The magnitude 7.0 earthquake that rocked Haiti last week has claimed over an estimated 200,000 lives so far with many more injured, homeless and searching for relief. was devastated when a 7.0 magnitude earthquake, the worst the world has seen in over 20 years, struck the country less than 10 miles west of Port-au-Prince. The earthquake sent approximately 33 aftershocks throughout the country, is estimated to be as deadly as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, which killed an estimated 230,000 people in a dozen countries.

Many relief efforts have been made in the United States to

assist citizens of the country. According to the Washington Post, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced early Monday that over $10 million dollars through text messaging in this country ( the U.S.) alone, has already been raised to donate to Haiti. To make a $10 dollar donation to Haiti by using your cell phones, citizens are asked to text HAITI to the number 90999.

Southern University is also fi nding ways to assist those devastated by the earthquake. Warner Anderson, Kristan Gordon, and Ernest Pierre started “Southern University Haiti Disaster Relief”, where

During a budget meeting earlier on this month Southern University Chancellor Kofi Lomotey, along with other administrative staff members, presented faculty and staff members with budget plans for the upcoming year.

At the end of last semester administration put a freeze on university funds in order to better prepare for this years upcoming mid-year budget cut which could be anywhere between $1.5 million to $3 million. With this freeze the university anticipates that it will save approximately $400,000.

The freeze was just one option administration decided to take. Course offering reduction was another avenue decided upon by the university.

“We are also looking at reducing course offerings in the spring semester by about a hundred, assuming that those courses cost us about $2,750 each on average whether they are taught by adjuncts or by regular faculty members as overloads.” Lomotey said.

Lomotey went on to say that they are anticipating six layoffs and three unfi lled positions that will be eliminated, which should save about $230,000. Also, there should be a reduction in summer salary expected for faculty that will be based on a fl at rate. Through increased care in utility usage the campus will save around $150,000 and a decision

to reallocate funds to other non-general fund areas that should save an additional $104,000.

“We currently provide the athletic department $375,000 a year and we are going to reduce that by $75,000 as well. Finally we intend to extend the furlough of employees earning $75,000 or more from 4.6 percent to 6 percent. That will bring us an additional $54,000.” Lomotey said.

Provost Mwalimu Shujaa spoke to the faculty on the number of credit courses offered by each department.

“Last fall we began a process of attempting to budget allocation of the cost of instruction over and above the teaching capacity of departments, schools and colleges. What we meant by teaching capacity is the number of credit hours that a department could offer if all of its faculty were teaching a full load which is twelve credit hours,” said Shujaa. “Then we looked at adjustments to that teaching capacity for reassigned time and other aspects of work that would justify not teaching and the difference between what the full-time teaching capacity was and what the release time was for various reasons would determine the amount of money needed in order to meet instructional needs that would have to be made up through hiring adjunct faculty or overloads for

INSIDE CAMPUS BRIEFS...............2 NEWS.............................3

S O U T H E R N U N I V E R S I T Y , B A T O N R O U G E , L A .

SPORTS..........................5 VIEWPOINTS......................7

PARTLY CLOUDYHIGH 68° | 55° LOW

See BUDGET page 3

TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2010WWW.SOUTHERNDIGEST.COM VOL. 55, ISSUE 1

estABLished in 1928

PHOTO ESSAY

Remembering MLKSU observes King holiday. PG. 4

SPORTS

SU women roll; men fallSWAC play heats up for Jags. PG. 5

VIEWPOINTS

Do somethin’ ‘bout it!Editor in chief challenges SU. PG. 7

Southern University Provost Mwalimu Shujaa and university officials told faculty members of a state-mandated midyear budget cut of approximately $1.5 million in a meeting earlier this month. Reductions in classes and athletics funding are among those cuts.

PHOTO BY WIL NORWOOD/DIGEST

BY NORMAN J. DOTSON JR.DIGEST EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Boxes of donated goods and supplies line the halls of T.H. Harris Hall around the door of the International Education, Continuing Education and Service Learning office. The supplies are being collected to send to earthquake victims in Haiti.

PHOTO BY APRIL BUFFINGTON/DIGEST

See QUAKE page 8

SU suffers more budget cutsUniversity slashes nearly $1.5 million in state-mandated midyear cuts

SU community to help quake victimsBY MARY DAVISDIGEST MANAGING EDITOR

L e t y o u r v o i c eb e h e a r d !

S e n d a . . .L e t t e r t o t h e e d i t o r

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The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Walk/Run will be held on March 6, 2010 at 8:30am. Registration is $25 before February 26, 2010 and $30 after February 26, 2010. For more information visit the Facebook group: Southern University – Race for the Cure Walk, email su.komen@gmail.com or contact Breanna Paul at 225-625-4252.

BEEP KICKOFFThe BEEP Kickoff

event will held on January 21, 2010 at 5:30 pm in T.T. Allain Room 229. All 2009-2010 members are encouraged to attend! For more information contact Toni Jackson at 225-771-5640 ext. 222 or at subeep@subr.edu.

BOWLING TOURNAMENTThe Smith-Brown

Memorial Union Jaguar Lanes is holding registration from January 11-22, 2010. The registration fee is $5. The competition begins January 27, 2010. For more information visit Lacumba’s Playpen (Gameroom) or call 225-771-2020.

CSS SEMINARSThe Center for Student

Success is offering a seminar, “Discovering your Learning Style” on January 25, 2010 at 4:00pm and January 27, 2010 at 1:00pm in the Lawless Auditorium in Stewart Hall.

The Center for Student Success is offering a seminar, “Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy” on January 26, 2010 in

THE SOUTHERN DIGEST 4 - DAY WEATHER OUTLOOK

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Paid Classified can be ordered by contacting the Student Media Advertising Manager at 225.771.2230.

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All articles, photographs and graphics are property of The Southern DIGEST and its contents may not be reproduced or republished without the written permission from the Editor in Chief and Director of Student Media Services. The Southern DIGEST is published bi-weekly (Tuesday & Friday) with a run count of 6,000 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 & Friday morning on the SUBR campus. The Southern DIGEST student offices are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday - Friday. The offices are located on the first floor of T.H. Harris Hall, Suite 1064.

The Southern DIGEST is the official student newspaper of Southern University and A&M College located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Articles, features, opinions, speak out and editorials do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the administration and its policies. Signed articles, feedback, commentaries and features do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors, staff or student body.

PUBLICATION ASSOCIATIONSThe Southern DIGEST is a member of the Black College Communications Association (BCCA), National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), University - Wire Network (U-Wire), Associated Collegiate Press (ACP), College Media Advisers Association (CMA), Society of Professional Journalist (SPJ), Full member of the Associated Press (AP) and the Louisiana Press Association (LPA).

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Southern University and A&M College at Baton Rouge is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097, telephone (404) 679-4500, Website: www.sacscoc.org.

MISSION STATEMENTThe mission of Southern University and A&M College, an Historically Black, 1890 land-grant institution, is to provide opportunities for a diverse student population to achieve a high-quality, global educational experience, to engage in scholarly, research, and creative activities, and to give meaningful public service to the community, the state, the nation, and the world so that Southern University graduates are competent, informed, and productive citizens. Website: www.subr.edu.

The Office of Student Media is a Division of Student Affairs.

2010 SPRING DIGEST STAFF

PAGE 2 ANNOUNCEMENTS & PAID CLASSIFIED INFO

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFNorman J. Dotson Jr.

MANAGING EDITORMary Davis

COPY EDITORSKenyetta M. Collins

Erica S. Johnson

PHOTO EDITORApril Buffington

LAYOUT EDITORDarrius Harrison

OPINIONS EDITORBreanna Paul

DIGEST STAFF WRITERSMorris Dillard

Briana BrownleeTremaine SandersBilly Washington

DIGEST PHOTOGRAPHERSApril Buffington

Trevor JamesJustin Wooten

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the Lawless Auditorium in Stewart Hall.

The Center for Student Success is offering a seminar, “My Game Plan” on January 28, 2010 at 3:00pm in the Lawless Auditorium in Stewart Hall.

For more information call 225.771.2230 or mail your subscription payment of $40 to: The Southern Digest Subscriptions, PO Box 10180, Baton Rouge, LA 70813. Business, cashiers checks and money orders accepted only. No personal checks or credit card orders accepted. Make all payments to The Southern Digest.

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BEEP MEETINGSBEEP Meetings are held

every Tuesday at 11am 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 subeep@subr.edu.

PEER TUTORINGPeer tutoring is available

in the Center for Student Success in Stewart Hall Room 107. Available hours are Monday – Thursday 8:00am – 8:00pm and Fridays 8:00am – 5:00pm. Follow the Center for Student Success on Twitter to see exciting upcoming events: www.twitter.com/jaguar_nation.

RACE FOR THE CURE

Campus BriefsTODAY

APARTMENTS FOR RENT

Move-in special $99 dep. Everything new. 3 blocks off SU campus. 1 bdrm $525. 2 bdrm $625. H20 & trash incl. No pets. Call 928.0444.

APARTMENTS FOR RENT

Southern University. 1 and 2 bdroom/1 bath starting at 395/250 dep. Call 357.1594 or 775.1008.

APARTMENTS FOR RENT Tired of housing? Free rent specials. 1-866-972-5495.

Classifieds

Tuesday, January 19, 2010 - Page 3

NEWSwww.southerndigest.com

BUDGET from page 1

full-time faculty.”According to Shujaa, the total funds spent in the fall of 2009 for the cost of

instruction above the teaching capacity for full-time faculty was approximately $1.49 million.

“We all met and at that time we said the amount of money that we had in the budget after the budget cuts from last year was about a total of a little less than two million dollars for the whole year, but because we had already scheduled the fall before the cuts were made we went in with courses already scheduled. Even our best efforts in reducing the number of courses that were offered like trying to eliminate low enrolled courses, trying to increase class size and looking for larger classrooms to hold more people. We still over spent our budget,” Shujaa commented.

There were instructor ranked faculty assignments for those who would still be working a year at a time to take on a 15 credit hour course load per semester. Approximately $392 thousand was spent on instructors to pick up an additional 25 percent instructional capacity. The funds remaining that were $604,119.57 minus the total amount spent on instructors left the university still in need of 394,025.96 plus fringes of $106,414 for the spring which total $500,439.96.

This is multi-part story covering the budget meeting in its entirety that will continue with part two this Friday January 22. Also the website will be updated with documentations from this meeting throughout the week.

Higher ed consolidation gaining steam in La.

LSU and Southern University could lose their management boards in the coming years, based on recommendations approved by a state higher education streamlining commission.

Gov. Bobby Jindal said Tuesday he is in favor of consolidating into single higher education management board overseeing the state’s 14 public universities, nine community colleges and 40 technical college campuses.

“I’m certainly in favor of a single board,” Jindal said in a phone interview Tuesday after another meeting of the Louisiana Postsecondary Education Review Commission.

Jindal said one board offers better effi ciency and coordination.

Consolidating boards would require a state constitutional amendment.

However, Jindal also said he supports the review commission’s recommendation to consolidate boards if the colleges do not make “signifi cant progress” toward certain graduation rate

goals by the end of June 2014.That recommendation would merge

the LSU, Southern and University of Louisiana systems into one management board, while still leaving a second board to oversee two-year colleges. The Louisiana Board of Regents also would be maintained as a coordinating body.

“It gives them a very short period of time to see if they can improve performance,” Jindal said.

About 38 percent of Louisiana’s university students graduate within six years, which is next-to-last in the Southern region, and one percentage point over Arkansas.

The college review commission also recommends tying improved graduation rates to state funding for colleges, to job performance reviews for college presidents and chancellors, and to the ability of colleges to increase tuition rates without legislative approval.

The commission meets Feb. 4 to fi nalize its recommendations and report to the Board of Regents and the Legislature.

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Page 4 - Tuesday, January 19, 2010

remembering mlkwww.southerndigest.com

Southern University commemorated the life and works of Martin Luther King Jr. Monday. At top left, Alpha Phi Alpha members, from left to right, Maurice Binn and Irone Roussell light their candles at the Candlelight Vigil and March oustide of Smith-Brown Memorial Union. At center left, a mural painted by artist Elliott Guillory awaits unveiling at the MLK Catholic Center. At bottom left, Guillory does the honors, cutting the ribbon during the unveiling ceremony. (Photographs by April Buffington)

The losses continue to pile up for the Southern University men’s basketball team after falling 57-45 to Mississippi Valley State Monday. Monday’s loss, coupled with Saturday’s 64-51 defeat at the hands of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, puts the Jaguars (3-15, 1-5 Southwestern Athletic Conference) on a three-game skid.

In Itta Bena, Miss., Shannon Behling recorded a double-double, scoring 14 points and grabbing 12 rebounds, to lead MVSU (4-14, 3-2).

Kevin Burwell added 13 points for the Delta Devils, who have won back to back games for the fi rst time this season.

Julius Cheeks hit a pair of jumpers in the game’s fi rst minute, sparking a 19-2 run to open the game by MVSU. The Delta Devils led the entire way, and held the Jaguars to just 15 points in the fi rst half.

Blake Sanford was the lone player in double fi gures for the Jaguars, scoring 10 points. In Pine Bluff,

Ark., Tyree Glass fi nished with 14 points and 10 rebounds and George Davis added 14 points as Arkansas-Pine Bluff prevailed in its home opener.

The Golden Lions fi nally had a home game after playing their fi rst 14 contests this season on the road to earn revenue for the athletic department.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010 - Page 5

SPORTSwww.southerndigest.com

BY THE ASSOcIATED PRESS

Southern guard jameel Grace looks for an open teammate during SU’s win over Grambling State. The jaguars did not fare well on the road, dropping games to Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Mississippi Valley State.

PhOTO By APRIL BUFFINGTON/DIGEST

The Southern University women’s basketball team continued its hot play, knocking off Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Mississippi Valley State in back-to-back road games to improve its record to 10-6 (4-2 Southwestern Athletic Conference).

The Jaguars defeated UAPB 60-53 Saturday while knocking off the Devilettes 59-48 in Itta Bena, Miss., Monday. The wins increased SU’s winning streak to four games.

In Pine Bluff, Jamie Floyd’s 20 points and Hannah Kador’s 15 paced SU against the Golden Lions. Southern shot 52 percent from the fi eld in the fi rst half, but only shot 33 in the second.

Tashayla Jackson led UAPB with 15 points.No statistics were available from the SU-MVSU game at press

time. The Jaguars return home this weekend to face Alabama A&M Saturday and Alabama State next Monday.

Jaguars fall on the road

SU women continue rollSU SPORTS InfORMATIOn OffIcE

Southern University All-American wide receiver, Juamorris Stewart, has been chosen to play in the 4th annual Texas vs. the Nation all-star challenge football game on Feb. 6 in El Paso, Texas.

Stewart wrapped up one of the most successful stints in the history of Southern University football. He fi nished his career as SU’s All-Time leading pass catcher with 201 career receptions. He also had 2,668 career receiving yards and 25 touchdowns.

In the 2009 season alone, Stewart led the SWAC with 81 catches for 1,028 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Heading up the coaching staffs for this year’s game will be Howard Schnellenberger, head coach for the Nation, and Bill Bates, head coach for Texas. Schnellenberger has been part of four collegiate national championships including the 1983 Miami Hurricanes who won the school’s fi rst national title ever defeating Nebraska in the 50th Orange Bowl.

SU’s Stewart chosen to play in all-star game

www.southerndigest.comPage 6 - Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Most students at HBCUs are waiting on their refund checks for the wrong reason. Students fight like hell to get their checks on time like the students at majority white collegiate institutions, but abuse them. Once they receive their checks students are paying overdue rent, paying late credit card bills, buying cars, laptops, gaming systems and a new pack of Velvet or Indian Remy hair. Mind you when students do receive their refund check, more than half of students have not purchased their textbooks or made other school-related purchases.

Students are taking exuberant amounts of loans, only to buy frivolous items. Think about it, do you really want to pay high interest on a pack of weave or new 22 inch rims? Those items will not last longer than two months or a year, however some students will be paying them off when they have grandchildren. My father has always told me, “Do you really want to pay interest on food or clothes. Those items don’t last, so why waste interest.”

Last year, a friend of mine lowered her loan amount. By doing this, she won’t receive a large refund check and won’t

have to pay a high interest on clothes or gasoline. How many of your friends have increased the amount of their loans?

Just in case students didn’t know this, you really do have to pay that money back. It’s federal money. So, yeah you kinda need to do so. People with grandchildren are still paying loans from college off. Do you really want to end up like that? This is a cycle that the Black community has been sucked into. Grandparents took out large loan amounts and are still paying them back. Then parents do the same and in turn their children do the same.

It makes no sense that people abuse the money and privilege that the government gives them to better themselves. Students abuse this power

by only going to class for the first two weeks to verify their enrollment and then stop going to class. Sometimes students end up dropping classes, which causes them to lose their financial aid and then complain how the Office of Financial Aid is incompetent. However you will see some of these students at the Union while their class is being held, especially on “Pretty Wednesday” complaining about how they have not received their refund check.

Which brings me to another point, how many students purchased a “Refund Check” shirt last semester, where xBox’s, Wiis, shoes, clothes, rims and weave were on the top of the list but textbooks barely made it? This cycle needs to end now, because eventually there will be no more money left to borrow from and there will be this whole debacle because people have been taking large loan amounts out with no intention to pay them back.

Remember this when taking out any kind of loan, “the less you take, the less you will owe later.” So I ask you, how long will you and Sallie Mae be BFFs?

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 digest@subr.com.

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.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010 - Page 7

VIEWPOINTSwww.southerndigest.com

What advice can you offer new SU head

football coach Stump Mitchell?

sylvesterisadore

nEW ORLEAnSfRESHMAnBUSInESS

“I’d recommend him to evaluate the players he has to see who is serious about winning.”ISADORE

nathanjones

fRAnkLIn, LA.fRESHMAn

SOcIAL WORk

“Don’t kick the walk-ons on the football field.”jOnES

chelsealumar

ST. jAMES, LA.fRESHMAn

AccOUnTInG

“I would advise SU’s new coach to at least help us win Bayou Classic next year because we

lost two years in a row.”

henryhenderson

MOBILE, ALA.fRESHMAn

AGRIcULTURAL ScIEncE

“The advice I would give him is to study last season so that different outcomes can be made.”

sPeaK outBy trevor jamesDIGEST PHOTOGRAPHER

LUMAR

HEnDERSOn

Do somethin’ ‘bout it!I sat down to write this piece, looking

for a clever way to start it. After hours of deliberation, I couldn’t come up with a witty anecdote or catchy saying to try and make what I’m about to say any easier to swallow.

Southern, we are in trouble. Point blank.

To put it any other way would trivialize this crisis that we must face from this point onward. Our institution as a whole is suffering from decisions made by the state to change higher education. We have been asked to, no, ordered to come up with exceedingly large sums of money out of basically nowhere to try and help this ever failing economy rise up from its current pathetic status. But most have no clue that this is going on or even how long it’s been happening.

(Yes, this is the point where I start to make us accountable for this situation.)

I can stand on my soapbox all day and point the finger at the government, but they are only doing what we let them do. It’s time that we stop talking about it amongst ourselves and start to make those who are making these decisions listen.

Sidney Poitier’s character Manny Durrell in “A Piece of the Action” told a group of students living in a bad situation that they walk around wearing ignorance as some sort of badge of honor. I feel that we are guilty of that exact same thing. We walk around here not knowing and not wanting to know what is going on right in front our faces, but yet we want to get angry and act foolishly when decisions are made that we don’t agree with.

It seems as though we take pleasure in waiting to get angry, Poitier’s character also had a word that best describes this “pleasurable” action, masturbation. Yeah, I said it —masturbation. That’s what we are doing when we act that way, it gives us pleasure for the time being but it is incapable of producing

life. Instead of going through this same pointless cycle of waiting to get mad and vicariously wandering through a crisis blindly, how about we stay informed and demand answers right away. That means when there is a mid-year budget cut—like this year—we ask how we can come up with these funds without practically firing everyone on campus and jacking up tuition.

Also, we could try asking our leaders—not just student leaders—to take one for the team. No one should be getting a pay raise for doing the same thing that they have been doing for the past six or seven years. Also, we could demand our alumni to do more than complain about things printed in the DIGEST and the search for a new head football coach and come up off of some of that money. Basically let’s stop being lazy and complacent about everything and get active.

By just doing nothing we are letting a piece of history—our history—be snatched right out of our hands. We can do much better than what we have been doing so far and we need to do so. Not now, but, right now.

BREANNA PAUL

NORMANDOTSON JR .

How long have you and Sallie Mae been BFFs?

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti—Hungry, haggard survivors clamored — and sometimes fought — for food and water Saturday as donors squabbled over how to get aid into Haiti and rescuers waged an increasingly improbable battle to free the dying before they become the dead.

Haiti’s government alone has already recovered 20,000 bodies — not counting those recovered by independent agencies or relatives themselves, Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive told The Associated Press. He said a final toll of 100,000 dead would “seem to be the minimum.”

There were growing signs that foreign aid and rescue workers were getting to the people most in need — even those buried deep beneath collapsed buildings — while others struggled to cope with the countless bodies still left on the streets.

Crowds of Haitians thronged around foreign workers shoveling through piles of wreckage at shattered buildings throughout the city, using sniffer dogs, shovels and in some cases heavy earth-moving equipment.

Searchers poked a camera on a wire thorough a hole at the collapsed Hotel Montana and spotted three people who were still alive, and they heard the voice of a woman speaking French, said Ecuadorean Red Cross worker David Betancourt.

The urgency was growing, however: On a back street in Port-au-Prince, about a half dozen young men ripped water pipes off walls to suck out the small amount of water trapped inside.

“This is very, very bad, but I am too thirsty,” said Pierre Louis Delmar.

In Washington, President Barack Obama joined with his predecessors George W. Bush and Bill Clinton to appeal for donations to help Haiti and he sent Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to the Caribbean nation.

“We stand united with the people of Haiti, who have shown such incredible resilience, and we will help them to recover and to rebuild,” Obama vowed.

Bellerive said an estimated 300,000 people are living on the streets in port-au-Prince and “Getting them water, and food, and a shelter is our top priority.”

The U.S. military operating Haiti’s damaged main airport said it can now handle 90 flights a day, but that wasn’t enough to cope with all the planes sent by foreign donors and governments circling overhead in hopes of winning one of the few spots available on the tarmac.

France’s Cooperation Minister Alain Joyandet said he had complained to the U.S. government after two French planes, one carrying a field hospital, were denied permission to land.

A plane carrying the prime ministers of two Caribbean nations also was forced to turn back late Friday due to a lack of space at the airport, the Caricom trade bloc announced.

Haitian President Rene Preval urged donors to avoid arguments.

“This is an extremely difficult situation. We must keep our cool to do coordination and not to throw accusations at each other,” Preval said after emerging from a meeting with donor groups and nations at

a dilapidated police station that serves as his temporary headquarters.

With the National Palace and many ministries destroyed, Preval’s Cabinet meets in a circle of plastic chairs under an open sky.

On a street in the heavily damaged downtown area, the spade of a massive bulldozer quickly filled up with dead bodies headed for a morgue and immediate burial. Bellerive told AP that disposing of bodies had become crucial.

“Sadly, we have to bring everybody to mass graves because we are racing against a possible epidemic,” told AP. Haitians already have been piling bodies and burning them.

Many in the city have painted toothpaste around their nostrils and beg passers-by for surgical masks to cut the smell.

The U.S. Southern Command said it has 24 helicopters flying relief missions — many from warships off the coast — with 4,200 military personnel involved and 6,300 more due by Monday.

But with aid still scarce in many areas, there were scattered signs that the desperate — or the criminal — were taking things into their own hands.

A water delivery truck driver said he was attacked in one of the city’s slums. There were reports of isolated looting as young men walked through downtown with machetes, and robbers reportedly shot one man whose body was left on the street.

An AP photographer saw one looter haul a corpse from a coffin at a city cemetery and then drive away with the box.

“I don’t know how much longer we can hold out,” said Dee Leahy, a lay missionary from St. Louis, Missouri, who was working with nuns handing out provisions from their small stockpile. “We need food, we need medical supplies, we need medicine, we need vitamins and we need painkillers. And we need it urgently.”

U.N. humanitarian spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs said the disaster is the most challenging the U.N. has faced in terms of resources needed. She said there was so much damage to local government and infrastructure that is harder for relief agencies to work than it was after the Asian tsunami of 2004.

The Red Cross estimates 45,000 to 50,000 people were killed in Tuesday’s magnitude-7.0 earthquake. The Pan American Health Organization estimated the toll at 50,000 to 100,000. A third of Haiti’s 9 million people may be in need of aid.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the World Food Program was providing high-energy biscuits and ready-to-eat meals to around 8,000 people, but acknowledged it was “only a drop in the bucket in the face of the need. He said the agency hopes to feed 1 million people within 15 days and 2 million people within a month.”

Troops from the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division began setting up an aid station on a golf course in an affluent part of the city, but they had no supplies to hand out yet and Capt. John Hartsock said it would be another two days before they could start distributing food and water.

“We’ve got to wait until we’ve got enough established so we can hand it out in a civilized fashion,” Hartsock said.

Many, though, cannot wait.A violent scuffle broke out among several

hundred people jostling to be first in line as three U.S. military helicopters were landing at the golf course with food and water.

The chopper pilots decided it was too dangerous to remain and took off with their precious cargo still inside.’

“People are so desperate for food that they are going crazy,” said Henry Ounche, an accountant who was among the crowd.

Scuffles also erupted at a downtown football stadium transformed into a rescue center as U.S. Navy helicopters dropped food rations and Gatorade. About 200 youths fought each other to get at the aid, and some threw stones.

International Red Cross spokesman Paul Conneally said a convoy with a field hospital and medical workers was heading into Haiti by road Saturday from the Dominican Republic because “it’s not possible to fly anything into Port-au-Prince right now. The airport is completely congested.”

The World Health Organization has said eight hospitals in Port-au-Prince were destroyed or damaged and hundreds of Haitians fled east toward the Dominican Republic looking for care.

More than 300 earthquake victims were crammed into a 30-bed hospital in the border town of Jimani, many sharing mattresses along crowded corridors, their arms drinking up IV fluids.

“The only thing left is to pray for God to save my son,” said a weeping Jean-Paul Dieudone, who came to the border seeking help for his 6-year-old son after his wife and other son died in the earthquake.

Damage to the seaport also has hindered aid efforts and the U.S. Navy said it has sent a salvage ship to assess ways of repairing it while using temporary piers. The U.S. since Friday has used ships such as the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson as a base for aid operations from offshore.

Others tried to help in smaller ways.Milero Cedamou, the 33-year-old owner

of a small water delivery company, twice drove his small tanker truck to a tent camp where thousands of homeless people are living. Hundreds clustered around to fill their plastic buckets.

“This is a crisis of unspeakable magnitude; it’s normal for every Haitian to help,” Cedamou said. “This is not charity.”

www.southerndigest.comPage 8 - Tuesday, January 19, 2010

the primary focus is Haitian Children. Items needed include, book bags, suitcases, clothes for warm climate, footwear, sanitizer, repellent, baby formula, thick blankets, toilet paper, female sanitary items, baby wipes, pampers, soap, shampoo/conditioner and caps.

“The items mention are only an idea of what is needed, but any type of donation will be appreciated.” “We’re just asking that no one brings perishable foods because we will be sending the items on a 2 week basis and we don’t want anything to go bad before it makes it”, said Heather Williams, Continuing Education, Center for Servicing Learning, and Study Abroad Programs Coordinator. “The earthquake hit Haiti at 4:53 Tuesday, and we sent an email (which contained the list of items needed) on Wednesday at 3:49 P.M, Williams continued.”

There is no deadline as to when final donations can be made. Donations should be taken to 1100 Harris Hall.

Also, according to Baton Rouge Today, Gov. Bobby Jindal has said that the state of Louisiana, which was one of the first states to be entered into the national database of U.S. resources to assist in the Haiti disaster reform, is in constant contact with federal officials to offer any assistance needed to help Haiti. Immediately following news of the earthquake, Governor Jindal directed the office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) to contact FEMA to offer Louisiana resources to aid in the emergency response and search and rescue missions underway in Haiti.

quake from page 1

UN: Aid flights top priority

ROME (AP) — The U.N. food agency reached an agreement Monday with the U.S.-run airport in the Haitian capital to give aid flights priority in landing — a deal that came after the U.S. military was criticized for giving top billing to military and rescue aircraft.

At an emergency meeting in Brussels, meanwhile, the European Union’s 27 nations pledged more than euro400 million ($575 million) to help quake survivors and rebuild the Caribbean nation after last week’s massive earthquake.

The United States has taken over the Port-au-Prince airspace and incoming flights have to register with the Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida.

But an air slot system similar to one used during the Indonesian tsunami emergency and the Pakistan earthquake has been established to make sure that planes carrying food and medicine get priority in landing.

Quake victims reach towards workers on a World food Program truck as they food aid near Petionville, Haiti, Sunday, jan. 17, 2010.

PhOTO By CARL JUSTE/AP PhOTO

By alFred DE montesQuiou& miKe meliaASSOcIATED PRESS WRITERS

Haiti aid flow grows