1. Grade Scandal rocks theJaguar Nation
An investigationinto the Registrar’s Office by the Southern University Internal Auditorsdiscovered that at least 541 students–past and present–had been implicated ina grade-changing scheme.
The schemeinvolved undergraduate and graduate students dating back to 1995 and theawarding of potentially fake degrees.
According to theauditors report, approximately 2,500 transactions were made.
Money may havebeen involved in the scheme.
Student involvedin the scandal will go before a committee this summer to face the allegations.
2. College Hill provides a dose of reality
From pledging toparties and sizzling sexual encounters, the College Hill cast hassupplied the audience with 100 percent uncut and uncensored HBCU life– whilein pursuit of obtaining a higher education.
Kinda Andrews,Shalondrea Davis, Gabriel Langley, Kevin Mack, Delano Mitchell, Nina Moch,Veronica Moss, and Jabari Roberts provided the nation with a glimpse of theirpersonal lives every Wednesday night for 13 weeks.
3. Louisiana elects firstfemale governor
Lt. Gov.Kathleen Blanco became the first woman ever elected governor of Louisiana,defeating a conservative Indian-American and scoring a rare gain for Democratsin an election season marked by a string of Republican victories.
With all 4,143precincts counted, Blanco had 52 percent, or 730,737 votes, to Bobby Jindal’s48 percent, or 676,180.
4. Parade of Champions honorsSU and LSU
The City ofBaton Rouge honored the Southern University Jaguars, the 2003 SouthwesternAthletic Conference and Black National Champions and Louisiana StateUniversity, the 2003 BCS National and Southeastern Conference Champions, with a”Parade of Champions” Saturday, January 24, 2004.
This is thefirst time ever that both football programs have won conference and nationaltitles in the same year.
The SouthernJaguars football team finished off the 2003 football season with a 12-1 record.
5. The Palisades offers offerson-campus housing
The foundationhas been laid and the apartments are going up in the completion of the $25million dollar housing project, “The Palisades at Jaguar City,” for thestudents of Southern University.
The facility isstill projected to open in August 2004 and house over 500 students.
Housing will beavailable to law students, married students, graduate students, upperclassmenand some faculty.
The project wasfunded solely by Educational Development Company of America and will also includea business park to attract more consumers and businesses to the area.
