Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Kappas give to St. Vincent dePaul see News, page 3
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
60/35
60/35
64/36
65/40
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Volume 57, Issue 17
Drum major family plans to sue FAMU see State & Nation, Page 4
Grambling dominates SU to win West see Sports, page 6
Panel discusses HBCUs
Spikes recalls 1980s crisis
Evan Taylor
The Southern Digest
I am always grateful to be called for this event and to be the recipient of these thanksgiving gifts for the youth in our program,” Tyson said.
NEW ORLEANS — “The New State of HBCUs” is addressed during My Bayou Classic Empowerment Exchange Friday; funding, programs and changes for higher education system among the discussion. CNN anchor and special correspondent Soledad O’Brien moderated the panel that featured Southern University System President Ronald Mason, Grambling State University President Frank Pogue, National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education Executive Director Lezli Baskerville and state Rep. Patricia Smith (D-New Orleans). Suggestions and discussions included the need for a new business model in higher education, mergers/ consolidations, STEM programs, investment, alumni contributions and addressing the issues at hand. “My biggest fear is having grown up in institutional segregation, we could easily return to where we were. I marched with Dr. King as a student at Alabama State. The issues then were nowhere near as “bad” as they are now. We are loosing generation after generation. We are loosing our communities. All of those things are impacting our community and achieving our mission,” Pogue said. Baskerville discussed the return on investment in HBCUs. “HBCs have proven to be the best return on it’s investment. HBCUs are preparing the workforce for tomorrow. The community is energized and in the position to continue,” Baskerville said. Mason urged that we redefine the conversation of black people in America. “We have to redefine the conversation about the condition of black people in America. Either we are born flawed or there’s something wrong with America. We have to do what’s necessary to deal with (Thomas Jefferson’s) the Wolf,” Mason said.
See AWS Luncheon page 3
See HBCU Panel page 3
Billy Washington The Southern Digest
Nearly two decades have passed since Southern University declared financial exigency in 1988, but former Southern University System President Dolores Spikes recalls it like it happened yesterday. Spikes began serving as system president and interim PHOTO BY keldric nash/digest chancellor in 1988. The first Former Southern University System President Delores Spikes discussed the financial crisis at Southern woman to serve as president of a during the 1980s. She said she is amazed at the comments regarding the university’s current financial university system in the nation, exigency situation and its impact on the university. she led the SU system from 1988 I didn’t see that with my retrenchment plan, which is Roemer. Financial exigency was to 1996. “It’s important that SU declared in the summer of 1988, experience with institutions currently being finalized, will maintain those high qualities prior to Spikes’ appointment as but some institutions came be released during the Dec. 16 out better because they went board meeting. of the institution once out president. “It was an open process and I “Financial exigency is simply through it properly.” of financial exigency. Just to According to the 1989 Board think that’s why we came back a survive is not enough. SU must a tool that can be utilized to survive with certain qualities get out of a financial condition of Supervisors’ figures, a total strong university,” said Spikes. “There were other challenges that attract students to come,” legitimately,” Spikes said. “I’m of $909,000 was saved due amazed by the comments made to layoffs and termination but I think during those times explained Spikes. In 1988, Spikes was faced in the papers about what people of temporary workers. It is there was a strong element of with $5.2 million being cut from are saying financial exigency will currently unknown how much the university due to statewide do to the institution in terms of will be saved during this current See Spikes page 3 status of financial exigency. The budget cuts made by Gov. Buddy dire consequences.
AWS, Big Buddy hold holiday luncheon Evan Taylor
The Southern Digest
Association of Women Students continued the tradition of giving for the Thanksgiving Holidays for participants in Big Buddy. AWS president, Ja’el Gordon, along with The Alpha Sigma chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi, Collegiate 100 Black Women, Student Government Association, Men’s Federation, SUBR Chancellor, SUBR Comptroller’s and Aramark; provided thanksgiving dinners to 50 Big Buddy participants. The annual thanksgiving luncheon gave Big Buddy participants a time together to enjoy a meal, games, and entertainment from their peers. “It was a very warm thing to do for the kids. They were not expecting it, We wanted them to know there’s more to
Today
PHOTO BY evan taylor/digest
Big Buddy participants are served by Student Government Association and Association for Women Students volunteers at the annual AWS Thanksgiving Luncheon.
Southern University than what they see on the news,” Gordon said. Cara Tyson, Youth Development Resources Manager for Big Buddy was grateful to be apart of the program. “This was another great event sponsored by the Association for Women Students.
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