Commentary southerndigest.com
The Sentinel Of An Enlightened Student Body since 1926
Friday, September 16, 2011 - Page 7
The latter should be greater SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY SUITE 1064 T.H. HARRIS HALL POST OFFICE BOX 10180 BATON ROUGE, LA 70813 PHONE: 225.771.2231 FAX: 225.771.5840 ONLINE @ www.southerndigest.com
STUDENT MEDIA OFFICE
Director....................................................... TBA Publications Asst..................Fredrick Batiste Business Manager..............Camelia Jackson
CONTACTS (area code 225)
Student Media Newsroom............771.2231 Advertising Office.......................... 771.5833 Student Media Services.................771.5812
FALL 2011 STAFF
Editor-in-Chief.............................. Evan Taylor Managing Editor....................................... TBA Copy Editor................... Norman J. Doston Jr. Photo Editor............................... Trevor James Staff Writer............................... Christie Carral Staff Writer................................Morris Dillard Staff Writer............................ Lauren Johnson Staff Writer.......................... Torrance Latham Staff Writer................................. Breanna Paul Staff Writer....................................... Sam Ross Staff Writer........................... Samantha Smith Staff Writer.......................... Billy Washington Staff Photographer.......................Talor Kinzy Staff Photographer....................Keldric Nash
SUBMISSIONS POLICY
The 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-mailed to digest@subr.edu.
Editorial policy
Staff 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.
PUBLICATION ASSOCIATIONS
The 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 Journalists (SPJ), Full member of the Associated Press (AP) and the Louisiana Press Association (LPA).
ADVERTISER MEMBERSHIPS
The Southern DIGEST subscribes to the American Passage, Alloy M+M, 360 Youth, Zim2Papers, All Campus Media, Ruxton Group and College Publishers On-Line services.
The Office of Student Media is a division of the Office of Student Affairs.
“The ultimate test of man’s conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard.” — Gaylord Nelson, principal founder of Earth Day, former Gov. of Wisconsin and U.S. Senator (1916-2005) Sometimes you have to sacrifice your personal wants and desires for the prosperity and success of the future. What you do now will lay the foundation for your children and their children will do in the future. What people did before us set the foundation and vision for our lives.We may not be here when the generation alphabet starts over but, we should hope that we have left the best of us for those generations as examples and inspirations. Can you think of where you would be if you didn’t have an inspiration or motivation? Who would President Obama be without the inspiration of other presidents like John F. Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln? Inspiration of others leads us to think of our best ideas, work through our best plans and continue on our path. Vision without action is merely just a thought and action without vision is irrational. Can you think what the Civil Rights Movement would have been like without Rosa Parks, The Montgomery Bus Boycott, The Greensboro Four, The Little Rock Nine? Standing against the only mode of transportation at the time, sitting at a lunch counter where no one wanted you and refused to serve you and being the first African-Americans to
Evan Taylor enter a predominately and historically European American Central High wasn’t easy. Without these parts of the movement grassroots organizations and individuals would have not been able to stand in front of the cops and society that outnumbered them. We need to take history and put it into the context of our lives in the present. We must learn from the past to promote progression today that will prevent stagnation in the future. We have to remember the few things that will outlive all of us: our words, our reputations, and our legacies, and our world. Our words make up how others perceive us. The way we talk and carry on a conversation says more than whether you have home training but, also it speaks from your heart and spirit. We need to be careful with our words because, once they are mumbled, said, screamed, and expressed they are never forgotten. Kind or evil words will stick with a person and they will dwell on them. Our reputations leave a lasting impression. Our reputations will make or break us; our families, our
associates, and our future generations. Reputations may not be who you are but it is what or who society thinks you are. If society thinks you are a thorn in its side it will cast you out as if you are one. Our legacies dictate the possibilities in the future. If a parent was willing to fight for their children, those same children will be willing to fight on behalf of their children. Legacy is important for historical and present context. You can’t know where you are going if you don’t know where you have been. Our world. The world we live on was here before we were born and will be here when we become part of it. We have altered it through our practices and we have tested to see how we can help but, ultimately if we fail to protect our natural resources they will not be here after we are gone and the next generations of humanity will not have the opportunities we have had. Your latter should be greater than your past. Someone once told me that Generation Y would be the first generation to do worse than their preceding generation. That’s a first in the Guinness Book of World Records we do not want. “Sometimes a kind word is uttered in voice you can not hear, in a place you can not see, in the mind of person who you don’t know. That kind word is placed on your heart and spirit will lead to the kindness and joy of others. A kind and joyful hearted person thinks not only of themselves but, also of those around them and after.” —Evan Taylor, Southern Digest Editor-in-Chief 20112012
Ain’t no ‘takesies-backsies’ where I’m from
I am a little confused about something, didn’t the faculty agree like a week ago to taking a furlough? If so, why does The Advocate have a story stating that some of the faculty wanted to withdraw their contracts now? Um, we didn’t magically come across the money we needed for you to take back your furlough agreements, so why on earth are you trying to renege? Really? Renegers. I say at this point for the betterment of the university there is no “takesiesbacksies!” I mean, seriously, who does that? Did you know that with these furloughs the university saved roughly $1.6 million? Also it helped to keep a lot of people’s jobs (mainly staff) that would have otherwise lost them without the added savings. I understand no one wants to get paid less for doing more work, but I figured as shepherds of higher education you would be able to understand that for the good of the many a few will have to sacrifice for a better tomorrow. It’s not fair for the faculty to have to take a cut however you are not the only ones who have been cut. The staff of this university has had to take cuts (involuntarily mind you) for two-and-ahalf years. They don’t all make as much the faculty. I know, for a fact, that two of them don’t and they do plenty more in one day than most deans do in a
Norman J. Dotson Jr . week. Taking this furlough would help them keep their jobs and support their families. Yeah, I know you don’t trust that administration will do right by SUBR and take a hit along with everyone … neither do I. However, at this point are you really going to let something like that essentially ruin our university? I’m not going to call it petty because its not, it’s a very honorable reason however there is no honor in letting your pride take the front seat and dictate the future of others. I think at this point we can all agree that something has to be done and followed through! That means we can’t make a decision to do something and then decide after a vote that well we don’t really want to do this anymore. It not only gives the perception that you (and when I
say you I mean those faculty members that are renegers) only care about your paychecks and that you are indecisive about crucial issues. Also it gives others ammunition against us when its all over the newspapers. While I’m on the subject of newspapers, stop running to The Advocate every time there is a disagreement! The Advocate rarely ever runs anything positive and if they do it’s at the butt-crack of the newspaper where you can barely read it. I’m saying that because I am sick and tired of all of Jordan Blum’s clips being about something negative that happened at Southern. I mean you would think after so many years we would learn to handle things in house, but that takes adults being adults and using their words to solve issues at home. But I digress. Bottom line is I understand where you (the faculty) are coming from not wanting to be cut and the big boys upstairs not taking lick with everyone else, but my question is this: Do you care enough about Southern to give up something or is that too much to ask for? Now is not the time to be shortsighted with only your well-beings, you by yourself do not make up Southern University there are many others who do. We all depend on one another exist like a family, so let’s act like one.