New housing to be built for Southern male students

The Division of Student Affairs in conjunction with Southern University’s Housing Department plans to construct two new male dormitories towards the north end of the campus.
The two new male dormitories, which have not yet been named, will be placed where the old and uninhabited “Magnolia Triangle” is.
Like the newly constructed Shade a Totty female dormitories, the new male dormitories are expected to house approximately 376 students each.
Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, Dr. Raymond Downs, said that construction may start as early as December of this year.
“Southern University females have received two new dormitories and that there has been a growing concern for male housing, ” said Downs.
“There have been an increasing number of male students and parents voicing numerous concerns and opinions about current housing situations,” said Downs.
Downs, along with others, believe that the new male dormitories and better living arrangements will directly affect enrollment of males and cause an increase in future enrollment.
The Office of Student Affairs also plans to tear down, Alice Elmira Boley Hall and J.S. Jones Hall and build new ones in their present locations.
In addition to new dormitories, renovations of Mary Mcleod Bethune Hall, Booker T. Washington Hall, William Edward Reed Hall, and Horace G. White Hall will be included. Plans for an intramural sports center and a fitness center are also in the works to be built in the Magnolia Triangle that also includes Branco Hall.
According to Downs, the cost of renovations for each dorm is approximately 6 million dollars.
“Southern University is currently trying to secure funding for the various housing projects by means of state funding, federal funding, and possibly corporate funding, which is a fairly new approach for Southern University,” said Downs.
” It’s about time they build new male dorms on this campus, too bad I won’t be here to live in them when they are built.” said David Marshall, a senior Animal Science major from Clinton.
According to Downs there are also plans to build on-campus apartments to accommodate upperclassmen and graduate students.