Volume 69 Issue 7 by Southern Digest

35 Tuesday . October 24, 2017

One Love: Raising Canes Donates $1 Million to Southern University

FINAL SCORE

Volume 69 . Issue 7

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BY BRIA GREMILLION/ ACE WHEELER

SOUTHERN DIGEST EDITOR-IN CHIEF/STAFF WRITER

On Tuesday, October 17, Founder and CEO of Baton Rouge based company, Raising Cane’s, Todd Graves, announced a $1 million dollar partnership with Southern University (SU). Graves declared that Raising Cane’s is now the “Official Chicken of The Human Jukebox,” who gave a live performance outside of the 3rd Street restaurant; where the conference was held. According to the press release, “The agreement includes an endowed academic scholarship, an athletics partnership, and a sponsorship of The Southern University Marching Band.” Graves spoke of his excitement about the new partnership and how he has

Founder and CEO of Raising Cane’s, Todd Graves, President-Chancellor of Southern University, Dr. Ray Belton and Mayor-President of Baton Rouge, Sharon Weston-Broome celebrate the partnership of Cane’s and Southern University at a press conference on Thursday, October 17 in Downtown, Baton Rouge. (Kyndall Jones/DIGEST)

always been a fan of the Jaguar Nation. “It just makes me real proud. Growing up in Baton Rouge, I’ve always been a fan of Southern and The Human Jukebox is just pride for me across the nation so it’s great for us to be the Official Chicken of The Human Jukebox,” stated Graves. SU System President-Chancellor Dr. Ray Belton was in attendance and was awarded the check on behalf of the university, alongside Director of Bands,

Nathan Haymer and SU Athletics Director Roman Banks. “What this represents is an opportunity for Southern University to receive resources in the amount of $1 million dollars over the next 10 years, dollars that would supports athletics, that would help stabilize the Human Jukebox, and also provide needed scholarships for students who matriculate at our institution,” said Belton.

“Literally, we’re grateful to Todd Graves and Raising Cane’s for standing beside Southern in this environment that is always fiscally challenging,” the Chancellor went on to say. Also in attendance were SU alumna and Mayor-President of Baton Rouge, Sharon Weston-Broome, Interim Executive Vice President for Academic

No Flex Zone: Students Embrace Academic Competition at Quiz Bowl Tourney Race BY JAMES EAGLIN, JR./ NAJERI EVANS

SOUTHERN DIGEST - STAFF WRITERS

Nearly 60 students chose to flex their academic muscles before Fall Break arrived as the Southern University Honda Campus All Star Challenge Quiz Bowl campus competition took place Wednesday, October 11 in the PBS Pinchback Engineering Building. The Honda Campus All Star Challenge (HCASC), established in 1989, unites more than 90 HBCUs under the umbrella of academic competition, sponsoring regional and national quiz bowl tournaments across the country. HCASC rewards

schools that do well in the tournament, with a $75,000 grant going to the national tournament champions. The purpose of the campus competition was to seek the best and brightest undergraduate students to represent Southern University at regional and national tournaments as new members of the quiz bowl team. The campus competition is also a prerequisite for the opportunity to compete in the HCASC. Last April, Southern finished in the quarterfinals, or ‘Elite 8’, of the national tournament held in Los Angeles, CA, bringing more than $10,000 in scholarship

See ONE LOVE page 3

money back to ‘The Bluff.’ Over the course of 27 seasons, the team has won over $130,000. Distinguished Professor of Physics and Dean of the Honors College Diola Bagayoko, Ph.D., was on site to take in the action at the campus competition alongside Honors College Assistant Professor, Deadra James Mackie, who serves as the head coach of the team. Mackie has successfully led the quiz bowl team to three national tournament appearances in the last four years. The spark plug of the team Deadra James Mackie (far top right) supervising a quiz bowl match in the computer See QUIZ BOWL page 3

lab of the PBS Pinchback Engineering Building October 11. (James Eaglin, Jr./DIGEST)

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

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SUITE 1064 – T.H.HARRIS HALL – P.O. BOX 10180 – BATON ROUGE, LA 70813 225.771.2231 PHONE / 225.771.5840 FAX WWW.SOUTHERNDIGEST.COM The Southern DIGEST is written, edited and published by members of the student body at Southern University and A&M College. The Southern DIGEST is published once weekly (Tuesday with a run count of 4,000 copies per issue during the Southern University - Baton Rouge campus fall, spring semesters. The paper is free to students, staff, faculty and general public every Tuesday on the SUBR campus. The Southern DIGEST student offices are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday - Friday. The offices are located on the first floor of T.H. Harris Hall, Suite 1064.

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Fall 2017 Staff

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Bria Gremillion

MANAGING EDITOR Jacqueline Morgan COPY EDITORS Trevor Moore Chelsea Lovey NEWS EDITOR Christina White WEB EDITOR Kayla Foster A&E EDITOR Morgan Becnel-Adams SPORTS EDITOR Andrew Evans PHOTO EDITOR Brandon Tucker SOCAIAL MEDIA EDITOR Arnita Dove

DIGEST STAFF WRITERS Konner Johnson Jalen Anderson Araina Akins Devon Fedrick James Eaglin, Jr. Rocelyn Hamilton Tyler Hayes Stephanie Mbaya Jeremy Nettles Brennan Matthews Camryn Hawkins Caleb Penn Yasmere Rashada Najeri Evans Dante Thomas DeJohn Richardson Jordan Victorian Ace Wheeler Kerry Wilson

DIGEST PHOTOGRAPHERS Olivia Brock Shomari Moore Julian Alvarez Destini Prevot D’Aryn Thomas

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SOUTHERN DIGEST WHAT’S HAPPENING TUTORING SERVICES The Center for Undergraduate Student Achievement Tutoring Center offers free and friendly academic tutoring to Southern University students seeking to improve or maintain their knowledge base in Math, Chemistry, Biology and Nursing classes. Our center offers assistance on hand Monday – Friday from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm. The Tutoring Center is located in Stewart Hall, Room 155. DRAMA CLUB MEETINGS The Drama Club meets each Tuesday at 5PM in Hayden Hall Theatre. New members are welcome. See Professor McDonaldEllis in Hayden Hall for more information. NIGHTMARE ON HARDING BLVD. COSTUME PARTY Get your costumes ready for a night you won’t forget with the Men’s Federation. Details are forthcoming. GRAD FEST Tuesday, October 24th & Wednesday, October 25th From 10am to 4pm both days in the Student Union Royal Cotillion Ballroom Free sitting & Color proof at the SUBR Grad Fair These photos will be provided to your school for the 2018 Jaguar Yearbook, so don’t miss out! JAGUAR SOCCER The Lady Jags will take on Prairie View A&M today in Jaguar Park. Kick-off is TBD. The Lady Jags will hit the road to take on Jackson State on this Friday, October 27 in Jackson, MS. Kick-off is at 6PM.

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CORRECTIONS Fact and accuracy is our goal and our job. As the voice of the Southern University student body we are committed to ensuring to most fair, truthful and accurate accounts of our work. In the event of an error we will make all corrections on Page 2. Bring corrections to The Southern DIGEST office located in Suite 1064, Harris Hall.

TUES. OCTOBER 24

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JAGUAR FOOTBALL This week, the Jaguars will take on the Golden Lions of UAPB at the War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, Ark. on Saturday, October 28 at 4PM. JAGUAR VOLLEYBALL The Lady Jags will face Prairie View and Texas Southern this weekend in Texas on October 29 and 30 at 5PM and 6:30PM. HIGH SCHOOL DAY 2017 November 4, 2017. The program begins at 9AM. To Register, visit subr. edu/admissions then click “Jaguar Preview.” Cost: is $25 PSYCHOLOGY The Department of Psychology is pleased to sponsor the 19th Annual Social and Behavioral Sciences Undergraduate Research Conference from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on November 16, 2017 in the SmithBrown Memorial Union Cotillion Ballroom. STEM DAY Calling all Baton Rouge High School students. The College of Sciences and Engineering presents Southern University STEM Day Friday, November 10, 2017. Register at subr.edu BAYOU CLASSIC The 45th annual Bayou Classic will be Saturday, November, 25, 2017 at the Mercedez-Benz Superdome at 4PM. Tickets are on sale at ticketmaster.com DRAMA CLUB UPCOMING EVENTS The Drama club will be hosting its first productions in early November in the Hayden Hall Theatre. Stay tuned for production dates and times.

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The Race: New Orleans First Female Mayor

BY ALEXIS FINDLEY

SOUTHERN DIGEST - STAFF WRITER

The next mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana, will be a black woman. This will be a first for the city in its nearly 300-year history. The city has not yet elected its new mayor, but both candidates to emerge from the first round of voting on Saturday are black women. The top two contenders, city Councilwoman, LaToya Cantrell and former Municipal Court Judge, Desiree Charbonnet, will face each other in a runoff election on November 18. In Saturday’s election, Cantrell collected 39 percent of the vote to Charbonnet’s 30 percent, knocking former Civil District Court Judge, Michael Bagneris, with only 19 percent of the vote. New Orleans uses a top two “jungle primary” system in which nonpartisan elections proceed to a runoff if no candidate gets over fifty percent on the first ballot. Cantrell, a community organizer, hindered an effort to demolish her Broadmoor neighborhood after Hurricane Katrina. She is regarded as the comes from the head coach, whose positive energy and enthusiasm fills the room. “I consider it an honor to work with the students because they practice very hard,” Mackie stated. Sophomore nursing major, Logan Evans, even credits Mackie for being a great teacher and exemplifying wonderful leadership skills. Junior political science major, Kelvin Wells, describes a potential quiz bowl player as

more progressive of the two candidates. Cantrell’s support for a $15 minimum wage and criminal justice reform earned her support of local left-leaning organizations like Step Up Louisiana and national groups like the Working Families Party. As city councilwoman, Cantrell was successful in her efforts to ban smoking in New Orleans bars, restaurants and casinos. “LaToya Cantrell ran a campaign focused on making New Orleans a city that truly works for all its communities, not just a wealthy few,” a spokesman for the Working Families Party, Joe Dinkin said in a statement. “Across the country, voters are rewarding candidates who are running on that kind of transformative progressive message,” Dinkin went on to say. If elected, Cantrell, 45, would be the city’s first nonnative mayor. She grew up in Los Angeles, California, and moved to New Orleans to attend college at Xavier University of Louisiana. She is also officially endorsed by the New Orleans Times-Picayune Newspaper.

“someone who is dedicated, and who loves it.” “The beauty of it is you don’t have to be 6 feet, you don’t have to weigh 300 pounds, anybody, anybody can be on our team,” added Bagayoko. Quiz bowl showcases knowledge in several subjects, including history, literature, science, current events and pop culture. There are aspects to quiz bowl that are similar to most athletic events. Long hours of practice

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Desiree Charbonnet and LaToya Cantrell are heading for a runoff in the New Orleans mayoral race. (Tyler Hayes/DIGEST ART)

Charbonnet, on the other hand, comes from a political family with deep roots in the area and has been in city politics since the late 1990s. This could be her advantage in the primary and general election because of her ties to Congressman Cedric Richmond, as well as a significant source of support from old 7th Ward political interests, including the family of former mayor, Sidney Barthelemy. The Charbonnet family also operated the Charbonnet Funeral Home in the Treme neighborhood of New Orleans. She is known for her efforts on the bench to steer repeat drug are put in to ensure peak performance. Two teams are in contest with one another, with a goal of putting up the most points before the game ends to win. In terms of rivalries, matches with Grambling State are intense, with Spelman, Tuskegee, and Florida A&M being among the greatest competition this year’s quiz bowl team has to face. Bagayoko makes it known which form of competition he favors. “In an institution

and prostitution offenders to treatment programs instead of jail. If elected, Charbonnet’s priorities would be public safety, infrastructure, housing and education; whereas Cantrell’s goal as mayor is to build on combined strengths and determination. Both candidates are running on reducing violent crime due to New Orleans having one of the highest murder rates of any big city in the country and ensuring greater access to affordable housing. The runoff will be held November 18th. QUIZ BOWL from page 1

of learning, any competition that engages the intellectual capabilities is the ultimate competition, as far as I’m concerned.” Although the HCASC campus competition was the only chance to officially join the quiz bowl team, Mackie ensured that that would not be the only chance this year for more students to get involved. She is currently seeking students to form a sparring team to help the quiz bowl team prepare.

ONE LOVE from page 1

Affairs, Dr. Luria Young and CEO of the SU System Foundation, Alfred Harrell. Drum major and sophomore Psychology major, Tre’Von Ceasar, expressed how he felt the partnership was an exceptional venture. “Being the leader of the band, I think towards the future. Money like this, this gracious donation, it offers more opportunities for students to come and be apart of the band and students to come and be apart of the family that is Southern University. It’s a great feeling,” Ceasar finished. The Jukebox will spell out C-A-N-E-S during their half time performance on November 4 at the final home game of the season against Prairie View A&M to show their appreciation for the partnership, the press release reads. East Baton Rouge Parish Councilwoman representing District 10 and two time graduate of SU, Tara Wicker, spoke of how the partnership came at the right time for the university. “I bleed blue and gold and I love Southern University so to have Todd and Gwen and the Graves family to see that investment as something that’s necessary and critical to the success of our university is just huge,” stated Wicker. The festivities and celebration caused many bystanders to gather in the streets. Some were lucky tourists, who happened to be in the right place at the right time. Even the construction workers across the street stopped their workflow, in order to enjoy the spectacle. Others were there intentionally to support the university; including Mentorship STEAM Academy. Many of the supporters waved pom-poms in hand, and danced along with the entertainment provided by the Human Jukebox as they played a variety of songs, from the classic “Do What You Wanna”, to the school’s alma mater, and even a modern song by artist, Bruno Mars. “It feels great because it’s much needed finances to our school. More importantly, Raising Cane’s is about a sense of community and I think Southern University needs to reach out to the community more and this a step forward in the right direction,” stated Director of Bands, Nathan B. Haymer. At the end of the press conference, Todd Graves closed with a taste of humor saying, “Who wants some chicken fingers?” Laughter ensued as the patrons entered the restaurant for more food and festivities.

Jaguar Sports Five in a Row: Jaguars Roll Over Jackson State in Boom Box Classic southerndigest.com

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BY DEVIN HADRICK

SOUTHERN DIGEST - SPORTS WRITER

The Southern University (SU) Jaguars and Jackson State (JSU) Tigers had a Boombox Classic for the ages last Saturday at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium. Jackson State failed to secure a win so far this season, but with rivalry games, the record books go out the window. Kickoff for the game was put on hold due to lightning being tracked near the stadium. This allowed the Human Jukebox and the Sonic Boom of the South to duel it out from the stands. After an hour and 30 minute delay, the attention shifted to the gridiron. Jackson State’s offense came out the tunnel swinging with a quick start, scoring on their opening drive. Southern responded with their defense forcing a 3 and out on the next Tigers’ possession. SU took only 4 plays on offense to tie the game at 7 with 8:07 left in the first quarter. With 6:30 left in the first quarter, starting quarterback, Austin Howard, suffered a hit to the same knee that forced him

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to miss playing time earlier this season. Freshman quarterback John Lampley was substituted in the game temporarily. His poor performance led Southern to punt the ball. An error on special teams gave Jackson State great field position in Jaguar territory with 4:30 in the first quarter. Southern’s defense Redshirt Senior tight end Dillon Beard breaks free from a defender for extra yardage during the Jaguars game against Jackson was able to prevent giving up a State at Veterans Memorial Stadium on October 21. (D’Aryn Thomas/DIGEST) touchdown, stifling JSU’s offense to only 6 yards. The Tigers field goal, making the score 21-10 quarter, a Tiger touchdown made When asked if the defense has settled for a field goal, making in favor of SU with 6:35 remaining the score 28-17. Howard responded been playing physical for the the score 10-7 in favor of Jackson in the second quarter. with a 5-yard touchdown pass past three weeks, Head Coach State heading into the second Sophomore defensive back, to freshman receiver Jamar Dawson Odums replied, “Not quarter. Montavious Gaines, later Washington, with 1:21 left in really, I thought today we missed Standout senior defensive back, intercepted JSU quarterback Jordan the third quarter, improving the entirely too many tackles. In order Danny Johnson, scored his second Williams’ pass, placing the Jags on score 35-17. The Jaguars defense to accomplish the goals we have offensive touchdown for his Jackson State’s 40-yard line with proved to be a juggernaut in the set we have to tackle better, very career, this time by rushing into the 5:00 left in the second quarter. second half, preventing the Tigers disappointed in the way we tackled endzone from the 5-yard line. The However, with under a minute from converting on third down and that’s the attitude guys have to Jags assumed a 14-10 advantage at left in the second quarter, Howard throughout the entire second half. be willing to stick their face in there that point. In the end, the Jags came out to make tackles. Today we didn’t threw an interception inside their The ensuing possession own red zone, keeping the Jaguars’ victorious with a final score of do a very good job with our angles, showcased Southern’s ability lead at 11. 35-17, putting Southern in control and we gave them a lot more yards to play an up-tempo, no huddle The Jags’ no huddle offense of their own destiny at 4-3 (2-1 than they should’ve had.” offense, moving the ball with ease. showed itself again on the opening SWAC). Southern has been Running back, Herbert Edwards, After initially being stopped in drive of the second half. The result victorious in the Boombox Classic rushed for 163 yards on 26 carries the red zone, freshman receiver was another touchdown drive, for five years straight, increasing Kendall Catalon rushed for a traveling 76 yards in 11 plays. their all-time series advantage at See JAGS ROLL page 5 4-yard touchdown off of a fake With 3:33 remaining in the third 33-29.

Leaving His Mark: Morris Scott leads new era of Jaguar hoops BY JAMES EAGLIN, JR.

SOUTHERN DIGEST - SPORTS WRITER

While most of Southern University was preparing for Fall Break last Wednesday, October 11, the 2017-18 Jaguar Men’s Basketball team held practice at F.G. Clark Activity Center, eager to start regular season competition. In his first media day press conference at Southern as Head Coach, Morris Scott downplayed the change in command. “We want to just continue to go out and be competitive as we have every day that I’ve been here.” Scott is no stranger to a Southern team predicted to finish second in the SWAC preseason polls. He has been with the program for six years in total. He spent time under former Head Coach and current Athletic Director, Roman Banks, for the last three years. He has an ability to coach defense and recruit, as detailed in his biography on

GoJagSports.com. “We’re going to stay competitive, and play as hard as we can for as long as we can every night we go out on the floor.” Although the Jags have returned nine players from last year’s team, Scott admits that the team is full of guys with unestablished roles. The biggest competition heading into the season comes from the point guard spot, where no clear starter has emerged. Chemistry should not be an issue, with an offseason trip to the Bahamas giving players a chance to bond, play together, and get used to their new coach. The one clear leader is senior forward, Jared Sam. The Baton Rouge big man had a remarkable season last year, averaging 13 points and 7 rebounds while playing roughly 32 minutes per game. He was named as the Preseason AllConference first team during the

First year head coach Morris Scott looks to leave his mark during the first practice of the 2017-18 season at F.G. Clark Activity Center on WednesdayOctober 18. (James Eaglin, Jr./DIGEST)

SWAC Basketball Media Day TipOff, also held on October 11. Scott had nothing but praise for Sam. “He’s not a super vocal guy, but the way he performs on and off the court sets the tone.” Sam told the media that it will be a “weird feeling” playing without guard, Tre’lun Banks, by his side for the first time in six years, though he did note his excitement of finally being able to have a leadership role. “I just have to go

out and do what I have to do every day, and my work will speak for itself.” Redshirt junior guard, Chris Thomas, was also nabbed a second team Preseason All-Conference selection. In terms of who stood out during training camp, Coach Scott quickly named senior guard, LaQuentin Collins. He added that he expects big contributions from the Monroe native. Sam also credited junior

guard, Eddie Reese, as someone to look out for during the season. The Jaguars will face a long nonconference schedule, beginning with the season opener when they travel to the State Farm Center on November 11 to face the University of Illinois. Their road trip also includes a game against the Duke Blue Devils at the Cameron Indoor Stadium. Tulane, Iowa, and Baylor are also on the schedule.

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Last Men Standing: 16 White Guys, No Playoffs BY JORDAN VICTORIAN

SOUTHERN DIGEST - SPORTS WRITER

At of the beginning of the NFL regular season, there are approximately 1,700 active players in the National Football League (NFL). Concurrently, about 1,200 of those players are African American. Of the 28 players selected for the Associated Press All-Pro Team, 20 were black. The Huffington Post reported that the NFL’s 32 teams earned around $12 billion in 2015 with merchandise sales over $1.55 billion. It’s safe to say that the NFL is powered by African Americans. Yet, it has taken over a year for African American brutality to be addressed by the league. Over the past year, the NFL has been involved in much controversy over the issue of what to do during the national anthem. The issue

was brought about by former San Francisco 49ers Quarterback, Colin Kaepernick in August 2016. Kaepernick said, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.” After a conversation with Green Beret Nate Boyer, he decided to kneel rather than sit during the anthem in order to show respect for fallen soldiers. Since the beginning of this protest there have been multiple demonstrations by different athletes across the nation. Players have received a combination praise as well as criticism over issues surrounding the protest, and have gained the attention of people from

different parts of the media. Colin Kaepernick is currently not signed to an NFL team, but many of his fellow football players are keeping his original idea alive through their persistent protesting from week to week. However, multiple NFL owners have called for an end to the protest. Dallas Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones, has said, “Any player who is disrespectful to the flag will not be allowed to play.” This comment came after Jones originally knelt to support his player during the national anthem in the team’s week 3 game against the Arizona Cardinals. Jerry Jones’ bottom line is that he wants nothing to interfere with his money. The consequences of the protest have resulted in some fans boycotting the NFL. Money is important to every NFL owner. So the question is, what if the players

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stopped making money for the league? What if every black player on the Cowboys’ roster knelt? Each NFL team has roughly 37 black players. If all African American players knelt, there would be about 16 white players left to play. Eleven players are needed to play offense and defense respectively, and another three are needed to play special teams. This would leave the team with a player deficit. This would leave Jerry Jones with the decision to either forfeit the rest of the season, or show genuine support for his players. The 32 NFL owners have great power over their players, but the power the players have is much stronger. If African American players in the NFL unite to support the cause, change will have no choice but to come.

JAGS ROLL from page 4

and a touchdown. His ability to fight for every yard played a significant role in Saturday’s win. When asked about his stellar performance, Edwards said, “Keeping my knees pumping, staying lower, keep the drive going, keep my feet turning after every bit of contact, so I wanted to work on that from last week to this week. That’s what I worked on last week falling forward. Being able to fall forward builds your confidence as a runningback, it makes you feel great you want coach to keep giving you the ball like you can’t be stopped. But I have to give credit to my o-line, my o-linemen had a great game every time I looked up they were moving somebody, it’s because of them I had those long runs.” Next week the defenders of the gold and blue will travel north of the state border to face fellow SWAC West division foe, Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Kickoff is scheduled to start at 4PM.

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Let’s Talk: Conscious Conversations On Race

BY STEPHANIE MBAYA

SOUTHERN DIGEST - STAFF WRITER

The “Let’s Talk: Conscious Conversations on Race” panel took place on Thursday, October 19 at T.T. Allain in room 313. The event kicked off at 6 p.m. and featured a film that explained the story of Emmett Till, and also included a panel that discussed racial issues that are still affecting the African-American community today. The filmmaker, Keith Beauchamp, is a Southern University graduate. In his opening remarks, he mentioned that the film had taken him 9 years to make and that the story of Emmett Till had always been close to him, having first come across the story as a young boy. “At the age of 10, I came across a Jet magazine that had the story of Emmett Louis Till. On one side of the page was this great looking black kid and on the other side of the page was this horrific face. I was truly shocked,” said Mr. Beauchamp. He credited his parents, who served as executive producers of the film, for making this story a big part of his life. The panel consisted of Dr. Don Hernandez, a Southern University History professor, Dr. Dana Hunter, the Executive Director for the Children’s Cabinet, Mr. Michael A.V Mitchell, a community activist, Chief Carl Dunn from the Baker Police Department, Dr. Rani Whitefield, M.D and Dr. Lori Martin, an associate professor of Sociology at Louisiana State University. The panelists touched on issues of race, how young people should react to current events, police brutality, enlightenment on issues of racial discrimination and building up the community. “Be the change. You don’t have to See LET’S TALK page 10

Students and faculty gather to see the special screening of the Emmett Till Documentary in T.T. Alain on October 17. (Arnita Dove/DIGEST)

No Mockingbirds Allowed: Classic Banned Shonda Rhimes Inducted into TV Hall of Fame

BY NAJERI EVANS

SOUTHERN DIGEST - STAFF WRITER

The Classic novel, “To Kill A Mockingbird” (TKAM) written by Harper Lee, has recently been pulled from the eighthgrade curriculum in Mississippi because it made some students uncomfortable. The Biloxi school system sparked controversy for eliminating the novel, following the conversation on when and if a book should be banned from the classrooms. Some argue that banning the book violates first amendment rights, and others feel the offensive language in the book is used to shed light on current issues of discrimination and racism in America. The New York Times notes, “The novel is set during the Depression in a small Alabama town where a black man is accused of raping a white woman. Its candid exploration of racism and discrimination has been a beacon for controversy.” Although Biloxi has received national attention for the decision about the novel, they are not the first school system to remove the book from its shelves. The Hanover County school board in Virginia was also under fire when it first banned the book for the inclusion of rape in the story’s plot. In fact, USA Today informs, “To Kill A Mockingbird came in

BY KONNER JOHNSON

SOUTHERN DIGEST - STAFF WRITER

(Tyler Hayes/DIGEST ART)

No. 21 on the American Library Association’s list of the top 100 Challenged/Banned books from 2000 to 2009.” The Biloxi school system has not publically announced what particular language in the novel makes readers uncomfortable, however critics believe its removal was influenced by much of the

racially sensitive content. The book uses the “n-word” as frequent as it was spoken in the 60s, and 57 years later, it is not close to being normalized. Lee did not censor the “n-word” in her original publication of TKAM, yet today it must be censored in news outlets. The Biloxi school board has not

completely banned TKAM, the book will still be available in their school’s libraries. Its removal from the curriculum will be replaced with a different novel that initially teaches the same lessons. The Washington Post stated, “The novel won its author a Pulitzer Prize for fiction and made the values of the Civil Rights

The Television Academy has announced its inductees for their 24th Hall of Fame class. One of the few to be selected is renowned television producer, Shonda Rhimes. Serving as the creator of television’s most beloved characters in shows like “Scandal”, “How to Get Away with Murder”, and “Grey’s Anatomy”, Rhimes was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame on Thursday, October 19. Some of her other credits include “Private Practice” and “The Catch.” In August, she signed a multiyear deal with Netflix that includes her producing a new Netflix series and other projects, exclusively for the streaming giant. “I really hate the word ‘diversity,’ See RHIMES page 10

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Netflix and Debt Anyone?

SOUTHERN DIGEST

BY DEVON FEDERICK

‘Tyler Perry’s Boo 2’ scares away competition at box office LOS ANGELES (AP)

SOUTHERN DIGEST STAFF WRITER

Netflix and chill comes at a cost, for the company itself and to subscribers, and it is no secret that the movie streaming service has borrowed a ton of money to finance its costly programming. Over the last few years, Netflix has borrowed over $20 billion to support its content and it will continue to borrow money that will be invested into more original movies and series. Due to the unexpected popularity of Netflix originals such as “Luke Cage”, “Stranger Things”, and “13 Reasons Why”, which became hits almost instantaneously, Netflix has plans to make fifty percent of their content original. According to Netflix’s CEO Reed Hasting, in order to reach that goal, the video streaming service will continue its spending habits. In an article published to “Vulture”, an online news site, Hasting stated Netflix will increase its spending a lot. “As we grow the membership base, we want to grow the content budget. This of course requires

Tuesday, October 24, 2017 - Page 9

(Tyler Hayes/DIGEST ART)

a lot of money, but fortunately, borrowing billions of dollars is not an issue, so long as Netflix continues to grow in popularity and in subscribers,” said Hasting. The problem then, is that Netflix, in recent years has begun to see competition from other online streaming sources such as Hulu and Amazon Prime who offer similar services. According to CNBC, Netflix plans to spend an additional $6 billion on content which is potentially good for the company because the money will be used to produce more original programming. However, analyst for Wedbush Securities, Michael Pachers, expressed to CNBC that he believes Amazon can outlast

Netflix easily. He also said that it was foolish for Wall Street to continue to overlook Netflix’s excessive spending, which will leave the company with little to no value in the future. According to CNBC, in July of 2016, Amazon announced that it also had plans to double its video contact over the sound half of the year and it would triple its original content budget as well. Where Netflix succeeds is in subscriber growth but Pachter brought up a valid point. He questioned whether Netflix could “successfully build a content library that will justify its high level of spending.” In theory, they’re spending a lot, See NETFLIX page 10

LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Tyler Perry’s Boo 2! A Madea Halloween” opened in first place this weekend with $21.2 million from North American theaters, beating out spectacle and star-driven newcomers like “Geostorm,” ‘’Only the Brave” and “The Snowman.” The disaster epic “Geostorm” flopped with $13.7 million against a reported $120 million production budget in its first weekend in theaters. The longdelayed pic starring Gerard

Butler did not connect with critics or audiences. The horror pic “Happy Death Day” took third place with $9.4 million in its second weekend in theaters, while “Blade Runner 2049” fell to No. 4 in its third week with $7.4 million. The fact-based firefighter drama “Only the Brave” rounded out the top five with $6 million out of the gates, while the crime thriller adaptation “The Snowman” launched in eighth place with only $3.4 million.

This image released by Lionsgate Entertainment shows Tyler Perry as Madea in “Tyler Perry’s Boo! 2 A Madea Halloween.” (Chip Bergman/Lionsgate Entertainment via AP)

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LET’S TALK from page 8

wait on anyone to begin the process for you,” said Mr. Mitchell during the panel discussion. The film highlights the events that took place in Money, Mississippi in August of 1955, when Emmett Till was kidnapped and murdered after allegedly making lewd remarks to Carolyne Bryant, a white shopkeeper. His body was mutilated, and he was shot before being dumped in a river. His mother, Mamie Till, insisted on having an open casket funeral to display the extent of the barbarism that her son suffered. The pictures shocked America to its core, and the

murder is said to be what sparked the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement. The trial of the two men who were accused of the murder was also highly publicized. Roy Bryant, husband to Carolyne Bryant, and J.W Milman were acquitted of the crime despite the heavy evidence against them, pointing to the racial injustices that were in the South at the time. Undoubtedly, the film seems to have left a big impact on the students who went to the viewing. “I was very interested in learning more about

Emmett Till and his legacy and how this situation is still prevalent today. This film definitely gave me an awakening, I want to be out affecting change, and finding ways to transform my community,” said Deja Lodree, a Junior Mass Communications major. Jazz Maruo, a Freshman Finance Major said, “I’ve realized that there is still need for change around us. We need to stop focusing on ourselves and see how we can help the people around us.”

RHIMES from page 8

Rhimes has said. “Diversity suggests something…other,” she explained. “As if it is something… special. Or rare. Diversity. As if there is something unusual about telling stories involving women and people of color and LGBTQ characters on TV. I have a different word: normalizing. I’m normalizing TV. I am making TV look like the world looks. Women, people of color, LGBTQ, people equal way more than 50 percent of the population. Which means it ain’t out of the ordinary.” Rhimes has become the third black woman to join the ranks of honorees; Oprah Winfrey was the first to be inducted in 1993, followed by actress and singer Diahann Carroll, who was inducted in 2011. This is a milestone because

there isn’t a plentiful amount of black television producers in the entertainment industry. Rhimes being one of the first to be chosen is a great accomplishment not only for the black community, but for women as well. Rhimes serves as a representation that women can be just as successful as anyone else, especially black women. Alongside Rhimes, is sixtime Emmy-winning writer, and producer John Wells, comedy legend Joan Rivers, ten-time Emmy-winning art-director, and production designer, Roy Christopher, and the original cast of Saturday Night Live; Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman, and Gilda Radner were all inducted into the hall of fame

this past Thursday as well. The induction ceremony will take place November 15 at the Academy’s Saban Media Center. “All of these individuals are innovators who have shaped television and left an indelible mark on the medium and our culture,” TV Academy Chairman and C.E.O., Hayma Washington, said in a statement. “We are honored to welcome the latest group of distinguished individuals and look forward to showcasing their impacts for future generations.” The TV Academy Hall of Fame is a fairly new institution, as it was founded in 1984. But it is worth noting that Rhimes, compared to many inductees, has earned her spot extremely early in her career as evidenced by the number of this

year’s inductees who joined. “Television’s evolution can be attributed to the substantial work of numerous individuals,” said Hall of Fame Selection Committee Chair, Rick Rosen. “It is a pleasure to honor a group whose contributions have had and will continue to have a powerful influence on our ever-exciting and evolving industry.” Along with Rosen, this year’s selection committee included producer, Marcy Carsey, NBC Universal Cable Entertainment Group chairman, Bonnie Hammer; The Fred Silverman Company founder Fred Silverman, and former CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler.

NETFLIX from page 9

to make a lot back but, if the content fails to attract new subscribers, Netflix may face similar problems as in past years resulting in decreases in membership. The difference this time is that if Netflix loses members now, competitors are ready to pick them up. “They’re making a big bet they’re better than Hulu – and Amazon and FX and USA Network and AMC – at developing this stuff, and yet they completely lack the internal expertise to compete.” Pachter stated to CNBC. It is safe to say that Netflix can continue to make large investments if they can continue to win over customers with good programming but if membership drops, Netflix may find itself in a hole of debt. But one thing that cannot be denied is Netflix’s willingness to take risk and invest in itself.

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SOUTHERN DIGEST

Not Just a Rape Joke: Nene Leakes stand up routine goes too far BY NAJERI EVANS

SOUTHERN DIGEST - STAFF WRITER

What sounds like a reckless line from Family Guy is actually what NeNe Leakes, of Housewives of Atlanta wished upon a heckler at a recent comedy show. Allow me to reiterate, a 49-year-old adult woman wished rape on another woman, whom she did not know… as a joke. A question for the ignorant, which part was funny? Was it instilling worry into the audience member about her safety on the Uber ride home? Or maybe it was the ringing statistic that one of every five women will be raped at some point in their life. Oh no, wait, it’s the irony in the fact that the incident happened at a Girls Night Out event. This isn’t the first time someone has manipulated rape as a joke instead of recognizing it as a real issue. It’s not solely the fault of NeNe Leakes, who in her released Facebook apology states, “As a woman and someone who has survived abuse, I regret the words that I used. I made a mistake and I should have known better.” Yes, she should have known better. The normalization of rape and victim blaming in today’s society increases the likelihood of matters like this to continuously reoccur. The solution lies in prevention and not cure. Perhaps not saying ignorant things initially is the future, and releasing biweekly half-assed apologies is phasing into the past. Shockingly enough, Leakes considers herself an abuse victim, and despite that

Harvey Weinstein vs. Bill Cosby: Examining the racial bias of Hollywood BY PATRICIA FOSTER

SOUTHERN DIGEST - STAFF WRITER

By now everyone has probably heard of the Harvey Weinstein situation because it was trending over social media and has been the topic of discussion in the news all week long. If you don’t know who Harvey Weinstein is nor about the sexual assault allegations made against him, allow me to recap. Harvey Weinstein is one of the biggest Hollywood moguls in the film industry. He is an American film producer and former film studio executive. He cofounded Miramax Pictures and produced many popular films such as Silver

Tuesday, October 24, 2017 - Page 11

still felt responding with a rape joke was appropriate. Logically, victims of abuse should be more open to understanding different forms of abuse, and not wishing them on anyone else. Jokes are understandable. However, a joke defined is, “a thing that someone says to cause amusement or laughter, especially a story with a funny punchline.” There are lines in comedy that can be crossed. Tight rope walking on rape jokes probably isn’t the smartest thing for a new comedian to try. The audience didn’t laugh after the tasteless comment by Leakes, they booed. Some critics now mark the recent incident as the death of Leakes short lived career as a comedian.

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Lining Playbook, Chicago, Pulp Fiction and many more. He’s responsible for discovering some of the biggest names in Hollywood like Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep and countless more. Weinstein is also popular among the Democratic community, granted he’s known for supporting many Democratic candidates, such as Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, by donating lots of money to their election. So basically, people dubbed this man the “God of Hollywood”. Weinstein has also gained an unflattering reputation in Hollywood for being a pervert with actresses. The New York Times reported a story on women accusing Weinstein of harassment, assault and rape. Now big names of Hollywood such as Angelina Jolie, Rose Mcgowen and Gwyneth Paltrow have cosigned with the article saying Weinstein has harassed them in the past. There was even a disturbing audio recently leaked of Weinstein trying to convince a woman to watch him shower, even after she repeatedly told him no and that she doesn’t feel comfortable. According to the New York Times, Weinstein has reached a

settlement with a total of eight women over nearly three decades. What I have to find funny about the whole thing is the racial double standard. I’ve never known there to be double standard in the world of sexual abuse litigation but then again, nothing surprises me anymore. This isn’t the first time Weinstein was accused of sexual assault. Everyone in Hollywood low key knew how grimy this man was so he should’ve been in jail. This is where the racial double standard comes in. Bill Cosby allegedly used Quaaludes to lure women into his bed. Harvey Weinstein used promises of Hollywood stardom to lure women into his shower. Both men were accused by multiple women of sexual assault. Only difference in both these perverted old men is Weinstein paid his accusers for their silence so tell me why was only one charged? Interesting. When it was Bill Cosby it was “off with his head.” You better believe the media made sure to destroy that man’s reputation because he was charged, revoked of any honorary awards and titles, reruns of the Cosby show and any other shows featuring Cosby were pulled off air and now when you Google Bill Cosby you’ll

no longer see The Cosby show and Fat Albert but you’ll see sexual assault and Quaaludes. Now don’t get confused and think I’m defending him but I’m trying to point out the hypocrisy. What did Harvey Weinstein get? Fired and stripped of a couple of film awards. LAPD is investigating Weinstein, so hopefully he will get charged too but I doubt it. Did Stephen Collins get charged when he publicly admitted to sexual conduct of underage girls? Were Seventh Heaven reruns pulled from air? No. Woody Allen, another old pervert, who allegedly molested his adopted daughter then later married her, might I add, had the audacity to downplay Weinstein’s actions. Lets not forget the Harvey Weinstein in the oval office, our, “Commander In Chief”, Donald Trump, who also had his fair share of sexual assault allegations and even bragged about grabbing women by the crotch, so why is this same man running the country? Needless to say I hope the Weinstein situation plays out the way it’s supposed to and not the way it usually would.

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