A student newspaper is essential and should be highly-praised and respected at any university. The newspaper is not just pieces of paper printed and passed out for leisure, but it is a form of communication amongst the student body, administration and staff. Without the newspaper, many events, games, honorable mentions and good or bad news will go unnoticed and unmentioned.
I would like to take this moment to let my readers and non-readers know that the Digest is and will stand strong. For years, we have provided the Jaguar Nation with only credible, enjoyable and essential news. As a staff writer, I find it very simple-minded for one to believe that a student newspaper isn’t needed. What other form of paper can let one know of all events, problems and improvements on their campus at one time? Simple, there is NO OTHER! When electricity is down, no Internet or no cable. Who else can you depend on? Simply the Digest!
Yes, it has been proven that once the paper is read, it is then thrown away, or added to a collective pile of trash, but who cares, at the end of the day the information has been read and once again you have been awarded with the opportunity to gain from your Southern Digest.
It was once said by Thomas Jefferson, “where it left me to decide whether we should have a government without a newspaper or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” This quote alone shows that a civilized group or unit that is governed requires a newspaper.
Here at Southern University we have a Student Government Association. SGA proposes to be a training ground for student leadership, political involvement and public service. This all sounds nice, but I would like to see more than I hear … talk is cheap. I will give the newly-elected officials their props; I do see and are aware of their faces more than the previous year’s officials, which is a start. Although SGA is said to be the voice of the university, I feel that the Digest takes over this role. Unlike SGA, each publication has a section titled “speaking out”. In this allotted section, is an opportunity for randomly selected students to speak out about a certain issue on campus or worldwide.
“SGA seems to be private,” said a current sophomore. “They don’t broadcast enough on opportunities for students to get involved or to be a part of SGA. “I’m aware of them from twitter but what are they? They have cool shirts, but no one gets them, but the ones apart of SGA, which leads me to feel there more of a club and not an association. ”
Now, I understand this is the point where my fellow SGA members may say this is a lie, but I do believe what the student body is trying to portray to SGA is, “yes I can find out on the website” or “yes, I can call the office, but the group which makes up SGA is not available on a day-to-day basis for the student body.”
You guys must remember you are first a student, then a member of an organization of your choice. And just remember with no newspaper there is NO GOVERNMENT!