Rebuilding the Ravine
Marchandrea Seals STAFF WRITER
The Jaguar Community has found relief after a long line of questioning in regards to the construction of the bridge located across from the Intramural Complex Center. This site is one of the many projects being done to improve Southern University‘s ravine, which suffered damage from the Mississippi River. Some of the damages include erosion, floding, and a cracking foundation around the bridge. The University has a contract with the United States Army Corps. of Engineers of New Orleans and CKY Incorporated. The US Army Corps. of Engineers are on scene to supervise the site. The production of improving the ravine has been going on for months and could be longer. What many don’t know, is that workers are delayed when river tides come through the campus. Work resumes after the tide dies down. Being that students use this bridge daily to get to the heart of campus, workers are making a conscious effort to protect the bridge’s foundation. Currently there are 150 forward pipes being installed to control the flow of the water and the create sufficient bridge stability. Endas Vincent, Assistant Director of Service Planning had discussed how these damages occurred. “In the spring time, the ice melts up north of the Mississippi River and the water in the river increases,” said Vincent. “Then the water comes into the ravine and stays there for a while
Astavven Cotton/DIGEST Construction continues at the University’s ravine located near the back of campus. Workers have used precaution in ensuring that students make it safely across the campus ravine.
until the water in the Mississippi River goes down and then the water succeeds and when it succeeds, it causes these damages.” Flooding in the ravine happens when the Mississippi River gets too high and the water comes back in the ravine (overflowing) to where the street dips in specific areas located at the checkpoint near Residential Housing. Every time it rains, on campus students and commuters have to go around this
area. This factor leads to erosion. Freshman business major Taylor Williams, from Natchitoches said he is glad that improvements are finally being made. “I believe these improvements to our campus will give us a new look and up to date campus,” said Williams. “That bridge really needed to be fixed and that spot that floods every time it rains, needs to stop,” Williams finished. Vincent said the work being done on
the ravine will be very beneficial for Southern University students, faculty, and staff. “Our bridge will be much more stable and it will not collapse, it wont be a catastrophic failure,” said Vincent. “The pipes would be designed so that water would not come out on the road anymore but we will eventually have to raise that road up as well.”
JSU seeks legal action against Grambling, SWAC Associated Press
As the Jaguar Basketball Team hit thJackson State has asked the Mississippi attorney general to help it explore legal action against Grambling State and perhaps the Southwestern Athletic Conference to recover as much as $600,000 lost when Grambling’s football team refused to travel to Jackson State’s homecoming game.
Inside this Issue:
Documents obtained through an open records request show that Jackson State has been pushing the Mississippi attorney general’s office for five months to pursue legal action, The ClarionLedger reported Sunday. In a Nov. 5 email to Deputy Attorney General Onetta S. Whitley, Jackson State interim counsel Matthew Taylor wrote, “What JSU will likely need is guidance
on the procedural process to have AG approval to pursue litigation against Grambling and the SWAC.” He also asked for a public statement of support from Hood’s office: “We need to have our JSU family ensured that the university is acting in good faith and with the full support of the AG’s office.” The university’s persistence and the newspaper’s inquiries have led Attorney General Jim Hood to review the plea
for help, the paper reported. Grambling’s players boycotted the Jackson State game because of issues including Grambling’s run-down facilities, long bus trips to road games and personnel decisions. Jackson State’s vice president of finance, Michael Thomas, said losing the homecoming game money has put the Mississippi school’s budget out of balance for the first time in years.
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The Institutions of Higher Learning requires a balanced budget each year, and Jackson State has had one “for a few years now. For the first time in years, JSU is requesting from IHL an exception to this policy,” he said. Ticket refunds accounted for about $475,000 of the estimated $540,000 to $600,000 total, Jackson State officials wrote SWAC LEGAL ACTION Continued P3.