September 22, 2020 . Volume 75 . Issue 3
More Surprises in 2020:
Students forced to evacuate after bomb threats to residence halls Dante Davis/ Debrandin Brown The Southern Digest
Cops, dogs, administrators, and groups of wandering students were on the scene in front of Ulysses Jones and S.V. Totty Hall on Friday, September 18. A bomb threat against the dorms had been made by an unknown caller around 3:00 pm. Students in Totty and Jones Halls were required to evacuate immediately. What occurred next was two hours of waiting while officers and a K-9 unit searched the two dormitories. Meanwhile, students were instructed to remain a 150 feet away from the Baton Rouge Police Department’s K9 unit searches for possible threats inside the residence halls on Friday, building and were encouraged to September 18. ( Dante Davis/DIGEST) leave if possible. was handled very well. that they had been outside for from university staff,” but by then The initial thirty minutes could In the university’s haste, however, almost an hour before they knew students had been waiting for be described as very frantic the threat and the reason for about the bomb threat, “I feel an hour, and had already started and confusing as the resident the evacuation was not properly very confused and I don’t feel getting nervous and anxious. hall assistants went from door communicated to students. Many safe. What if the building had “Administration needs to do a to door, clearing rooms and of the students were unaware blown up while we were all in better job notifying students. We had to find out about the threat making sure everyone was out as to why they were being there,” said one student. of the buildings. Meanwhile, the instructed to leave, as there was The university sent out an official from other students and they police were handling traffic and no official communication from evacuation order at 4:00pm didn’t even say up until recently stopping anyone from coming the university. When asked about instructing students to “leave that it was a bomb,” said a group too close to either building. As a their feelings on the situation, a [the two dorms] immediately purely precautionary measure, it group of students commented and cooperate with instructions See THREAT page 3 was a quick, efficient process that
It all falls down: Iconic Jones Hall being demolished after 52 years on the bluff Whitney Thomas The Southern Digest
Career Fair Informational Spencer Williams The Southern Digest
With the Virtual Career Fair quickly approaching, students and recruiters alike are gearing up for the new virtual format of the annual event. Despite different circumstances due to COVID-19, the office of Career Services is more than ready for students to take on this virtual journey with them.
“Traditionally, the Career Fair would be held in the F. G. Clark Activity Center” said Ms. Tamara Montgomery, Director of Career Services. Montgomery noted that though this career fair may be virtual, they have prepared to give students the best experience possible by using Handshake, a new platform chosen by Career Services to help students find job and internship opportunities. Ms. Montgomery discussed the positives of Handshake, referencing some of the tools that it makes available to students. “[Handshake is] the number one online platform used by colleges and universities for students to secure cooperative education opportunities and internships for jobs,” she said.
According to Montgomery, Career Services implemented this system for students because they felt it was the best platform available, and they wanted to invest in technological tools that benefited students’ futures.
The historic Jones Hall has been standing since 1968, housing many male students during the university’s hayday. Now with the renovations currently taking place in the building, all that will be left behind are memories. Despite this, new students can look forward to creating more new ones once renovations are done.
See SUCCESS page 3
“It was time for renovations to take place on campus. I’m just happy they made Jones Hall a starting point,” said Mykia Mitchell, a second-year student majoring in political science.
Jones Hall is now in the beginning stages of being torn down and rebuilt after being closed for over 10 years. Although staff from residential life are all ecstatic about the changes being made, this decision was made by the Capital Outlay Program. The Capital Outlay Program, also known as the “Bond Program,” provides a source of funding for public improvement. The funds are used for acquiring lands, buildings, equipment, and other properties.
Keys to Virtual Success:
Jones Hall being demolished as part of campus renovations. The building has been a mainstay on the campus for over half a century. ( Jalyn Garner/DIGEST).
Though renovations have now begun, the time that it will take to complete this project is “still unknown,” according to the Capital Outlay Program.
News about the demolition spread fast, as several male alumni took to social media sharing memories and stories of what Jones Hall used to be. Many
described this experience as “humble beginnings,” reminiscing over their single room experiences with their roommates.
Tracie Abraham, Executive Director of Student Services and Residential Life University Apartments says that students can look forward to many things following this project. “We have plans to build a new facility
behind the Intramural sports complex which used to house the Old Triangle. We also plan on demolishing Washington Hall and getting some new facilities up front. We’re currently developing the plan for the new living facilities, and although nothing is finalized yet, we are definitely See JONES page 3
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THE OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY AND A&M COLLEGE, BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA