Volume 78, ISSUE 5 by Southern Digest

TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 2022

Volume 78 . Issue 5

Take Care: New Money To Hit Student Accounts in Coming Weeks

Debrandin Brown The Southern DIGEST

have an existing balance, as long as you’ve paid half of your tuition, you will still receive the funds While everyone likes a good towards your balance. joke, the amount of April Fools If all goes according to plan, content that littered SU-Twitter Pugh predicts that students on the first of the month in should start seeing funds enter relation to a Cares Act that their accounts around or before students assumed they wouldn’t the end of April, just in time for receive again was nothing the end of the year recovery. short of false hope for college “We needed that money. We students running low on Jag have Springfest and everything Cash everywhere. As it turns out else going on this month, plus just though, maybe that April Fools everyday life on top of that. Every jokers knew something that little bit helps, and this Cares Act we didn’t at the time, because a helps me out a lot,” said Ivian new round of CARES Acts are Bell, a junior social work major indeed forthcoming by the end from Franklin, Louisiana. of month. With many students The Coronavirus Aid experiencing their own financial Relief and Economic Security hardship amidst the continuing (CARES) Act is a $2.2 trillion COVID-19 pandemic, the Cares economic stimulus bill that was Acts as they have been for the passed into law in March of past two years have provided a 2020. The act was created to assist cushion for Southern students with the major economic fallout to fall back on as the semester from the COVID-19 pandemic. (DIGEST ART) reaches its semesterly apex. From that $2.2 trillion, about $14 While Spring Break may be cut billion was given to the Office short from what we are normally “SUBR will be providing an year. of Postsecondary Education assumed that funding for the According to Pugh, another used to due to us starting late to specifically distribute funds Cares Act must have ended, additional Cares Act distribution following last winter’s COVID to students at colleges and but in speaking with the Vice for the Spring 2022 semester for round of Cares Acts are spike, students will be able to Chancellor of Finance and all enrolled and paid students,” imminent and will be distributed universities. enjoy their break with some extra Due to no official word being Administration for the university, said Pugh when asked whether to all students with paid balances funds in their accounts as early as given to students as of yet, many Benjamin Pugh, this turns out to or not the students would receive and/or completed registration. the end of the month. another round of Cares Acts this In the case of students who still members of the student body not be the case at all.

David vs Goliath: Fired Amazon Worker Claims Victory in Movement for Historic Unionization Debrandin Brown/DIGEST The Southern Digest

When he was fired over a year ago, Christian Smalls’ struggle against the company that had employed him for five years seemed like a story that would end like so many others were people tried to do the moral thing, only to ultimately bow before the system as it stands. As it stood however, Smalls had other plans as he kept in touch with his peers at work and planned a movement that saw Amazon recognize its first ever workers union in the United States. In the midst of COVID19’s peak in March of 2020, Smalls and his coworkers were alarmed to find out that there were no safety precautions being taken by JFK8, the New Jersey Amazon packing location where Smalls was employed in order to ensure the safety of their workers

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during a still virtually unknown pandemic. Amazon terminated Smalls’ position following him showing up to walk-out when he was supposed to be under quarantine due to contact exposure. Small’s would make the case in the forthcoming legal proceedings that if he had See UNION page 3

Houses Passed Crown Act Renaldo Ruffin The Southern Digest

The House passes the CROWN Act, banning discrimination against black hairstyles nationwide On Friday, the U.S. House of Representatives finally passed the CROWN Act to officially put an end to race-based hair discrimination nationwide. The CROWN Act is meant to “Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair” and was first adopted by California a few short years ago and now, after Friday’s 235-189 vote, the Act will now be enforced across the entire country. The proposed legislation would prohibit employers from firing, refusing to hire or otherwise discriminating against workers based on “hair texture or hairstyle, if that hair texture or that hairstyle is commonly associated with a particular race or national origin.”

Renaldo Ruffin/DIGEST

ABC News reported that as part of the new legislation, discrimination based on an individual’s hair texture or hairstyle will be prohibited by law, especially those hairstyles that are associated with race or national origin. This Act is especially a victory for us, as Black women, who have often been discriminated against in workplaces for wearing our natural curls, coils, braids, kinky, and afros. Racial and national origin discrimination can occur because of long-standing biases and stereotypes associated with hair texture and style, according to

the bill. “For example, routinely, people of African descent are deprived of educational and employment opportunities because they are adorned with natural or protective hairstyles in which hair is tightly coiled or tightly curled, or worn in locs, cornrows, twists, braids, Bantu knots or Afros,” the bill states. Lawmakers who oppose the bill argue that existing laws that ban race-based discrimination already apply. For example, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects workers from discrimination based on color, See CROWN ACT page 3

ISSUE 5 . APRIL 5, 2022

JAGUAR NEWS

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If We Can’t Shop at Family Dollar, then Where Can We Shop Austin Powe & Genesis Williams The Southern Digest

Imagine this scenario: you’re at your dorm, noticing you’ve run out of toilet paper. Lucky for you, Southern has a Family Dollar right at the end of the hump. You hop in the car and make your way to the landmark location, only to notice as you’re scouring the shelves…. A Rat. There have been multiple casualties of Family Dollar warehouses having rat infestations around in certain states. Because of that, about 400 Family Dollar Stores have been shut down due to lack of supplies. In the article by WAFB, “400 Family Dollar stores closed after a rat infestation. It’s a troubling pattern,” it says, “Live rodents, dead rodents in various states of decay, rodent feces and urine, evidence of gnawing, nesting and rodent odors throughout the facility, dead birds and bird droppings.” Foul stenches and odors and droppings “too numerous to count.” When visiting the Family Dollar on Harding Blvd, an employee who opted to remain anonymous states, “We don’t think we have rats here, but because of the infestation at the warehouse, we’ve had to clean off our shelves of all the items we got from

there.” The employee also mentioned they lost a lot of customers because of the lack of merchandise they now have. The FDA informed Family Dollar stores to no longer keep the items that may be contaminated, such as human and pet food, baby products, and make-up. Because of this, employees at Family Dollar have been voluntarily quarantined, or businesses have temporarily closed since the incident. When questioning the employee, they said they have not been aware of any complaints of illnesses related to the recall. A federal review of company records indicated more than 2,300 rodents were discovered in 2021, “demonstrating a history of infestation” in locations around the country. This means not only was this a problem last year, but nothing has been done about it since then. Also, because of the decrease in supplies at Family Dollar, this has led to a decrease in the number of consumers than before. All of that took place in West Memphis, Arkansas. The Warehouse in West Memphis was not the only Family Dollar to have rodent infestations however, as Family Dollar stores in Las Vegas, Sacramento, Richmond, Pittsburgh, and Canton, New York all had

infestations and had to close for a few years in recent history. Community leaders in Tennessee have been threatening to boycott Dollar Tree if it fails to professionally clean its stores after a rodent infestation was discovered in Arkansas, which supplies its Family Dollar chain. This shows that the issue has been widespread from other companies and that if nothing is done about this, it could cause catastrophic problems for the greater business as a whole. “I get all of my food and cleaning materials from there, so it’s kind of crazy hearing this a problem that they’ve been having for a minute and haven’t told anybody. Even if it’s not this store that has the history, they have to be better if they know it’s been a problem at other locations,” said Devin Raby, a senior mechanical engineering major from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. As a college student, you don’t often have options on where you’d prefer to get food or cleaning supplies from when you’re in a pinch. That being said, if current reports of what’s going on in these warehouses are accurate, keeping facilities clean should be a top priority if they intend to keep the customer base that they’ve established in recent years. UNION from page 1

to quarantine due to close contact exposure, the packing center should be closed as well since all of the workers operate in such a close proximity to one another. It was to this end that Smalls and his contributing peers founded the Amazon Labor Union (ALU). In a 55% majority vote, Amazon workers choose to unionize in support of the ALU, according to a poll conducted by the National Labor Relations Board, or NLRB. This marked the first ever labor union in the history of the privately owned company, a historic victory for United States organized labor factions. Despite feelings of victory in Smalls’ camp however, Amazon’s response illustrated their frustration with the unionization. “We’re disappointed with the outcome of the election in Staten Island because we believe having a

direct relationship with the company is best for our employees,” Amazon said in a statement. Despite the victory on behalf of the workers, there’s still work to be done before negotiations can even begin for better working conditions for workers in the JFK8 facility. If Smalls’ vision for the future is any indication however, he won’t stop until Amazon centers around the country make themselves aware of the opportunities that a union could provide for them. “It’s almost like a David and Goliath type of victory,” said Dan Cornfield, a labor expert and professor of sociology at Vanderbilt University. “There’s already a wave (of activism) occurring, and this will encourage more of that.” This is a sentiment that many people over social media have shared and championed as Smalls, an African American man, has become the face

for unionization of one the largest corporations in the world. Following the historic vote to unionize, Smalls had this to say to the crowd awaiting outside: “We did whatever it took to connect with these workers…I hope that everybody’s paying attention now because a lot of people doubted us,” said Smalls in exasperation as he regarded the crowd who had come out to witness the results of the vote that took place this past Friday. While this victory is significant in terms of momentum for labor unions across the nation, it is only the first step of many that Small has outlined to unionize Amazon facilities down the Eastern coast. If Amazon’s reply is statement is any indication however, they will hard pressed to allow such a scenario to happen as easy again.

CROWN ACTfrom page 1 national origin, race, religion and sex. Employers should note that some states already protect workers based on natural hair and hairstyle. California became the first state to pass a CROWN Act in 2019, and more states and cities followed suit. “Employers should anticipate this state and local legislative trend to continue,” Jackson said. “Employers across the country should consider revisiting and potentially updating grooming standards, policies and training practices.” Upon the passing of the new legislation, many supporters spoke out about the victory and applauded

the House’s passage. Among those was Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Joyce Betty who said in a statement, “every day in this country, Black women and girls face discrimination because of their natural hair at their workplaces and schools. So today, I proudly voted yes on the #CROWNAct to finally end race-based hair discrimination once and for all.” She continued, “It’s simple — discrimination against Black hair is discrimination based on race. I look forward to swift passage of this critical legislation in the Senate and to standing with President Biden as

he signs it into law. To every young Black girl and boy, I say to you, your hair — from your kinks to your curls, from your fros to your fades, from your locs to your braids — is a crown. Be proud of your hair and know the Congressional Black Caucus is fighting for you.” In addition to the federal legislation, state Crown Act laws have been passed in 14 states as part of a campaign by consumer goods company Dove, in a coalition with the National Urban League, Color Of Change and the Western Center on Law & Poverty.

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ISSUE 5 . APRIL 5, 2022

JAGUAR SPORTS

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Jaguars Triumph Over Tigers in Weekend play Keymonte Avery The Southern Digest

Another chapter in the historical rivalry was written last weekend as the Jags faced off against Grambling. Going into the game, the Jags were coming off of a loss to Mississippi State and looked to get back into the win column. Southern was 6-4 in their last ten matchups against Grambling and looked to add three more wins to that stat sheet. Both teams remained scoreless for the first two innings in the first game. Then both teams woke up the bats in the third inning. At the top of the inning, Grambling scored two runs. Southern then responded in turn with three runs with contributions from junior infielder O’Neill Burgos, Senior infielder Zavier Moore,

Sophomore infielder Hunter Tabb. Those third innings runs seemingly put the dagger in their opponents as they were able to hold the Tigers scoreless for six straight innings. The Jags won the first game of the series 3-2. The second game played out a bit differently as both teams’ offensives got a boost. In the second inning, Grambling scored the first run at the top of the inning, then Southern then scored their first run at the bottom of the second inning when Tabb grounded into a double play and brought home redshirt senior Tremaine Spears home from third base. The offensive explosion then continued third as Grambling then scored three additional runs. Southern then scored another run with the bases loaded as Spears was walked. Grambling then scored

three unanswered runs as they maintained a foothold on the jags for the rest of the game. The game ended in a score of 5-11 in favor of Grambling with one game left. Both teams looked to secure bragging rights in the series finale as they dueled once more. After the previous day’s loss, Southern came out guns blazing. They scored two runs in the first inning off of a single from Spears coupled with a fielding error. Southern then, during the rest of the game, outscored their opponents nine runs to five. Securing the series victory 2-1 adds another chapter to the illustrious rivalry. They will faceoff against McNeese State in an out-of-conference matchup in their next game. Southern will look to continue their winning ways once more.

courtesy/Eugene Johnson

One Mississippi: Softball drops series to Alcorn State

Evan Funchess The Southern Digest

With another chance to take control of the SWAC, Southern Softball headed into Alcorn State for a three-game series Friday and Saturday. After dropping their home series against Texas Southern in their previous outing, the Jag’s looked to regain their footing in the West division. Alcorn was also coming off a losing series to Southeastern. With both teams coming off losses, this series meant more for both sides. The first game of Friday’s doubleheader was a bit of a slow burn for both teams as they went scoreless for the first three innings. Alcorn was the first team on the board with an RBI single at the bottom of the fourth inning. Southern was then able to get it going offensively at the top of the

courtesy/Randy Edwards

fifth inning when Freshman infielder Alissa Castaneda hit a single into center field, which brought home the Jag’s opening run. The sixth inning saw both teams go scoreless again, which led to a decisive seventh inning. At the top of the seventh inning, the Jags closed the game with

two clutch runs. The first run came from an RBI double from freshman pitcher Julia York and the second and closing score came from Junior infielder Londyn Lau via an RBI single. The Jag’s held on to that lead to win the first game of the doubleheader 3-1.

The second game brought more action to the ballpark in Lorman. Out of the gate, the Jags scored their first run at the top of the first inning when Redshirt senior Mariyah Sandoval hit an RBI single to center field that got the jags on the board. Redshirt senior shortstop Roxsanna Segura followed up that run at the top of the second inning with an RBI double to center field, which brought home the Jag’s second run of the game, making the score 2-0. Alcorn then struck back at the bottom of the second inning with a score making the game 2-1 heading into the third inning. Alcorn then scored three uncontested runs from the third through the fourth inning seizing the lead 5-2. The Jags then responded with four uncontested runs at the top of the fifth inning. The first two runs of the four came

from an RBI double courtesy of Freshman center infielder Alana Mark. After an explosive fifth inning for the Jags, they took the lead 6-5 with just two innings remaining. The Jags did their best to hold on but stumbled in the seventh inning, giving up two additional runs to Alcorn, giving them the win 7-6. The last game of the series saw the Jags go down quietly to Alcorn, losing 0-7. The Jags seemingly ran out of gas in this game and lost the series 2-1. This game leaves the Jags in third place in the SWAC West division at 7-5 in conference play. Their next opponent will be Prarie View, who is just one spot above the Jags in the division, with both teams being only one game apart.

Jaguar Football: On the attack? Predictions Eric White The Southern Digest

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It’s about that time; Jags, football season preparation is well underway. Spring football has been kicked off, and people are noticing changes compared to last year’s team. One of those is the offense; it’s not your traditional “ground and pound” Southern Football team. The offense has been seen running multiple formations such as four wide receivers sets, running backs in the slots, and more spread. Coach Dooley has been making changes, and he will have an opportunity to show a little something for the spring game on April 9th at A.W. Mumford Stadium at 3 P.M. I am excited to see what this team will bring next year because nobody knows Southern tradition like Coach Eric Dooley. Every team Coach Dooley has been on has seen its offensive numbers go up tremendously. The offensive side of the ball has been one of the Jag’s Achilles heels. Last year, many games the Jaguars were in, such as Jackson

State, McNeese State, Florida A&M, and Prairie View A&M, but lost in the second half because of lackluster offense. With Coach Dooley, he likes to attack and control the game. I am predicting this offense to get stronger each game and challenge other teams to respond to them, leading to more wins. Looking at the 2022 schedule in totality, typical SWAC games like Jackson State, Alcorn FAMU, and Grambling are familiar. However, the schedule allows the Jags to control their destiny with one FBS opponent, the LSU tigers. With a high-powered offense and a solid defense, the Jags could wake the conference up and get back to winning championships. The Jags are adjusting to a new system, but Dooley has let them know they will be put under pressure. He is doing everything to make them thrive in those situations, which is well needed when playing

in the SWAC with games like the Boombox Classic and Bayou Classic. I am predicting nine wins or more for the Jags with a SWAC championship on their resume and a first-time appearance in the Celebration Bowl in ATL. The reason for the high confidence is because Coach Dooley knows the standard of Southern. He helped the Jags win 4 SWAC titles with 2 National titles on Pete Richardson’s staff. He has also been taught by the great Eddie Robinson and has won 2 SWAC titles with him. He loves and feeds off the pressure and will develop his players with confidence in those situations. With a swagger he possesses, he knows what he wants and will get it one way or another. The spring game has a lot of people on its toes, and they are excited to see what this year’s team will bring. So go out and see the Dooley Era begin April 9th at 3:00 P.M. at A.W. Mumford Stadium.

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ISSUE 5 .APRIL 5, 2022

DIGEST FEATURES

THE SENTINEL OF AN ENLIGHTENED STUDENT BODY SINCE 1926

Ti’Ja Taylor The Southern Digest

Throughout the South, views on planned parenthood vary from neutral to downright hateful towards the idea of women being able to decide the destiny that their bodies will undergo. On March 31 Planned Parenthood Generation Action held a game of Deal or No Deal where female and male students in attendance played the popular game while expressing their many deal breakers. Some of these deal breakers included their preferences on relationships, hygiene, physical attraction, independency, and even controlling partners. “The event was really fun. Really getting people involved and talking about topics that people really want to talk about,” said Mallori Lee, a junior Therapeutic Recreation major from Baton Rouge, LA. The question of the night was what’s your deal breaker? The student contestants individually came up and picked numbered briefcases which contained a number and a topic. The

What’s your Deal Breaker? Planned Parenthood

Junior Mallori Lee of Baton Rouge shares her thoughts during the “Deal or No Deal” event hosted by Parenthood Generation Action. (Tiren Causey/DIGEST)

contestant then talked about the hot topic that was inside of the cases held by the case holders for the night. After picking a couple cases, the banker calculated the totals and the contestant decided if they were taking the deal or the price inside the briefcase. Most students kept their money from the cases they opened in fear that the money in the unopened brief case would be too low. Each case contained controversial subjects that the audience couldn’t wait to add their inputs to. Students in the

audience had the opportunity to add their perspectives which gave new knowledge to everyone attending. “Overall, I feel we had great participation from those who came. We touched on some great topics, and everyone had deep feelings about most of the topics. It was great,” stated Shania Tyler, one of the Activities Coordinator of PPGA and a senior Rehabilitation services major from New Orleans, LA. Planned Parenthood Generation Action has been active on campus for one year.

The president and founder Kyndall A. Jones stated, “The main purpose of PPGA is to appeal to the interests of the student body who empathize with women’s reproductive rights, the importance of voting and voter registration, and promoting sexual health and wellness.” “I liked how everyone was participating and I liked the effort from opposite genders adding their side as well,” stated Nijah Richmond, a junior Biology major from Las Vegas, Nevada.

Nobody Wins When the Family Feuds Te’yanah Owens The Southern Digest

The two most prominent universities in Louisiana have a unique rivalry that very rarely sees them compete, despite their close proximity to one another in the city of Baton Rouge. On Tuesday evening, March 29, a Family Feud game night was held by Southern University Student Government Association and Louisiana State University Black Student Union inside the Bo Campbell Auditorium that looked to bridge that gap. With Southern providing transportation for students and LSU providing snacks for students at the venue, it was a packed-out event with over 800 students from SU and LSU were in attendance. It looked like a football game and was so packed that some students stood on the side or sat on the floor. They played the classic game show Family Feud. Southern had a table on one side with blue cloth and balloons. LSU had a table on the other side with purple cloth and balloons. Four students represented each team. Rounds were split up by classifications. College student related topics were on the scoreboard. There was a wild host shooting jokes on the crowd. He was acting more like Nick Cannon on Wild N Out than Steve Harvey on Family Feud. The host even went as far as to joke about a strap and the SU student who recently got arrested during campaign week. It felt like we were all family and blended in nicely. When one question would have so many possible answers, they canceled it out. So, SU students felt as though LSU started cheating and both schools started engaging

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The organization’s goal was to have an event where students could openly speak on different dealbreakers in friendships and relationships and to provide insight to create a healthy relationship. The game gave students a chance to think as well as hear others’ opinions. To grasp the thought process of others as to why some topics were or weren’t a deal breaker for them. “I think that we had an amazing turnout considering all of the other events going on at the same time as our event. I’m very thankful and grateful to everybody who came out to support us because we worked very hard to put this together,” stated PPGA President Kyndall Jones, a senior Mass Communication major from Washington D.C. PPGA has more events coming up this semester. If students want to know more about the organization, there will be more opportunities to do so. Reach out to PPGA President Kyndall Jones if you’re interested in joining as the organization is accepting new members until April 8th!

Fresh Prince on the Blacklist: Is Will Smith Career on Pause? Ti’Ja Taylor/DIGEST The Southern Digest

Students from LSU and Southern University watch their schools compete during the Family Feud Game Night inside BO Campbell Auditorium. (Te’yanah Owens/DIGEST)

in an ear of words briefly. SU were doing chants in retaliation to LSU doing their chants. Overall, it was still all in good fun and added to the light atmosphere. However, after the game night, LSU Black students started to throw racial slurs at Southern students on Twitter calling us monkeys. A Southern student allegedly was backing their friend up. Nyah Breedlove, a junior majoring in Criminal Justice from Silver Spring, Maryland stated, “It was very hypocritical to see a Black person talk about one of us since we’re all Black. We all experience racism regardless of what school we go to.”

Despite the extracurriculars following the event’s conclusion however, events such as these could be a start to a great partnership between both schools’ student bodies. SU students can start building relationships with LSU students if they have not already. Next time LSU should come to Southern to see how an HBCU really turns up. They would not know what to do with themselves being able to be unapologetically black. “I would love to see more SU and LSU collaborations! Seeing Black students living in their blackness at our neighboring PWI See FAMILY FEUD page 6

On the stage of the iconic awards show meant to highlight excellence in the film industry, March 27,2022 saw the Oscars turn into disarray from a joke made by comedian Chris Rock. Will Smith walked onstage and slapped Chris Rock across the face following Rock making a disturbing joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s alopecia, an autoimmune disorder. According to Britannica, Hollywood actors are known for being blacklisted for being difficult to work with, having subversive ties, or even a public freakout. Will Smith however is a well-known actor with decades of experience, rapper, and film producer, and is on the verge of being blacklisted See WILL SMITH page 6

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ISSUE 5 . APRIL 5, 2022 THE SENTINEL OF AN ENLIGHTENED STUDENT BODY SINCE 1926

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The Boys Be Steppin’: SGRHOmeo Pageant Amaya Rosser/DIGEST The Southern Digest

While Southern may be best known for its Thicker Than a Snicker pageant where the ladies get to shine, the Mr. RHOmeo Pageant is an opportunity for the men of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority to show what they bring to the table as well. The pageants’ theme was Hollywood, and the judges were trying to find their star in this year’s Mr. Romeo. The hostesses for the pageant were Beta Alpha members Jordyn Austin and Vanaya Scott. They began the pageant by introducing the 5 judges, Yvette Ferguson, Malik Smith, Jocha Gordan, Porsha Gailes, and Dr. Chrsitopher Ruffin. The 3 female judges: Ferguson, Gordon, and Gailes, are also a part of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Dr.Ruffin himself is a former 2009-2010 Mister RHOmeo. The sorority hasn’t had a Mr.RHOmeo pageant since 2009, with this Spring making 13 years since their last pageant. After the judges were announced, the 6 potential Mr. RHOmeo’s came out with white button downs, black slacks, and yellow suspenders. They began to dance to “Wake up in the Sky” by Bruno Mars and Gucci Mane. After the contestants danced, six Beta Alpha members came out to dance with contestants. Contestant #1 was Myical Burrell, a freshman from Bogalusa, LA. Contestant #2 was Isaiah Clay, a freshman from White Castle, LA. Contestant #3 was Jarden James, a graduating senior

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from Lake Charles, LA. Contestant #4 was Dylan Jones, a sophomore from Zachary, LA. Contestant #5 was Dorian Stewart, a junior from Los Angeles, CA. Contestant #6 was Markez Walker, a sophomore from Donaldsonville, LA. The contestants then competed in the categories fashion, swim, talent, and formal. The pageant had a surprise guest who were Southern University’s “Code Blue” Stomp n’ Shake Squad. After their performance, it was time for the winner to be announced. The 2022-2023 Mr. RHOmeo winner was contestant #3 Jarden James. The 1st runner up was contestant #6 Markez Walker and the 2nd runner up was contestant #5 Dorian Stewart. The pageants fan favorite was contestant

#2 Isaiah Clay. Also, the title of Mr. Congeniality was awarded to both contestant #1, Myical Burrell and contestant #2 Isaiah Clay. After the pageant I spoke with betta alpha president Christian HumphreyNash who said, “The Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Beta Alpha Chapter recently held our Mr.RHOmeo pageant on March 29th, 2022 at the Event Center. This was the first Mr.RHOmeo pageant in 13 years here at Southern University A&M College. We had 6 handsome contestants competing to be the 2022-2023 Mister RHOmeo of Southern University. These gentlemen showed us their style, talents, and creativity. The event was very successful and super fun to host. We are happy to WILL SMITH from page 5

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due to what critics are now regarding as the “slap heard around the world” . Viewers questioned if the slap was scripted, being that the award show was live. People began to question Smith’s mental health, pointing to the clip that illustrated how after he slapped Rock, he sat down and loudly yelled profane words at him. Later Smith won Best Actor for King Richard then cried and apologized for his actions without actually apologizing to Rock. “I want to apologize to The Academy; I want to apologize to all of my fellow nominees,” he said through tears. “I hope the Academy invites me back,” stated

Award winner Will Smith. “Sony and Netflix both hit pause on collaborating with Smith” stated the Daily Beast. Including the treasure “Bad Boys 4” at which Smith already received 40 pages of script before the Oscars, stated Hollywood Reporter. As well as the movie “Fast and Loose” about a criminal who lost his memory after an attack. And the Apple TV + movie “Emancipation” that Smith plays a runaway slave from Louisiana. Is currently on pause as well after the momentous incident. “I feel like the slap shouldn’t affect him because this was not his first-time making comments to Jada and he was

just sticking up for his wife. Jada has been very open about how the process has been affecting her and for him to make a joke is disrespectful. I don’t think they should cut roles because of the slap,” stated Ashley Jones a junior Mass Communications major from Baton Rouge, LA. David Rubin, Oscars president for three years stated, “We will continue to move forward with our disciplinary proceedings against Mr. Smith for violations of the Academy’s Standards of Conduct.” People perceived that Smith should not be invited back to the Academy Awards, arguing that if it was in a different setting, Smith would’ve been immediately asked to leave or even escorted out by the police. It’s important to note however that the storied actor and entertainer that he is, there aren’t many rooms that Will Smith could be kicked out of. In an interview with Good Morning America, Will Packer, Oscar producer, stated about Rock that “He urged the Academy leadership not to physically remove him because Rock didn’t want to make a bad situation worse.” Smith stated that he would accept any further consequences and would resign days later from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the academy accepted his resignation. Though Chris Rock did not press charges, the slap still making rounds in the media is leaving everyone wondering if Will Smith’s career would survive in the midst of this controversy.

bring back the traditions of our sorority and our undeniable powerful presence here on SUBR’s campus. This pageant is only the beginning of the events we are to bring in the future.” When speaking with contestant #2 Isaiah Clay about his experience he said, “The pageant was an overall really fun experience! I had the pleasure of meeting some really great people in addition to expressing my creativity and style. The process included long nights, late practices, and lots of laughs. I definitely would do it again if I had the chance.” While this was the first SGRHOmeo pageant to grace the Bluff in more than a decade, it surely won’t take as long for us to have another if this years showcase was any indication. FAMILY FEUD from page 5 is a good sight to see. It shows that PWIs are having growth within their minority groups which is great” said Sydney Cuillie, a freshman majoring in Mass Communications from Houston, Texas. Overall, it was a nicely turned-out event to bridge the gap between HBCU and PWI students. Shonna Smith, a senior majoring in Agricultural science from Dallas, Texas expressed, “I enjoyed SU and LSU coming together to support each other. It was a momentous event for us to come together and still enjoy ourselves. We all left proud to be Southern University students.” We hope to see more events like this in the future with the Southern Student Government Association and LSU Black Student Union. While there may have been some drama here and there, students from both universities seem willing to participate in events such as this one in the future.

T H E O F F I C I A L S T U D E N T N E W S PA P E R O F S O U T H E R N U N I V E R S I T Y A N D A & M C O L L E G E - B A T O N R O U G E , L A

ISSUE 5 . APRIL 5, 2022 THE SENTINEL OF AN ENLIGHTENED STUDENT BODY SINCE 1926

COMMENTARY

A Day in the Life; Mental Health Pitfalls of a Black Woman in College Amaya Rosser The Southern Digest

As children or young teens, we don’t realize how important mental health is. As college students, it’s important that we constantly and consistently check with each other and ask each other how we’re feeling, just to be sure that we’re all on the right time. Sometimes, we feel as if we’re completely okay, but once we sit down and think, everything that we’re going through all goes through our mind at the same time. Some of us have things going on at home that we can’t control which affects our mental health. Others are just having problems with just being okay and learning to relax while away from home.

As a black woman in college, this semester has been the hardest with my mental health. Sometimes it’s really hard for me to just sit down and focus because of all the things I’m constantly thinking about. My biggest problem that affects my mental help is being away from home and missing my mom. I’m an only child, so I’m used to being alone all of the time. But one day when I went to the library, just to see how it was because I never went into the library in the first semester, and I actually enjoyed being in there and not being around a lot of people trying to talk to me. I was able to relax and finish my work all at the same time. When I don’t go to the library, I go on walks alone to free my mind. This also helps relieve my stress.

At one point, I was thinking about leaving Baton Rouge and going back home to Memphis and just staying there and not coming back. I decided not to because I shouldn’t give up after one year of school. I realized the only way to help your mental health is by finding ways for you to get through it. If you don’t fix your problems yourself then your mental health will not be better. If we don’t fix our mental health when we first realize it’s a problem, it could get worse and lead to other things. Check on your friends, and take care of yourself, because as a young adult in this brand new college environment, you never really know what’s happening in the lives of your peers.

What Happened at the Oscars? Kharis Taylor The Southern Digest

What happened at the Oscars on March 27? Well, depending on who you ask, there are many versions of what happened at the Oscars. Everyone has a different story to tell about that fateful night, but the most repetitive one might be about the Oscar awardwinner, Will Smith. After a joke was made by his wife on live television, he was seen laughing moments before slapping the heck out of Chris rock– who delivered the rude joke. Jada Pinkett didn’t seem very pleased about a “G.I. Jane” joke Chris Rock had made about her baldness, which was due to her own struggle with alopecia. How could she not be upset that her health was being made a spectacle of for the laughter of her celebrity counterparts? Chris Rock is a comedian, and making jokes is a part of the job.

What he and the rest of America must realize though is that it is not 2014 anymore. It’s not that we are starting to become more “sensitive”--we have only become less tolerant of nonsense. Black women have a long and detailed history of often being the butt of jokes for the amusement of others, and no one seems eager to protect or stand up for them. Will Smith, on the other hand, stood up, walked up a flight of stairs, and smacked a comedian for his black woman. After living with his wife every day and watching her struggle with her hair loss and other major effects of it, how could he not be empathetic to his wife’s pain? He had been there with her, supported and loved her through the entire journey. Of course, her subtle disgust at a joke about her hair condition became his own disgust. Anyone could call it an act of passion, a cry for help, or just plain aggression. I would like to call it what it is –a black

man showing human emotion after the disrespect of his lover, bestfriend, and queen. The need for victimization will unfortunately cause many people to make the situation about them. An apology will go out towards everyone but the initial person targeted by the heinous joke, Jada Pinkett. Society has a bad habit of reacting to the reaction of someone’s discomfort instead of the source of it. Any one can argue that Will should have “controlled” his emotions, but just as easily Chris Rock could have controlled his tongue. If someone is comfortable enough to embarrass someone on live television, that person should also not mind being embarrassed. I’m not here to justify violence. My only intentions are to humanize already human emotions that the public ignores every time African Americans act out in a way that doesn’t align with the world believes they should.

NBA Youngboy vs. Durk Ti’Ja Taylor The Southern Digest

Rappers continue to find reasons to build up beef with each other. Whether it’s from a tweet, post, quad problems, or simply respect, rappers’ unresolved issues seemingly always leads to shooting and even death. However, the unsquashed beef between Chicago rapper Durk and everyone’s favorite NBA Youngboy continues as diss songs fly between the two generational icons. The issues rose when King Von was reportedly killed after some drama with Quando Rando. Quando Rando is friends with Youngboy, which I think gave off suspicions to Durk. According to XXL, Quando Rando’s brother Timothy Leeks was charged for murdering Chicago rapper King Von. Even so, King Von and Durk were close friends and he was signed to Durk’s label “Only the Family.” However, both artists have released music dissing each other in recent months, with Youngboy initiating the volley and asking for trouble by mentioning many known artists in his diss track “I Hate Youngboy”. In

the song, Youngboy takes shots at the Chicago rapper and mentions his fiancé, India Royal. Responding to the diss song, AHHH HA was released by Durk the following week. YoungBoy called Durk fiancé India out of her name and mentioned Durk’s cousin OTF who died in a shooting in 2014. YoungBoy continued to diss several rappers in his song, including Durk’s dad, King Von, Boosie, Gucci and many other respected rappers in the industry. More heat was added to the beef when Durk got a billboard with the words “Durk Better”, displayed in NBA Youngboy hometown Baton Rouge. I feel that Durk knew this would make tension rise even more between them. With that said I do feel that was a clever way to promote his upcoming album all while being extra petty. After all, NBA Youngboy and DaBaby have been working together on a project with plans to release the album this month titled “Better than You.” With Durk’s album “7220” set to be released this month as well, this seems to be an example of both artists competing.

I would like to see the number of plays and streams Durk gets compared to Youngboy and DaBaby being that the people will always decide whose music is the best. DaBaby has also been added to the beef because of him and NBA Youngboy’s song “Better Than You.” According to Complex, DaBaby said, “He can’t be influenced when it comes to selecting business partners.” With that said, I agree with DaBaby for this one rare moment. Because no one should pick who you can and cannot be friends with. That’s plain weird. And if in fact Youngboy happened to pay DaBaby more for the feature, then that’s just how a businessperson conducts business. I feel they should just release their albums and let bygones be bygones. But of course, that’ll never work. The two rapper’s conflicts will probably be gone from the face of the media soon. But the issues will go on unresolved, and the tension will continue to be amid the artist. Beef aside though, it’s guaranteed that we’ll get some great music out of the two artists going forward.

SOUTHERNDIGEST.COM

A Fresh Take on Spring Break Austin Powe The Southern Digest

At Southern University A&M College, students were shocked to find out the spring break will only be a couple of days this school year. This has caused many students to be frustrated due to a lack of actual breaks during this semester that weren’t instigated by natural disaster.. In the previous years, students usually had spring break for a week. Having that weekly break allowed students to relax for a while, go out on vacations, go back home and spend time with their family etc. Having a two-day break diminishes all of those things. The shortened break was caused by starting school late from a COVID-19 surge during the beginning of the year. In my opinion, I believe that it is frustrating to only have a two days break from class because of how challenging this spring semester has been so far. The difficulties come from teachers not always having class, the amount of work that they have been giving, multiple purges this semester, and lack of help from a tutor for any class that I consider “Challenging.” Also, because of COVID, there haven’t been as many activities/events for students to attend as I expected, which makes school really boring. I think that us students should have an extra day or two for a break so that we can relax a bit and reflect on how each of us individually have been doing in school. It will benefit all students that have been struggling in class and need to take a break so that they can get on the right track. It will also be beneficial for students to just settle down and develop a better mental health state for those that have been very stressed out. For example, if you’re a student and you’re struggling to keep your grades up from so much work in all of your classes, having a longer spring break will allow you to receive some time and wind down from all the stressful assignments. Even if school started late, we students shouldn’t have to pay for that with the time we normally have scheduled for mental decompression. . In conclusion, the two-day spring break is really unsatisfying and doesn’t give the students enough time to relax, go on a vacation, or even spend time with family, which may very well lead to lacking performance in the classroom as we enter the home stretch of the year.

ISSUE 5 . APRIL 5, 2022 THE SENTINEL OF AN ENLIGHTENED STUDENT BODY SINCE 1926

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