NOVEMBER 16, 2021
Volume 77 . Issue 11
A Moral Approach: The Q yron Williams Story Whitney Thomas The Southern Digest
Q yron Williams pursued Southern University as an incoming freshman with dreams and hopes to succeed and thrive in a community that accepted him. His dream came to a sudden end when two cars struck him after leaving his job at McDonald’s on Harding Blvd in the late hours of April 17, 2021. The controversy surrounding the case occurs when considering that the driver who took Mr. Williams’ life resided at Southern University and fled towards the back of campus to the university dorms. Despite the university being aware of the situation, no further action was taken to the knowledge of helping William’s mother to identify the driver. See MORAL page 3
DIGEST ART / Photo Courtesy Tijshika Williams
Cares Act: RICOH Uncovered Cost and Savings To Be or Not to Be
Jaidyn Nix The Southern Digest
Recently, it was announced that students at the Southern University at Shreveport campus were awarded $5,000 through the CARES Act. Many students on campus began to wonder whether or not Southern University would also offer the act for the 2021–2022 academic year.
The Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a $2.2 trillion economic stimulus bill that was passed into law in March of 2020. The act was created to assist with the major economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. From that $2.2 trillion, about $14 billion was given to the Office of Postsecondary Education to specifically distribute funds to students at colleges and universities. The news of SUSLA students receiving the act this year made students at SUBR question why they have not received anything yet.
“It was weird to hear that SUSLA got the act but not us,” See CARES ACT page 3
Improved Experiences with Updated Services Aaliyah Bennett The Southern Digest
The collaboration between RICOH and Southern University has been improving at an exponential rate in recent years. The printing service offers locations where students can put in an order for regular prints, push cards, business cards, posters, or banners. “For push cards, the turnaround time is about 24 to 48 hours depending on how many orders were received ahead of time, while banners and posters should take no longer than three days,” said Pamela Jackson, the office manager at RICOH. During election time, the staff services offered to the student body are promotional for yard signs, banners and whatever else is in need for election season. Another service offered by RICOH includes mail services. If a student resides on campus, the use of mail services through RICOH is covered through tuition. If the student is off campus, they can elect to maintain a mailbox key, which is $17.50 for 6 months or $35 for the year.
Many students, faculty, and staff frequent RICOH for their printing and mail services needs. (Aaliyah Bennett/DIGEST)
The most recent improvements so far with RICOH have been with their technology. Students can receive a confirmation email verifying the packages have been dropped off and ready for pickup. If any students have a problem with delayed shipping, they are advised to track packages and reach out to the carrier’s site. Going to the mail room has been a very reliable and an easy process lately. Mya Mongo, a Southern University
cheerleader states, “I’ve had nothing but good experiences with our mailroom. They are very reliable. All my packages have been carefully handled, no damage. It has been a very quick and easy process. I go in, swipe my student ID, get my package and sign off.” Most students on campus find it in their best interest to constantly use the mailroom, especially being that the majority of the students on campus are from out of state.
Students are not the only ones who utilize the mailroom as well. Most of the businesses and offices on campus rely on it too. Their mail is sent and received in a timely manner, and RICOH is doing an outstanding job with all services they offer. Boasting professional and efficient service, RICOH at Southern University has established itself as a staple of service on the Bluff.