the april 23 edition of the southern digest

Controversy surrounding this year’s Miss Southern runoff election results has led to a special election in the upcoming week.

Former Miss SU candidate Diane Chavis has contested the results due to speculation of “double voting” and “voter fraud.”

Chavis and her representative Joshua Hollins pled their case to the Student Government Association Judiciary Board Thursday seeking to have the

runoff election redone. During the case two witnesses came forth to say that they were able to vote without proper identifi cation and were coerced into committing fraud by signing under someone else’s name. While the matter of fraud was the main topic for some of the justices and representatives of Kenya Warren’s team, the fact remained that fraud did happen.

“If I lose anyway, I would at least like to know that my loss was counted fairly,” said Chavis.

Warren defeated Chavis by 50 votes (736-686) in last

week’s runoff election.According to witness

testimony they were led to the union and allowed by persons working the elections table to vote without proper identifi cation and then sign under someone else’s name. Hollins pointed out that those individuals working at that time should have known the rules of the elections code there by making the elections committee at fault.

“Public opinion holds no validation here, we must rule on what governs this court and that is the Student Government

Association constitution and its election code,” said Hollins.

The defense proved that because the witnesses were able to commit fraud due to parties appointed to work the elections table by the elections commission that there is enough grounds to call for a special elections for the Miss Southern title. After deliberations Koi Lomas, SGA Chief Justice, announced the verdict of the court to in favor of Diane Chavis in a 5-3 decision to overturn the results of this election and have another runoff election between Chavis and Warren.

Southern University Police Chief Michael Morris said he was presented early Tuesday morning with two options — resign or be terminated.

“I received a call from (vice chancellor for fi nance and administration) Flandus McClinton late Monday night, saying that I needed to meet him and the chancellor at 8 o’clock tomorrow morning,” said Morris.

Upon entering the chancellor’s offi ce, Morris said that he was led into the conference room and sometime shortly after, was presented with a letter of termination. According to Morris the letter informed him of his options.

“These were McClinton’s exact words to me, ‘Chief, Southern University decided that the Police Department needs to go in a different direction and that doesn’t include you. You can

either resign or be terminated,’” said Morris.

According to Morris, he has yet to be offered an explanation for his possible termination.

Morris has already turned in his keys and vehicle. According to reports, locks on the door that led to his offi ce have already been changed.

He did not discuss whether he will resign or be terminated. However, his employment will offi cially end May 24.

He is unsure whether his

employment was terminated due to a series of break-ins at the A.W. Mumford Stadium Field House. According to Morris, 15 televisions were stolen from the building. These break-ins were a bit diffi cult to investigate due to the lack of surveillance in the building. However, further investigation has produced leads but no arrests have been made in connection to these burglaries.

There have also been several break-ins at Owens Hall.

“Was I a bad chief?” quest-

ioned Morris. “I thought I was being a good chief.”

Morris said that he did the best he could with what he had. He did everything the budget would allow him to do. Morris said he only wants to know why he was lifted from his position.

Morris said that he and his offi cers led investigations and have also testifi ed in court and presented evidence against offenders. One investigation that

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Southern University police Chief Michael Morris said university officials presented him with a letter of termination Tuesday and given the choice to either step down or be fired.

photo by joshua halley/digest file photo

See morris page 3

FRIDAY, APRIL 23 , 2010WWW.SOUTHERNDIGEST.COM VOL. 55, ISSUE 17

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by mary davisDiGeST MAnAGinG eDiToR

Morris asked to step down

Miss Southern runoff do-over orderedby norman j. dotson jr.DiGeST eDiToR-in-ChieF

A change in leadership occurred last week in the SGA, but this week was designated for the Faculty Senate to conduct some spring cleaning.

The Faculty senate held a meeting yesterday to congratulate the elected and discuss views pertaining to the presidential search and the outcome of a meeting with the Southern Universty Board of Supervisors Chairman, Tony Clayton.

Sudhir Kumar Trivedi claimed victory, against Political Science Professor Albert Samuels, with 136 votes. Professor Samuels received 80 votes. Other positions of the senate were unopposed thereby giving them a free shot at gaining certain positions. The elected are:

•Thomas Miller, Vice President

•Kamran Abdollahi, Parlia-mentarian

•James A. Taylor, Secretary•Alma Thornton, Treasurer•Archie Tiner, Jr.; Senator for

the School of Architecture •Peter Breaux, Raymond

Lockett, and Marilyn Goff; Senators of the College of Arts and Humanities

•Herbert Vessel and Sung Chul No; Senators of the College of Business

•Jacqulin Jacobs and Luria Stubblefi eld; Senators of the College of Education

•Patrick Mensah; Senator of the College of Engineering

•Malita Paye; Senator of the John B. Cade Library

•William Arp, III, and Chanika Jones; Senator of the School of Public Policy

•Deidra Atkins, Anthony Igiede, Kinesha Harris, Ella Kellly, Diola Bagayoko, and Oswald D’ Auvergno; Senators of the College of Sciences

The fi rst item up for discussion was the update of the SU presidential search. The members of the senate knew of

Faculty Senate elects leadersby billy washingtonDiGeST A&e eDiToR

See faculty page 3

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Spanish Club, meets Wednesdays at 3 p.m. in Room 320 of T.T. Allain Hall. If you are unable to attend the meetings but still like to participate, please send your name, contact number and valid e-mail address to [email protected]

senior visual arts eXhibition

Southern University’s Department of Visual Arts is currently hosting a Senior Visual Arts Student Exhibition in Frank Hayden Hall until April 28. The exhibition gallery hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily.

The exhibition is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Robert Cox at 225.771.2070.

css seminarsThe Center of Student

Success will hold two seminars in upcoming days at Stewart Hall’s Lawless Auditorium.

The “Making it Through the Final Stretch” seminar will be held Monday at 4 p.m. and Wednesday at 1 p.m. The seminar is designed to keep students motivated during the final days of the semester.

The “Coping with the Demands of College Life” seminar is scheduled for Tuesday at 2 p.m. The seminar is designed to demonstrate how relationships, jobs and responsibility fit into being a productive student.

are open to students, faculty, and staff. For more information, please contact Melvin Robinson at 225.771.3212.

beep meetingsBEEP Meetings are held

every Tuesday at 11 a.m. in T.T. Allain Room 222. These meetings are open to all majors. For more information contact Toni Jackson at 225.771.5640 ext. 222 or at [email protected].

peer tutoringPeer tutoring is available

in the Center for Student Success in Stewart Hall Room 107. Available hours are 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Fridays. Follow the Center for Student Success on Twitter to see exciting upcoming events: www.twitter.com/jaguar_nation.

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Join the T.J. Jemison Baptist Student Union, located at 724 Harding Blvd., across from LaCumba’s Den and the tennis courts. For more information, call 225.774.8924.

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financial aid alertThe Financial Aid

Office is requesting that students apply for financial aid early. Complete your FAFSA as soon as possible for the 2010-11 award year. Students must file a FAFSA annually for eligibility consideration. SUBR’s school code is 002025. Please visit www.fafsa.ed.gov to complete a FAFSA online. Students and parents should apply for PINs at www.pin.ed.gov. Your PIN will serve as your electronic signature to process the FAFSA.

The preferred deadline for Summer 2010 and Fall 2010 has passed. The final loan deadline for Summer 2010 is June 11.

For more information, contact the financial aid office at 225.771.2790.

eXercise & fitness centerThe new Exercise and

Fitness Center of the Intramural Sports and Recreation Department is open for use in the F. G. Clark Activity Center. The hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m.- 6:00 p.m. Aerobic classes are offered on Monday and Wednesday evenings in Moore Hall Auditorium. The facility and classes

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Students were initiated into two international honor societies representing disciplines of both history and the broader studies of the social sciences. Alpha Zeta Beta Chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, International Honor Society in History, and the Louisiana Epsilon Chapter of Pi Gamma Mu International Honor Society in the Social Sciences, shared a program in which thirteen students were tapped as honorees, during spring ceremonies.

Angela Clark, Social Studies Instructional Specialist and EduSoft coordinator at Istrouma High School, was the invited

guest presiding over the Phi Alpha Theta segment of the initiation ceremonies. Mrs. Clark is a member of Phi Alpha Theta having been initiated in 2003 at Southern University.

She was assisted by Dr. Don Hernandez, professor of history, and a member of Phi Alpha Theta. Initiates were Cedric Britten, Ashley Landry, Brenton Mims, Jason O’Dell and LaPaul Young. Phi Alpha Theta’s “mission is to promote the study of history through the encouragement of research, good teaching, publication and the exchange of learning and ideas among historians.” Dr. Eva Baham is the advisor for the Alpha Zeta Beta Chapter at

Southern.Dr. Shawn Comminey and Dr. Peter

Breaux serve as co-advisors of the Louisiana Epsilon Chapter of Pi Gamma Mu. Each student participated in a candle lighting ceremony where the tenets of the organization were symbolized. “The mission of Pi Gamma Mu is to encourage and promote excellence in the social sciences and to uphold the ideals of scholarship and sciences.” Students who were initiated included Jared Nelson, Theopolies Motion III, Chandrill Mobley, Ja’el Gordon, Tranesia Joseph, Justin Guy, Richell Lee and Cosette Richard.

The Southern University System held its first “SUS Day at the Legislature” at the State Capitol steps Tuesday afternoon to highlight the five campuses and their current standings.

Alumni, faculty, chancellors, students, and board members were all in attendance to make Southern University’s presence known to legislatures. Changes to downgrade the Southern University System have been in the workings for about a decade now according to spectators.

“Our number one priority for this legislative session is ensuring that our Southern University System remain intact,” said Jason Hughes, Executive Director for Governmental and External Affairs of the Southern University System and emcee of the event.

There have been many rumors of SU merging with other institutions throughout Louisiana. Southern University of New Orleans has recently been the main concern of the Southern University System.

There has been a draft document created by the New Orleans Higher Education Consortium that entails the proposed merger of SUNO, University of New Orleans, and Delgado Community College.

According to a segment

broadcasted by WWLTV, it also proposes SUNO to focus on lower level undergraduate education and offer a limited number of degree programs focusing on traditional areas of strength primarily in criminal justice, social work, and education. The document is in the infant stages and SUNO won’t make an official comment because of the documents current standing.

“We need your help,” said SUNO Student Government Association President, Michael Lee.

“How can we be a school of last resort if we are a family? We are committed to the SU System but we are giving a loud outcry of help. Why are we still in trailers? How many people come to visit SUNO and speak to the students?” continued Lee.

There are many problems occurring during “budget cut season” and everyone in the state

of Louisiana has experienced it in some form or way, but Chancellor Kofi Lomotey and SGA Vice-President, Langston Williams expressed words of comfort concerning SU’s legacy and how the legacy will continue.

“Everyone in the state is feeling the budget cuts and the postsecondary area has been stripped and there is nothing else we can do as far as budget cuts,” said Chancellor Kofi Lomotey.

“Some major decisions will have to be made in terms of programs and personnel. Southern University agrees with the state to increasing graduation rates but most of the students who enroll into higher education in this state are products of Louisiana public schools,” continued Lomotey.

“Today we have to stand strong, today we have to fight, today we have to remember

what our mission was, and today we have to continue to press forward,” added Williams.

Judge John Michael Guidry, ’87 Cum Lade graduate of Southern University Law Center, was in attendance to provide powerful and provocative words to further ensure those in attendance that the SU system will remain for years to come

“We are here today to make sure that the mission of Southern University stands and remains viable and remains funded and that we remain here for the children of the state of Louisiana. I started at Southern University with the Upward Bound program. The university has come too far from where we started. Nobody told us that the road would be easy, but I don’t believe God has brought Southern University this far to leave us now,” Guidry passionately expressed.

faculty from page 1

Friday, April 23, 2010 -

NEWSwww.southerndigest.com

morris from page 1

www.southerndigest.comget online @

Candidates for Miss Southern, from left, Kenya Warren, Kiara Stewart, Kimberlee Ross and Diane Chavis await questions from the panel during Tuesday’s SGA debate.

photo by john oubre/su office of publications

SUPD led involves a young lady who portrayed herself as a student was having drugs sent to her from California. This case resulted in more than 10 arrests.

Morris says that if evidence surfaces that suggest he performed his duties poorly, it would make the situation more acceptable. He said that despite the inability to produce immediate results in the break-ins, his efforts have helped remove drug dealers and smugglers off of the campus.

Chancellor Kofi Lomotey and university spokesperson Ed Pratt did not wish to make a comment at the moment.

the controversial candidates and discussed why the presidential search committee would allow for the candidates to have a shot at the position.

“Ronald Mason proposed the merger and the state of Mississippi is under court order to under fund and discriminate against black colleges. For a black educational leader to propose merging three black universities into one and then be taken seriously by our board and our leaders, something is absolutely wrong with that process,” passionately expressed professor Albert Samuels.

“What is he going to do in Louisiana, merge SU with GSU. We don’t have to volunteer to close or merge our schools. If they think they are bad enough then they should try to take it, continued Samuels.

Not only were the backgrounds of the candidates under scrutiny by the senate but the presidential search process and search committee was an important concern as well.

“By the committee being given a set of questions that they couldn’t divert from is bizarre. That means you don’t have any control of the situation”, said Thomas Miller, professor of foreign languages and executive committee member.

“We need to contact the Faculty Senate of Jackson State and find out why they filed a lack of no confidence,” continued Miller.

The Faculty Senate also held a meeting with the board of supervisors chairman Tony Clayton earlier this month. During the board meeting that was held on March 26, chairman Tony Clayton decided that increasing the academic standards proposal would be pending until the Faculty Senate provide input. The Faculty Senate opposed the recommendation of increased standards during their April 1 meeting.

“He (Clayton) addressed the situation and we will come up with a detailed proposal explaining why we oppose of the increase of academic standards for the upcoming May 12th meeting at the Faculty Retreat. Ever since the newspaper episode, everything has toned down,” informed Trivedi.

Southern supporters rally at Capitolby billy washingtonDiGeST A&e eDiToR

History department initiates students in honor societiesDiGeST neWS SeRviCe

Heels, fresh pressed hair, legs for days, swag and all before the show even started. Southern University’s Fame and Fashion show held at F.G. Clark Activity Center Thursday night showcased fresh and energetic talent in a way SU had never seen before.

Hosted by the “always-stylish” Fonzworth Bentley the fashion show had much more to offer than clothes. Featuring six different artists to accompany each fashion line the program included 10 custom fashions by designers who dressed their models from evening wear to avant-garde hand painted bathing suits.

“I didn’t expect to see such a well put together production,” Stephon Cook, a freshman from New Orleans said, “I would definitely wear some of the styles I saw tonight.”

The night opened with the Baton Rouge vintage boutique Time Warp. The line featured casual, timeless men’s apparel, and a stunning red dress straight from the 50’s.

Grab.It Tees, a mostly men’s line showed everyday graphic wear with intriguing sayings like “We Will Not Con Form”.

The evening wasn’t all about appearance. Each and every patron in attendance supported Relay for Life, a Cancer Society affiliate; donations topped $3,000 in support.

The host, Bentley, “like the luxury car.” as he so adamantly declared, was more than pleased to be involved with an evening involving fashion, music, and flavor. “From what I understand (SU) has never done something like this, and to this caliber before. So when I heard about it I wanted to lend my services.” he said.

The energetic host kept the crowd interested and calm through the three-hour event. Holding a walk off with prizes for the audience members who participated and motivating the attendees with a anecdote about short and long term goals made the in between time just as engaging.

With more than 64 male and female models the night continued with custom hand crafted designs by Baton Rouge teen Brianna Micah and her clothing line Standard Deviations. Her clothes, unique to each piece, can be found all over the south in a line she calls “Fun, and sophisticated.”

“I heard about the fashion show through flyers for Spring

Fest.” Crystal Briscoe, a sophomore from Lake Charles, said, “I knew I’d see clothing that was different, out of the box, but there was everyday-wear and taste. Most things exceeded my expectations.”

Lines went on to include, Food for Thought, a mostly men’s line that had sequence and edible looking artwork without a hint of femininity; Re:Fresh a high import boutique that featured clothes by Louis Vuitton, Ice Cream, and The Hundreds; Aristocracy, Current Options, and Sugar Honey Iced Tea MakeUp & Swimwear, a male crowd favorite by designer Monique Walker, featured hand painted swimwear that stuck to nothing by skin.

The featured designer for the night was Reco Chapple and his line House of Chapple. The designer made it to the top four in the Bravo TV series “The Fashion Show” and reaffirmed his high-class talent on SU’s stage.

The night racked in over 2,300 guests and was “just the beginning for Spring Fest.” Candi Haydel, a senior from New Orleans, and one of 10 solid “team” members who organized the event said, “This couldn’t have happen without Jonas Vanderbilt. This was his vision

and our dream, and I can’t wait to watch the tape and see it all.” The group who worked since January to put the show on includes two sophomores and another senior, among other students and faculty of SU. “If people are thinking about shutting down SU, this Fashion show has shown them the error

in their wishes.” The group worked tirelessly to produce something that has thus far received an overwhelmingly positive response.

“If students that this Fame and Fashion Show was something for Spring Fest, they haven’t seen anything yet, wait till Saturday Haydel said.

www.southerndigest.com - Friday, April 23, 2010

Fonzworth Bentley, left, entertains the crowd during Southern University’s Fame and Fashion Show Thursday.

photo by norman j. dotson jr./digest

by erica s. johnsonDiGeST STAFF WRiTeR

Fame and fashion strike SU


Friday, April 23, 2010 - www.southerndigest.com

Student Health was the main topic of discussion at the Spring Fest Wellness Fair in Southern University Smith-Brown Memorial Union on Wednesday.

Students, faculty, and staff attended and participated to get information, screenings, and give-a-ways for their overall health. Representatives from different organizations tackled the issues many of the African American community is facing including; HIV/AIDS, Diabetes,

High Blood Pressure, and much more.

“We are providing all information important to total health. Our mission is to serve students with healthy choices to make regarding their health, through teaching and modeling ways to make lifestyle changes to promote a lifetime of health and wellness,” said, Dr. Rodin, a pharmacist in the Southern University Student Health Center.

Bianca Pointer, shared, “As the HIV/AIDS rates are steadily growing, Peer Health Educators provided information to our peers about HIV/AIDs treatment and prevention,” Pointer, a Senior Psychology major from Baton Rouge said. “We conduct “safe sex sessions” with skits and discussions of everyday situations that can change our lives,” Pointer continued.

The Counseling Center offers services free of charge to enrolled students and is located right next to the Baranco-Hill Student Health Center.

“The Counseling Center provides students with information about managing stress, time management, anxiety, and more. Anyone who would like information or schedule a counseling session can stop by the office or contact us via telephone,” said Melanie Washington, the Mental Health Counselor at the Southern University Counseling Center.

“SiHLE is all about HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention. We provide two-session workshops aimed towards minority women at the college age level. They are hosted in Southern University dormitories. Workshops discuss healthy relationships, risky sexual behaviors, and safe sex,” Silva Scott. Scott is the Assistant Administrative Coordinator for SiHLE said.

Booths were also provided by Talecris, Lifeshare Cord Blood Bank, Family Roads, Zachary Walmart Vision Center, Capitol City Health Center, and the Baton Rouge Rape Crisis Center.

Students get health info at fairby evan taylorDiGeST STAFF WRiTeR

Julie Wessinger, Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, recently made a $1,000 to the Intramural Sports Department.

She made this donation specifically to the Ladies Intramural Basketball team that will be traveling to the state tournament this weekend in Monroe, Louisiana.

Wessinger became aware of the financial problems associated with intramural sports last year when another intramural team had no money to travel to the state tournament. According to Wessinger, the Office for Student Affairs has always attempted to assist the intramural sports department as much as possible. Despite the help from the Office of Student Affairs and other organizations on campus, intramural sports continue to struggle financially.

The women of this year’s championship intramural team found themselves in the same situation as last year’s intramural team. They had little money for uniforms and travel expenses. As a last ditch attempt to secure funding they made a plea to Julie Wessinger and the Office of Student Affairs.

“The young ladies from the basketball team were very passionate and they said they’d been working to raise money themselves. They had already bought some shirts to attend the games. And I said well just give me some time. Let me see what I can do and who I can ask to get some assistance.”

Subsequently, a request was made to the business and industry cluster to assist with the travel but the request was denied because of the freeze placed on the account because of the economic crunch being experienced by all institutions of higher education in the state.

Wessinger discussed the matter with her daughter and they decided to make a personal donation to the intramural team. They came to this decision because of the love her late son, Nathaniel Wessinger, had for intramural sports. Wessinger said, “we were talking about my son who passed last year and how he enjoyed going to the state finals and we were so excited that he was able to attend so we decided that we would support them ourselves. So we gave $1,000 as a donation from my family in honor of my son, Nathaniel.”

After such a great donation the women of the intramural team decided it was necessary to show their appreciation. When asked about the girl’s reactions to the donation, Wessinger stated, “Today they gave me the loveliest surprise ever.”

Wessinger donates to intramuralsby tremaine sandersDiGeST STAFF WRiTeR

A state senator’s annual proposal to cap the amount of money college students could receive through the free tuition program called TOPS failed Thursday, rejected by the Senate Education Committee.

The bill by Sen. Butch Gautreaux, D-Morgan City, has been killed in previous years as well. The TOPS program is politically popular, and opponents argue students have earned the free tuition and the state shouldn’t take away what students have been promised.

The Senate committee shelved the measure without objection Thursday.

Gautreaux said he believes TOPS — the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students — is an important program but sought a cap because of the annual growth of the program, which costs the state more than $130 million a year.

“The economy has worsened. We’re struggling to pay for what the government is supposed to pay for, and we should be looking at priorities,” Gautreaux said.

TOPS provides scholarships to Louisiana high school students who meet certain grade point average and college entrance test score requirements. The basic TOPS award covers tuition at any state public university. Higher achieving students can earn extra awards under the program.

Gautreaux proposed limiting a TOPS award, beginning next year, to 90 percent of what a public college charges in the 2010-11 school year. The measure would have saved the state more than $97 million over five years.

Gov. Bobby Jindal opposed the bill. Opponents said the program encourages people to go to college in a poor state with fewer college graduates than the national average.

Bill to cap TOPS rejected againBy The ASSoCiATeD pReSS

Senators have advanced a nearly $3.4 billion spending plan to fund public school districts next year that is $72 million larger than the funding proposed in Gov. Bobby Jindal’s budget.

The Senate Education Committee approved the legislation in a 5-2 vote, against the wishes of the Jindal administration but at the urging of Sen. Ben Nevers, committee chairman, who said senators should weigh the education money request against all other financial requests.

The committee approval Thursday sends the funding formula next to the Senate Finance Committee for review.

Jindal suggested keeping the funding formula for the state’s 70 school districts flat for the 2010-11 fiscal year.

But the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education instead backed — and sent to the Legislature — a formula with a 2.75 percent boost for each public school student, the type of annual increase the school districts had received for years before the state’s budget tightened.

If legislators want to fund BESE’s request, they’ll have to cut other agencies already poised to take budget cuts — or they’ll have to find a new source of cash to cover the $72 million. If lawmakers reject the proposal, that would send BESE back to the drawing board.

State lawmakers can only approve or reject the funding formula submitted by the state board.

Supporters of the increase said school districts face hefty retirement cost hikes and the possible loss of state dollars that have paid for teacher stipends and transportation costs. Opponents said it’s unrealistic to expect new money when most state agencies face cuts.

___

Veterans will be able to get Louisiana medals honoring their military service without having to wait for Gov. Bobby Jindal to deliver them personally, a state lawmaker said Thursday.

Lawmakers urged the state Department of Veterans Affairs to step up its delivery of the medals and stop waiting for Jindal, who has traveled across the state in a series of events to hand them out. Several lawmakers complained that veterans were dying before they could receive their medals.

Rep. John Bel Edwards, D-Amite, told a House committee Thursday that the department has agreed to let veterans indicate whether they want to wait for the ceremony with the governor or prefer getting their medals mailed to them.

With that announcement, Edwards shelved a proposal to order the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide the medals without waiting for Jindal.

Lawmakers had said they’ve received calls from veterans who have waited months for their medals and from American Legion halls that offered to distribute the medals but were told they had to wait for the governor to be there. Jindal has delivered more than 8,400 medals around Louisiana.

___

An attempt to scrap licensing requirements for church-run day care centers — backed by Gov. Bobby Jindal — was overwhelmingly rejected by the Senate Health and Welfare Committee.

Supporters said the licensing requirements represented unwarranted government regulation into the activities of churches.

“We want to separate the state from our churches,” said Sen. A.G. Crowe, R-Slidell, according to The Advocate newspaper.

Opponents said children need to be protected no matter where they attend day care.

Sen. Karen Peterson, D-New Orleans, said the licensing provides parents with “a level of comfort” that when they drop off a child, they will be well-cared for. Just because the centers are operated by churches does not mean there cannot be problems, Peterson said.

The bill (Senate Bill 504) is likely dead for the legislative session.

Senate committe approves public school spending planBy The ASSoCiATeD pReSS


ARLINGTON, Va. — Charter buses roll up to Arlington National Cemetery every day, depositing tourists who scramble uphill to see the eternal flame on President John F. Kennedy’s grave. People stream in all directions, toward the Tomb of the Unknowns or to remember at tombstones of loved ones lost to war.

Few, however, head downhill to a quiet corner near the Iwo Jima Memorial.

Down here, there are no memorials to ancient battles, no ornate headstones honoring long-dead dignitaries. There are only rows of small unas-suming white tombstones, many engraved with names like George, Toby and Rose.

They are the only visible reminders that part of the nation’s

most storied burial ground sits atop what used to be a thriving black town — “Freedman’s Vil-lage,” built on land confiscated from Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.

Milton Rowe recently shuffled around the famous grounds, slowly making his way up a hill with Wayne Parks. There’s nothing here now to tell visitors that freed slaves once lived here, but the two men say they feel a kinship, a connection with this land because they can both trace their ancestors to Freedman’s Village.

Parks said he remembers his grandfather repeatedly bringing him to the cemetery as a child to explain the bond. Parks’ great-grandfather, James Parks, lived in Freedman’s Village and other locations around the cemetery after being freed from servitude to the Lee family.

“I was sitting on this wall

gazing out over the cemetery and all of a sudden I got it,” Parks said. “Our DNA is intrinsically intertwined in this property, integrated in this property. The spirits of my ancestors continue to exist here in this property, so I find like my grandfather, I now come here for strength, I come here to commune with them.”

Arlington National Cemetery

was established on land confis-cated from Lee and his family in 1861 after the general took com-mand of the Confederate forces.

The Civil War leaders of the Union buried dead soldiers on the property in hopes that Lee would never want to return, and Parks’ ancestor dug the very first grave near the Freedman’s Village burial site.

WASHINGTON — Dorothy Height, the leading female voice of the 1960s civil rights movement and a participant in historic marches with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and others, died Tuesday. She was 98.

Height led the National Council of Negro Women for 40 years. She continued actively speaking out into her 90s but had been at Howard University Hospital for some time. The hospital said in a statement she died of natural causes.

President Barack Obama called her “the godmother of the civil rights movement” and a hero to many Americans. Obama said in a statement that Height was the only woman at the highest level of the civil rights movement and witnessed “every march and milestone along the way.”

It was the second death of a major civil rights figure in less than a week. Benjamin L. Hooks, the former longtime head of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, died Thursday in Memphis at 85.

As a teenager, Height marched in New York’s Times Square shouting, “Stop the lynching.” In the 1950s and 1960s, she was the leading woman helping King and other activists orchestrate the civil rights movement.

One of Height’s sayings was, “If the time is not ripe, we have to ripen the time.” She liked to quote 19th century abolitionist Frederick Douglass, who said that the three effective ways to fight for justice are to “agitate, agitate, agitate.”

The late activist C. DeLores Tucker once called Height an icon to all African-American women.

“I call Rosa Parks the mother of the civil rights movement,” Tucker said in 1997. “Dorothy Height is the queen.”

Height was on the platform at the Lincoln

Memorial, sitting only a few feet from King, when he gave his famous “I have a dream” speech at the March on Washington in 1963.

“He spoke longer than he was supposed to speak,” Height recalled in a 1997 Associated Press interview. But after he was done, it was clear King’s speech would echo for generations, she said, “because it gripped everybody.”

Height became president of the National Council of Negro Women in 1957 and held the post until 1997, when she was 85. She remained chairman of the group.

“I hope not to work this hard all the rest of my life,” she said at the time. “But whether it is the council, whether it is somewhere else, for the rest of my life, I will be working for equality, for justice, to eliminate racism, to build a better life for our families and our children.”

Height received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994 from President Bill Clinton.

To celebrate Height’s 90th birthday in March 2002, friends and supporters raised $5 million to enable her organization to pay off the mortgage on its Washington headquarters. The donors included Oprah Winfrey and Don King.

Height was born in Richmond, Va., and the family moved to the Pittsburgh area when she was four. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from New York University and did postgraduate work at Columbia University and the New York School of Social Work. (She had been turned away by Barnard College because it already had its quota of two black women.)

In 1937, while she was working at the Harlem YWCA, Height met famed educator Mary McLeod Bethune, the founder of the National Council of Negro Women, and first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, who had come to speak at a meeting of Bethune’s organization. Height eventually rose to leadership roles in both the council and the YWCA.


state & nationwww.southerndigest.com

Chair and president emerita of national Council of negro Women Dr Dorothy height speaks during the Uncommon height Gala honoring oprah Winfrey in Washington D.C. height, who as longtime president of the national Council of negro Women was the leading female voice of the 1960s civil rights movement, died Tuesday. She was 98.

photo by jose luis magana/ap photo

Milton Rowe, left, and Wayne parks, both descendents of people who used to live in Freedman’s village, walk past grave marks now located where the village was once stood in Arlington national Cemetery on Tuesday in Arlington, va.

photo by kevin wolf/ap photo

by jesse j. hollandASSoCiATeD pReSS WRiTeR

NEW ORLEANS — A deep-water oil platform that burned for more than day after a massive explosion sank into the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday, creating the potential for a major spill as it underscored the slim chances that the 11 workers still missing survived.

The sinking of the Deepwater Horizon, which burned violently until the gulf itself extinguished the fire, could unleash more than 300,000 of gallons of crude a day into the water. The environmental hazards would be greatest if the spill were to reach the Louisiana coast, some 50 miles away.

Crews searched by air and water for the missing workers, hoping they had managed to reach a lifeboat, but one relative said family members have been told it’s unlikely any of the missing survived Tuesday night’s blast. More than 100 workers escaped the explosion and fire; four were critically injured.

Carolyn Kemp of Monterey, La., said her grandson, Roy Wyatt Kemp, 27, was among the missing. She said he would have been on the drilling platform when it exploded.

“They’re assuming all those men who were on the platform are dead,” Kemp said. “That’s the last we’ve heard.”

A fleet of supply vessels had shot water into the rig to try to control the fire enough to keep it afloat and keep crude oil and diesel fuel out of the water. Officials had previously said the environmental damage appeared minimal, but new challenges have arisen now that the platform has sunk.

The well could be spilling up to 336,000 gallons of crude oil a day, Coast Guard Petty Officer Katherine McNamara said. She said she didn’t know whether the crude oil was spilling into the gulf. The rig also carried 700,000 gallons of diesel fuel, but that would likely evaporate if the fire didn’t consume it.

Coast Guard Rear Adm. Mary Landry said crews saw a 1-mile-by-5-mile sheen of what appeared to be a crude oil mix on the surface of the water. She said there wasn’t any evidence crude oil was coming out after the rig sank, but officials also aren’t sure what’s going on underwater. They have dispatched a vessel to check.

by holbrook mohr & kevin mcgillASSoCiATeD pReSS WRiTeRS

Burning oil rig sinks

Height dies at 98By The ASSoCiATeD pReSS

Graves cover black city

The Southern University women’s tennis team listed winning the Southwestern Athletic Conference champ-ionship as its main goal at the start of the season.

Mission accomplished.The Lady Jags defeated

Jackson State 4-0 in their matches in Alexandria to win the SWAC title and clinch a berth in the NCAA Tournament, which begins May 14.

The win is head coach Jeffrey Conyers’ fifth conference title in eight at the helm and Southern’s ninth SWAC title overall.

“I’m happy for the two seniors Megan (Wiltz) and Janelle (Mosley),” Conyers said. “I’m happy that they’re going out on top. It was definitely a sight to see.”

Southern went undefeated in regular season conference play, finishing the season 11-5. The team will continue to practice until they learn where they will play in the NCAAs. The 64-team tournament includes 16 regional sites, and all teams will be gunning for a spot in

the finals at the University of Georgia.

“This season so far has been picture perfect,” Conyers said. “The break will give us time to rest up and prep for the NCAA Tournament.”

In singles action, Wiltz vs. Victoria Guedez was a DNF while All-SWAC performer Carlista Mohammed and Kathryn Curtis each picked up straight set victories. The Demetria Woods vs. Britney Shy match was a DNF.

In doubles action, the duo of Wiltz and Curtis and the pair of Mosley and Woods picked up wins.

Wiltz picked up conference player of the year honors for the third time. She credited the work she put in with Conyers and sees the conference title win as a springboard into the NCAAs.

“It feels great to win that honor again, and it’s a really good experience for me,” Wiltz said. “He taught me to never give up, to always fight and work your hardest.”

Curtis, who Conyers called a key to the season, picked up All-Tournament honors while also being named the SWAC Tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

“It feels great to win MVP, and this is something I will always remember,” said Curits, who will be one of only two seniors on the team next season. “I’ve learned a lot from Megan and Janelle. They taught me how to deal with issues on and off the court.”

Woods picked up conference freshman of the year honors. She said she always wanted to play for an HBCU and Southern gave her the chance to compete.

“It’s a good ending to my freshman year,” Woods said. “This team is strong enough to be competitive and repeat next season.

Southern found itself needing a miracle in the ninth inning Thursday against a Florida A&M team it soundly defeated the day before at Lee-Hines Field.

Call James Armstrong a miracle worker.

Armstrong’s pinch-hit walkoff 2-run homerun capped a seven-run bottom of the ninth to propel the Jaguars to a 11-10 win over the Rattlers. Southern (15-14) also defeated FAMU (7-24-1) 16-2 Wednesday to take the two-game nonconference series.

Southern returns to action this weekend with a home-and-home series against Jackson State. The teams will play at Lee-Hines Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday in Jackson, Miss., at 6 p.m.

Southern 11, FAMU 10Southern went into the bottom

of the ninth facing a 10-4 deficit. Curtis Wilson drew a walk to lead off and reached second on a Michael Gonzales base hit. FAMU pitcher Derrick Shaw walked Thomas Willis to load the bases and Wilson scored on David Worthington’s sac fly to left.

Diomedes Gonzales doubled down the right field line to bring

in Michael Gonzales and move Willis to third. Elliot Armstrong drove in two with a single and reached second the fifth of FAMUs errors of the game.

James Armstrong came up to the plate for Gregory Whitfield, and homered off Shaw to end the game.

Cody Hall (2-0) earned the win for Southern while Shaw (0-1) took the loss for FAMU.

Diomedes Gonzales went 2-for-4, scoring three runs and driving in two runs. Elliott Armstrong went 2-for-5 with two RBI and scoring two runs. Willis went 2-for-4, scoring two runs.

Darryl Evans led FAMU offensively, going 2-for-5 with four RBI and two runs scored.

The Rattlers opened the game with an Evans triple to right off SU starter Seth Monaghan. Jared Jeffries singled in Evans to give FAMU a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. FAMU chased Monaghan in the top of the second after Evans took him deep for a grand slam to increase the Rattlers lead to 5-0.

Southern 16, FAMU 2The Jaguars wasted little time

making change out of FAMU starting pitcher Steve Dollar.

Smith took Dollar deep to right for a solo homerun. Frazier Hall drew a walk and scored from first as David Nolting singled and reached second on the Rattlers’ second error of the game. Nolting scored on a Willis double to give SU a 3-0 lead at the end of the first inning.

FAMU cut the lead to 3-1 in the top of the second as Oscar Santola scored on a Darius Washington sac fly. The Rattlers picked up another run in the top of the third as Evans tripled off Southern starting pitcher Belfred Pryer and scored off Jimmie Terrell’s base knock to reduce SU’s lead to 3-2 midway through the third inning.

The Jaguars blew the game open in the bottom of the third inning. Smith led off with a walk, and Frazier hall homered off Dollar. Nolting doubled into the left-center gap, Willis drew and a walk and Worthington was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Diomedes Gonzales singled in Nolting and Elliot cleared the bases with a double down the right field line. The six-run third gave Southern a 9-2 lead.

Willis went 3-for-3 at the plate with an RBI and two runs scored. Armstrong went 2-for-4

with four RBI and a run scored. Gonzales went 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored.

Pryer (3-2) picked up the win for the Jaguars while Dollar (3-5) took the loss for the Rattlers.


SPORTSwww.southerndigest.com

Southern pitcher Belfred Pryer had plenty of run support Wednesday as the Jaguars pounded Florida A&M 16-2 at Lee-Hines Field.

photo by april buffington/digest

The Southern University women’s tennis team defeated Jackson State to win the SWAC championship. The team earned the conference’s automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.

photo courtesy of jeffrey conyers

Walkoff HR lifts JaguarsDIGEST NEWS SERVICE

by justin wootenDIGEST SPORTS WRITER

SU turns attention to NCAAs

GRAMBLING, La. — Almost seven months after taking over as interim, Bobby Washington has been named head men’s basketball coach at Grambling State University.

In his inaugural campaign, Washington returned Gram-bling to the SWAC tournament for the first time in two years where the Tigers pulled off the biggest upset of the tournament defeating regular season-champion and tournament favorite Jackson State in the opening round.

Before coming to Grambling, the Lexington, Ky., native had most recently served as head men’s basketball coach at Seminole Community College in Florida for five years. Prior to that Washington spent three years as assistant men’s basketball coach at Florida A&M in Tallahassee, where in 2004 the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champion Rattlers participated in and won the first round in the NCAA tournament.

GSU takes interim tag off coachBy THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Born and raised in New Orleans’ Ninth Ward, Dee Alexander didn’t expect he would be where he is today.

Dee-1 has opened for popular artists like Akon, Lupe Fiasco, and the sensational Young Money entertainer, Drake. Dee-1, marketing grad and a half product of SU, released his mixtape this week entitled “I Hope They Hear Me” which is free to download on his website Dee1music.com. His style is often times compared to Lupe Fiasco and T.I. because of his aggressive swagger and attempt to uplifting the African American community.

“I want to entertain and empower my people. I’m not anti-Lil’ Wayne or anti-Lil’ Boosie but I am trying to drop

pride and consciousness,” said Alexander.

Another unique quality Dee-1 possesses is his non-usage of profane language. Dee-1 is one who can be described as a “good music base head.” His influences are Lupe Fiasco, Tupac, Nas, and former No Limit member Mac.

“I just want to be a positive person to the youth and everyone in my community,” he said. The Ninth is known to being one of the most shady and hardest places to remain alive, especially for a brother. Dee-1 was formerly a middle school teacher to support his music career and give back to the community at the same time. He also donates his time visiting prisons and schools conducting speaking engagements. Bring productive in the music game and positive in the community is Dee-1’s main goal.

“I’m trying to be a positive source because I don’t want to develop enemies,” he said. “I feel if I continue to do what I’m doing I will eventually branch off and do movies.”

After listening to a few tracks, Dee-1 definitely has a shot at the limelight. In my opinion, he reminds me of Drake but as far as substance he reminds me of Lupe. Most of his rhymes contain witty punch lines and his metaphorical skills are decent. In “Say Yeah” Dee-1 spit, “I do anything I want/ I play by my rules/ no this ain’t the water park but yes I Blue (Blew) Bayou (by you)/ Faster than Kentucky Fried/ serve you at the drive thru.

When asked where he expects to be in five years he said, “I would like to work with Mannie Fresh and Just Blaze. I also hope to go multiplatinum.”

NEW ORLEANS — For most of his 65 years, street singer Elliott Small was famous only on a New Orleans corner — until an innovative 2008 Internet video went viral, bringing the white-bearded, overall clad musician with the turned up hat brim before a global audience in a worldwide collaboration performance of Ben E. King’s classic, “Stand By Me.”

Now Small, better known as Grandpa Elliott, will be a featured singer at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, one of the world’s premiere music venues. The festival, which runs for two weekends each spring, kicks off Friday with more than 65 performances including Lionel Richie, The Black Crowes, Steel Pulse, George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, Baaba Maal and Nathan and the Zydeco Cha-Chas.

Small debuts on Saturday in the Blues Tent. He’s one of dozens of local musicians who will showcase their talent before an audience of thousands. Last year, more than 400,000 people attended the outdoor music, craft and food fest held at the Fair Grounds Race Course.

“I’ve been in the French Quarter all my life, singing to tourists,” Small said in an interview before the festival performance. “All my life I’ve been entertaining.”

Born and raised in New Orleans, Small started tap dancing and singing on the

streets for tips when he was 6. As he got older, Small recorded several songs with arranger Wardell Quezergue and worked with Fats Domino. But he said performing with the more than 30 musicians on “Stand By Me” was humbling.

The Playing for Change producers, who say their aim is “to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music,” built a mobile recording studio and recorded musicians from California to South Africa performing “Stand by Me.” They blended the resulting videos in an astonishing visual and musical collage.

“For them to come and take this old man off the street and put me where I’m poised to be,” Small said, shaking his head. “My dream was always to touch the stars. I didn’t know I would get the chance to touch the sun and moon and maybe Mars too.”

Quint Davis, who has co-produced the festival since 1970, said Small is like many who share in the fest’s thrill ride.

“It’s the same kind of grass roots texture and outreach that we started with, that we still have,” Davis said. “Yes, we have big national groups, but we also have the Grandpa Elliotts, the Mardi Gras Indians and Robert Gibson, the guy who plays the one-string guitar. Our textures are still there and that’s what we’re most proud of.”

Kelly Schulz, a spokeswoman for the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the festival continues to be a huge draw for the city.

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS


arts & entertainmentwww.southerndigest.com

New Orleans street musician Elliott Small, aka “Grandpa Elliott”, plays harmonica and sings on the corner of Royal and Toulouse Streets in the French Quarter of New Orleans during an interview with an Associated Press reporter. Grandpa Elliott’s popularity went global after the Playing for Change hit viral video “Stand By Me” received millions of viewers. He will be a featured singer at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival that kicks off Friday.

photo by judi bottoni/ap photo

by billy washingtonDIGEST A&E EDITOR

Street performer debuts at Jazz Festby chevel johnsonASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

Dee-1 looks to make mark

Drew Brees has another prize to put next to his Super Bowl MVP trophy: He’s the cover model for this year’s edition of the “Madden NFL” video game.

EA Sports announced Thursday that the New Orleans Saints quarterback would be featured on the front of “Madden NFL 11,” the latest installment of the best-selling football franchise.

Brees, who led his team

to a 31-17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in this year’s Super Bowl, said landing the cover of “Madden” was “a great way to cap off an amazing year.”

The “Madden” gig is one of the most coveted honors in sports — even though it has been connected to a much-discussed curse. Such superstars as Donovan McNabb, Michael Vick and Shaun Alexander suffered serious injuries during the season each appeared on the cover.

Brees isn’t worried. “I believe in fate, and if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be,” he said. “But destiny is stronger than any curse, and this team is destined for great things.”

Brees joined the Saints in 2006, less than a year after New Orleans was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. He has become a highly visible spokesman for the city’s recon-struction, while the resurgent Saints gave its beleaguered residents something to rally around.

Drew Brees lands cover of `Madden’by billy washingtonDIGEST A&E EDITOR

Friday, April 23, 2010 - www.southerndigest.com


BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGYwww.southerndigest.com

WASHINGTON — The econ-omy is improving, with home sales up, jobless claims down and inflation tame. Yet there are concerns the economic rebound won’t get much juice from the housing market, which is being fueled by government tax breaks.

Sales of previously occupied homes grew by nearly 7 percent last month, more than expected, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday. It was a welcome sign after three months of declines, and a solid kickoff to what’s expected to be a strong spring selling season.

Nevertheless, many analysts caution that the housing rebound could fade in the second half of the year. They predict a flood of low-priced foreclosures will hit the market and push down prices in a destabilizing “double dip.”

Another threat to the U.S. economic recovery is fallout from the Greek debt crisis. On Thursday, Europe’s statistics agency found that Greece’s budget deficit last year was larger than previously thought, which may push the country to seek emergency loans. Shares on Wall Street were down in the morning, but ended the day modestly higher.

So far, “the recovery looks like it will continue,” said Jay Feldman, senior economist with Credit Suisse. “We don’t see another recession.”

Underscoring that view, the government reported Thursday that new claims for unemployment benefits fell by 24,000 to a seasonally adjusted 456,000, the Labor Department said.

And in a separate report, the government said wholesale prices rose 0.7 percent last month. But excluding volatile food and energy costs, prices rose only 0.1 percent, which means there is little risk of inflation.

Speaking in lower Manhattan, President Barack Obama said the economy is recovering in what he called “the fastest turnaround in growth in nearly three decades.”

The Obama administration says its policies have helped stop the housing freefall. The government is offering tax credits to homebuyers and trying to stem foreclosures by paying incentives to lenders who rework loans for troubled borrowers.

The government is offering an $8,000 credit for first-time buyers and $6,500 for current homeowners who buy and move into another property.

Home sales upby alan zibelAP BUSINESS WRITER

Traders work at the New york Stock Exchange, Thursday. Stocks fell Thursday following renewed concerns about Greece’s debt problems and a disappointing forecast from eBay Inc.

photo by mark lennihan/ap photo

NEW YORK — The stock market recovered from early losses and closed modestly higher Thursday after President Barack Obama’s speech on financial reform contained no unpleasant surprises.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose about 9 points after being down about 108. Broader indexes also turned higher.

The market fell sharply early in the day as Greece’s debt problems worsened and on fears that Obama would advocate tough restrictions on banks. When he didn’t, stocks recovered.

Prices also got a boost from a jump in sales of existing homes last month.

In a speech in New York, Obama said the economy is recovering quickly but the progress needs to be felt more deeply among the millions of unemployed Americans. He has blamed Wall Street for helping push the country into recession. Obama gave a speech in support of his efforts to pass legislation that would overhaul financial markets.

The Senate could debate the financial overhaul bill next week. The House has already passed its own version.

Investors were rattled early in the day by news about Greece. The country’s borrowing costs surged again when Europe’s statistics agency found that Greece’s budget deficit last year was even larger than previously thought. The findings pushed Greece closer to tapping loans from 15 European countries and the International Monetary Fund. Moody’s Investor Services downgraded Greece’s debt and said more downgrades could be coming.

“It rings the alarm bell at least in the very short-term,” said Steven Goldman, chief market strategist at Weeden & Co., referring to the latest problems in Greece.

Greece’s debt crisis has undermined confidence in Europe’s shared currency, the euro, and raised the troubling

possibility that other weak European economies such as Portugal may also need to be bailed out.

Investors sent homebuilder stocks higher after the National Association of Realtors said sales of existing homes rose 6.8 percent last month after falling 0.8 percent in February. Sales of previously occupied homes had been expected to rise 5.2 percent, according to Thomson Reuters.

Stocks have been climbing steadily over the past 13 months, and the gains in the past two months have come with very few breaks. Many analysts have been expecting a break in the market’s ascent, which would be in keeping with historical patterns. As occurred Thursday, most recent drops have faded quickly as buyers

step in.The Dow rose 9.37, or 0.1

percent, to 11,134.29. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 2.73, or 0.2 percent, to 1,208.67, while the Nasdaq composite index rose 14.46, or 0.6 percent, to 2,519.07.

Bond prices fell, lifting yields. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note rose to 3.78 percent from 3.74 percent late Wednesday.

The dollar rose against other major currencies, while gold fell.

Crude oil rose 2 cents to $83.70 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

The Labor Department reported that the number of people applying for unemployment benefits dipped to 456,000 last week, after rising unexpectedly the past couple of weeks.

by stephen bernard & tim paradisAP BUSINESS WRITERS

Stocks bounce back

CenturyTel Inc. said Thursday that it will buy Qwest Communications International Inc. in a stock swap worth $10.6 billion, creating a telecommunications giant serving customers in 37 states.

photo by mark lennihan/ap photo

CenturyTel to buy Qwest

NEW YORK — CenturyTel Inc., the country’s fifth-largest local-phone company, plans to buy the third-largest, Qwest Communications International Inc., in a stock deal worth more than $10 billion so the companies can try to better deal with the dark future of the landline phone business.

The number of landlines in the U.S. shrinks by about 10 percent per year as consumers increasingly rely on their wireless phones or service from cable companies. That means a major challenge for phone companies is cutting their costs to keep pace with their dwindling business.

Buying Qwest could give CenturyTel a chance to cut overlapping functions like billing, administration, call centers and back-end services. Other phone companies, mainly rural ones, are also merging for the same reasons.

In a sense, the deal is a way to return to the scale phone companies had

before wireless started eviscerating the business. If they combined today, CenturyTel and Qwest would have the same number of phone lines Qwest did on its own eight years ago.

The combined company would have about 17 million phone lines serving customers in 37 states. It would be based at CenturyTel’s headquarters in Monroe, La., rather than in Denver, where Qwest is based.

One big hurdle for the new company would be that neither Qwest nor CenturyTel own wireless networks that can compensate for the loss of landlines, as AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. do. Last year, 22.7 percent of homes used only cell phones, according to a survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Another problem could be that the federal government is moving to shift subsidies away from rural phone service and toward broadband lines. Analyst David Dixon at FBR Capital Markets noted that rural phone subsidies are a large source of revenue for CenturyTel.

by peter svenssonAP TECHNOLOGy WRITER

Southern University is winding down its system president search and I don’t believe the Jaguar Nation is concerned with who the Board of Supervisors vote into office.

The final three candidates, who are to sit before the board Friday, April 30, all have controversial records.

Jackson State University President Ronald Mason is mainly infamous among JSU faculty members and students because of his alleged proposal to merge Mississippi’s three historically black colleges — Alcorn State, Mississippi Valley State and JSU — into one. This is vital background information that should grab the attention of the Jaguar Nation as a whole because SU is possibly considering the same option or may be forced into merging Southern University with another entity due to the Tucker Commission (formally known as the Postsecondary Education Review Commission) recommendations and the economy.

During Mason’s interview, he wasn’t even familiar with the 22 recommendations created by PERC. Do we want someone of such stature to continue the legacy of the Southern University System? I know I don’t.

Former Alabama A&M University President Robert Jennings is mainly known for his candor and bravado. He is well educated and has a plethora of awards, but has anyone asked the question: Why is he the FORMER president of Alabama A&M?

Robert Jennings was fired from AAMU due to clashing with its board of trustees. He later filed a lawsuit but the suit was dismissed in 2009.

Can someone say arrogant? Better yet, does anyone remember Ralph Slaughter? I wonder if Jennings took the furniture from the office upon departing from his position. Again, do we want someone with this type of background as our president?

Leonard Haynes III, from my research, has a squeaky clean background. He was the

executive director of the White House initiative on HBCUs form 2007 to 2009. He is also an SU alumnus and taught history for a while.

The only thing that worries me is his affiliation with the Omega Psi Phi and Sigma Pi Phi fraternities. Do we really want a Q dog to lead our system? Q dogs are known for being destructive and making a mess out of everything. Do we really want someone from Sigma Pi Phi, commonly known as the BOULE (BOO-lay) to run our institution?

The term Boule is defined as a Greek-style administration system where gaining positions in the organization is claimed to be hereditary. This might explain why W.E.B. Dubois, the creator of the Talented Tenth philosophy and distinguished Boule member, believed intelligence was hereditary.

The Boule is also alleged of having their own personal agendas orchestrated through mass media outlets such as BET and through influential leaders like the Revs. Al

Sharpton Jesse Jackson, to control and rectify Black America. If you look at many members of the Boule they are mainly light-skinned (meaning they passed the brown paper bag test), majority of them have straight hair and most of their wives are white. When one is presented a letter of invitation to join the earliest African American fraternity, it’s similar to being “MADE” like an Italian mob boss.

That’s probably why Haynes record is squeaky clean. Once you’re in, you’re untouchable by the media and laws. This could be looked as a conspiracy theory, but I just don’t trust Haynes.

On a positive note, all candidates qualify for generating funds. Since our endowment is in dire straits and the Southern University System is mainly tuition-dependent, these candidates’ resumes do fit the role of raising millions and handling multimillion-dollar budgets. The money can be raised, but as history repeats itself and the backgrounds that these three prestigious candidates possess, it is possible for the money to come up missing.

I’m not writing this editorial to traduce or defame anyone’s name, but I’m definitely concerned with the leadership and future of Southern University. I hope we, THE JAGUAR NATION, will become passionate about this great historically black system.

I urge and charge each of you to e-mail your concerns and questions pertaining to this particular issue to [email protected] before Thursday, April 29. Make sure you address the subject area as Presidential Search Question.

BECOME INVOLVED TO GET THE PROBLEMS SOLVED!


VIEWPOINTSwww.southerndigest.com

1. If Lady Gaga won SGA President, would the Royal Court have to dress like him?

2. Did anyone see Lady Gaga’s hair yesterday?

3. Did he pay someone to put those colorful tracks on his head?

4. How can you put tracks on a bald head?

5. What guy would actually glue tracks to his head?

6. Maybe he used a stocking cap?

7. Who knew they were contesting the Miss SU election?

8. Did all the candidates know they were contesting the election?

9. Is that why their campaign material is still up?

10. Will Lady Gaga contest? 11. Did he his “Telephone?” 12. Did an SUPD official get

fired because he walked out of a DIGEST interview?

13. Is this interview really over? 14. No really…is it over? 15. When will the air in Harris

Hall get off furlough? 16. Who decided it was

good idea to close the library for Spring Fest?

17. What if someone wanted to go and study for upcoming finals?

18. Why do most professors like to watch movies and cancel class in the beginning of the semester?

19. Then turn around and assign research papers and give tests during the last two weeks?

20. Don’t you hate it when someone lies but you know the truth so you just watch them lie (knowing the truth)?

I’M JUST ASKING STATEMENT

I’M JUST ASKING is for entertainment purposes only. These remarks do not represent the opinions of the DIGEST staff, Southern University or the Office of Student Media Services.

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SUBMISSIONS POLICYThe 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 editorial and opinion pages. 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-mail to [email protected].

EdITOrIAL POLICYStaff editorials represent the opinions of the author and the majority opinion of the Southern DIGEST Student Editorial Board, which is comprised of the student staff of editors and columnists. The Southern DIGEST provides an open forum to educate, inform and enlighten the students, faculty and staff at Southern University, Baton Rouge, La.

What are your plans for the summer?

alexandriapacker

MOBILE, ALA.FRESHMANNURSING

“I plan to get a full-time job for the entire summer. ”

PACKER

taneshiacallegaryBATON ROUGE

JUNIORSOCIAL WORK

“I’ll be working full-time and going to summer school full-time at SU.”CALLEGARy

jasminemcdonald

HOUSTONFRESHMAN

CRIMINAL JUSTICE

“I plan to attend summer school, work full-time and go on a vacation to NYC.”

quantrealwilliams

WICHITA FALLS, TExAS

SOPHOMOREHISTORy

“I plan to attend whatever summer school classes I can scrap up and party

on my 20th birthday.”

speak outby breanna pual

DIGEST OPINIONS EDITOR

McDONALD

WILLIAMS

BILLYWASHINGTON


Candidates have questions marks

www.southerndigest.com - Friday, April 23, 2010

the april 23 edition of the southern digest

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