Southern University will get itsfirst student-run magazine in 2006 and the Lacumba III habitat is still seekingfunds.
In the Student GovernmentAssociation primary election on April 11, the Lacumba Referendum No. 2 did notpass, but the Student Magazine Referendum No. 1 did. Both referendums neededtwo-thirds of approvals from the 2,031 students that voted.
Student Magazine Referendum No.1 received 1,536 votes for and 416 votes against. This referendum included a $5 increase to student fees persemester and $2.50 during the summer to cover its publication costs.
“It is a great opportunity forstudents to be able to express themselves in a different type of format,” saidDerick Hackett, director of SU student media. “It gives them a chance to bemore artistic and creative without some of the limitations that are found innewspapers and yearbooks.”
Upon Board of Supervisorsapproval the increase will take place in the fall of 2006.
Also on the ballot, the LacumbaReferendum No. 2 received 1,115 votes for and 880 votes against andfailed.
Southern’s live jaguar mascotLacumba died in 2004 and a new one will be obtained along with a new habitat.The new habitat will be 10,000 square feet in an indoor facility. It wasproposed that the current $2 fee to care for the jaguar and its habitatincrease to $7. While the feeincrease was not passed, it still has a lot of supporters.
“I was disappointed,” ChancellorEdward R. Jackson said. ” But we will do the best we can.”
Currently $80,000 has beenraised to build the new facility that will cost approximately $500,000.
“We are going ahead with ourplans to raise money for the facility,” Jackson said. “The University will findthe money, even if the University will have to raise it,”
According to Jackson theprogress of the Lacumba III project will soon be very vivid.
“We will have the facility andstudents can see what we have and we can plead our case,” he said.
Dwayne Grant, incoming juniorclass president and supporter of the Lacumba III Project, thinks most studentsthought the increase was to build the habitat and not to keep it running.
“I think a lot of people wereconfused about where their money was actually going,” Grant said.
