public and social media. His lawsuit served as an opportunity to shy away from being accountable for his actions. By taking

on a lawsuit, he has manipulated the narrative to make him the victim. Newman was looking for support from his former historically black college to support his outbursts of opinions on a life he has not experienced.

Newman did not take into consideration that he may have truly offended students, especially after comparing his HBCU experience to an African American child attending a PWI. I will admit, there may be challenges that he faces by being a white man at a black college, however, that was a choice he pursued. Many other ethnicities are welcomed at all HBCUs, but they should acknowledge that our colleges were built by our ancestors because we were not allowed entry into white institutions.

Mental Health: In a Student’s Mind

taniya nichols THE SOUTHERN DIGEST

Mental health is one of the most important building blocks people must protect to help build their futures. All health is important and should be treated as such, so I went to the student body to get their thoughts about mental health on campus.

When I asked Jorydan DuBose, a Junior Business Management Major from Houston, Texas, her thoughts about student health, she stated, “I believe in light of recent events with students it has become more of a forefront issue, but I don’t believe they necessarily know a ‘right way’ to go about

mental health.”

After hearing DuBose’s well-constructed response, I needed to hear from another student on campus, and I was lucky enough to talk to a new student and get their opinion on mental health support. When asked if she thinks that mental health resources are accessible on campus, Railyn Westley, a Freshman Business Management Major from New Orleans, Louisiana, stated, “For the girls I know it is, but for the boys, they didn’t get any mental health resource papers hanging up in their dorm.”

I decided to get a male’s opinion after learning that not all dorms have mental

health door hangers. Dylan Vernon from Independence, Louisiana, a Freshman Nursing Major, expressed, “I went to people to speak about mental health and went to the counseling center where they gave me great advice to help me with what I was going through.” Trusting someone on campus to turn to even if they’re not a counselor is the main point Dylan expressed to me. I also asked each student if they knew about all the resources that were accessible on campus, but none of them knew about the new virtual counseling option with Togetherall.

Each student also felt very strongly about mental

POLICY

health days and believes the school should implement them as calendar days. As someone who knows about all the resources accessible on campus, I wish there was more noise made about mental health on campus. College can be so overwhelming because there are a combination of academic, financial, and everyday stressors, which can be so overwhelming at times that some time from school is needed. In the future, I hope to at least see a mental health day or days in the month of May for mental health awareness month.

KELCEY WHITE AGRICULTURE BUSINESS ATLANTA, GA

FOUNDERS’ DAY

Schedule of Events

March 1 – March 31

John B. Cade Library Founders’ Day Exhibits

Founders’ Month Social Media Challenge

Include #SUFoundersMonth on all public posts about your love for SU to be featured on official SU platforms.

Home Depot Retool Your School Vote for SU through March 26 at retoolyourschool.com/vote

Include #RYSSUBR, #RYSSUNO and #RYSSHREVEPORT on all public Twitter and Instagram posts.

March 7

Scotlandville Magnet High School Day at Southern University and A&M College

March 9

Founders’ Day Pilgrimage Riverfront

9 a.m.

Founders’ Day Convocation and President-Chancellor Investiture

F. G. Clark Activity Center

10 a.m.

Community Reception

Immediately following Convocation and Investiture

F.G. Clark Activity Center

March 10

Southern University Law Center E-Sports Grand Opening

Smith-Brown Memorial Union

9 a.m.

March 13

The Presidential Invitational Golf Classic* Country Club of Louisiana

*Registration required.

March 14

Leadership Roundtable with Engineering Leaders

P.B.S. Pinchback Hall

8:30 a.m.

*Registration required.

March 22

Women’s History Month Panel Discussion

John B. Cade Library

2 p.m.

March 25

Naming Ceremony for Malveaux Master in Business Administration

T.T. Allain Hall

*Registration required.

March 26

Southern University Leading Ladies Luncheon*

*Invitation only.

March 29

Employee Service Awards Luncheon*

*Invitation only.

All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. For more information, go to subr.edu/foundersmonth.

#WeAreSouthern #SUFoundersMonth