Close SUNO?

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  Maura Alia Badji

  November 26, 2024, 3:53 pm

  My gut reaction is: rebuild it and preserve a historically Black college. If there were inherent problems in that college before Katrina, this is a perfect time to fully examine what those problems were and solve them as part of the rebuilding. I think the writer of the Advocate piece cops out by repeatedly using the phrase "racial politics" as a sort of short hand to dismiss those who might find value in preserving SUNO.
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  Ben

  November 26, 2024, 3:54 pm

  I don't know anything about SUNO. I had never heard of it until reading that article. But I do know that you can't have too many schools. Education, especially of the easily-accessible type, is the only way anything is going to get better in this country. So rebuild it. And make it better, if it's as bad as the article says. Besides, if we don't, doesn't the hurricane win?
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  Ben

  November 26, 2024, 3:55 pm

  I don't know anything about SUNO. I had never heard of it until reading that article. But I do know that you can't have too many schools. Education, especially of the easily-accessible type, is the only way anything is going to get better in this country. So rebuild it. And make it better, if it's as bad as the article says. Besides, if we don't, doesn't the hurricane win?
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  katrina

  November 26, 2024, 3:56 pm

  That editorial is harsh as hell. It's unfortunate that more often than not, HBCU = bottom of the educational totem pole. Southern has two other campuses in Louisiana, the main campus in BR and another in Shreveport. Being that BR is soooo close to NO, I don't exactly see the purpose of pushing to rebuild SUNO when the entire damn coast is a molded, muddy mess. I've always understood all Southern campuses to fall under one big ass Southern umbrella. It's not like throwing all of the University of North Carolina campuses together see what happens. SUNO is gone, I'm not happy about that but I'd prefer that instead of using much needed money (statewide) in rebuilding the school, it would be used towards improving the schools that we already have. Why not put the schools together and weed out the less than stellar faculty and staff and even students. This is one of those times when you either step up or fold. The are times when you take your “L” and keep it moving, or at least take the loss and make the best out of it. We’re all familiar with the idea that sometimes it’s just not worth the effort to fix something. I’d love to see Southern grow and making a super campus in BR seems like a way to see that happen I know BR isn't as great, wonderful, exciting as NO...but shit, NO isn't as great, wonderful, exciting as NO right now.
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  katrina

  November 26, 2024, 3:57 pm

  That editorial is harsh as hell. It's unfortunate that more often than not, HBCU = bottom of the educational totem pole. Southern has two other campuses in Louisiana, the main campus in BR and another in Shreveport. Being that BR is soooo close to NO, I don't exactly see the purpose of pushing to rebuild SUNO when the entire damn coast is a molded, muddy mess. I've always understood all Southern campuses to fall under one big ass Southern umbrella. It's not like throwing all of the University of North Carolina campuses together see what happens. SUNO is gone, I'm not happy about that but I'd prefer that instead of using much needed money (statewide) in rebuilding the school, it would be used towards improving the schools that we already have. Why not put the schools together and weed out the less than stellar faculty and staff and even students. This is one of those times when you either step up or fold. The are times when you take your “L” and keep it moving, or at least take the loss and make the best out of it. We’re all familiar with the idea that sometimes it’s just not worth the effort to fix something. I’d love to see Southern grow and making a super campus in BR seems like a way to see that happen I know BR isn't as great, wonderful, exciting as NO...but shit, NO isn't as great, wonderful, exciting as NO right now.
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  LadyB

  November 26, 2024, 3:58 pm

  Hmm… The author of the opinion piece made a strong case against rebuilding the University but everyone can see that his opinion is biased. It might be helpful for me to incorporate some positive information about Southern before I formulate an opinion. In what ways will NO suffer without the school, etc. How bout it Bo? WMD? Southern alums?
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  Stephanie

  November 26, 2024, 3:59 pm

  I am a Southern alum and my aunt works at SUNO. I absolutely believe that SUNO should be rebuilt. In a community where so many are uneducated, there need to be many available mechanisms to encourage a tangible opportunity for educatation. There are many colleges in NO, but many of them are private. Tulane, Xavier and Dillard Universities are examples. Many non-traditional students can not either be full time students or can not meet the criteria or afford the tuition that a private school must charge in order to take care of its business. The main public schools in NO are UNO and Delgado. These are more affordable but may not be any better for grasping those who may not be any where near prepared for the level of work college requires. Many of you are thinking about this based on your knowledge of the LA educational system. Let me be clear to you as a product of that system, it's WORSE than you think. SUNO takes students and provides them an opprtunity to make strides in being ready for the exercises that come with college matriculation. For example, my aunt works in teacher preparation. She and her students were running a saturday academy for the neighborhood kids to learn and practice their reading with SUNO education students teaching. Sure the campus may be a mess now, but New Orleans will have to rebuild. The majority of the jobs in the city are based on the tourism industry. I'm talking about the brother who takes your bags to your room at Essence, the sisters who are bringing you drinks at Harrah's, the waiters and waitresses at all the restaurants, the people who take your tickets at Bayou Classic--these are the students and potential students of SUNO. No matter whatever else we do, we must never stray from the original role of HBCUs, to educate the least of us, alongside the best of us, not to become necessarily "successful," but productive and successful in your own mind. If that means from the bus boy to the manager at your restaurant, or from a knucklehead to the CEO of a fortune 500. Finally, in closing I would like to mention that SU is the only black college system in the world and is comprised of five campuses including SUBR, SUSBO (Shreveport), SULC (Law Center), SUNO and SUAG (Agriculture Center). Closing SUNO would be like closing the Ag Center because there just aren't enough black farmers making a "real" contribution in the American food market. Yes, there are black farmers who benefit from the Ag center and as long as NO stays in the same economic framework, SUNO will be relevent.
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  Stephanie

  November 26, 1560, 5:34 am

  I am a Southern alum and my aunt works at SUNO. I absolutely believe that SUNO should be rebuilt. In a community where so many are uneducated, there need to be many available mechanisms to encourage a tangible opportunity for educatation. There are many colleges in NO, but many of them are private. Tulane, Xavier and Dillard Universities are examples. Many non-traditional students can not either be full time students or can not meet the criteria or afford the tuition that a private school must charge in order to take care of its business. The main public schools in NO are UNO and Delgado. These are more affordable but may not be any better for grasping those who may not be any where near prepared for the level of work college requires. Many of you are thinking about this based on your knowledge of the LA educational system. Let me be clear to you as a product of that system, it's WORSE than you think. SUNO takes students and provides them an opprtunity to make strides in being ready for the exercises that come with college matriculation. For example, my aunt works in teacher preparation. She and her students were running a saturday academy for the neighborhood kids to learn and practice their reading with SUNO education students teaching. Sure the campus may be a mess now, but New Orleans will have to rebuild. The majority of the jobs in the city are based on the tourism industry. I'm talking about the brother who takes your bags to your room at Essence, the sisters who are bringing you drinks at Harrah's, the waiters and waitresses at all the restaurants, the people who take your tickets at Bayou Classic--these are the students and potential students of SUNO. No matter whatever else we do, we must never stray from the original role of HBCUs, to educate the least of us, alongside the best of us, not to become necessarily "successful," but productive and successful in your own mind. If that means from the bus boy to the manager at your restaurant, or from a knucklehead to the CEO of a fortune 500. Finally, in closing I would like to mention that SU is the only black college system in the world and is comprised of five campuses including SUBR, SUSBO (Shreveport), SULC (Law Center), SUNO and SUAG (Agriculture Center). Closing SUNO would be like closing the Ag Center because there just aren't enough black farmers making a "real" contribution in the American food market. Yes, there are black farmers who benefit from the Ag center and as long as NO stays in the same economic framework, SUNO will be relevent.
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  Mack H. Jones

  November 26, 1561, 5:34 am

  Why is it that there is always some discussion of closing Black colleges but rarely a discussion of closing others. In an oppressive racist society all institutions serving the oppressed-- educational, religious, civic,social,etc, will be less impressive than those serving the oppressor groups. We can take that as a given. Any discussion of closing HBCU or any other HB's should be understood in that light.
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  Mack H. Jones

  November 26, 1562, 5:34 am

  Why is it that there is always some discussion of closing Black colleges but rarely a discussion of closing others. In an oppressive racist society all institutions serving the oppressed-- educational, religious, civic,social,etc, will be less impressive than those serving the oppressor groups. We can take that as a given. Any discussion of closing HBCU or any other HB's should be understood in that light.
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  LadyB

  November 26, 1563, 5:34 am

  Okay Mack. I don't think you can say that anyone on the site is neglecting the point you raise. I think Stephanie raises some extremely interesting points - points that are not trivial to say the least. i'm curious now. the article mentions that southern students would be better served by other institutions around the way. Stephanie leads me to believe that the author is mistaken - Southern has a unique position in NO. That's powerful. Assuming the community make-up does not change as a result of the rebuilding, I guess southern should be rebuilt. :-/ this is a tough call.
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  LadyB

  November 26, 1564, 5:34 am

  Okay Mack. I don't think you can say that anyone on the site is neglecting the point you raise. I think Stephanie raises some extremely interesting points - points that are not trivial to say the least. i'm curious now. the article mentions that southern students would be better served by other institutions around the way. Stephanie leads me to believe that the author is mistaken - Southern has a unique position in NO. That's powerful. Assuming the community make-up does not change as a result of the rebuilding, I guess southern should be rebuilt. :-/ this is a tough call.
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  LBJ

  November 26, 1565, 5:34 am

  Why don't they build a community college that can hold more people in NO, and then look at rebuilding SUNO in 5 years?
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  LBJ

  November 26, 1566, 5:34 am

  Why don't they build a community college that can hold more people in NO, and then look at rebuilding SUNO in 5 years?
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  katrina

  November 26, 1567, 5:34 am

  I'd like to throw out another idea. I'd be all for rebuilding Southern if damn near the entire coast of Louisiana didn't need rebuilding. If this was some isolated incident and for some odd freak of naturish way, SUNO was ruined, I'd be all for doing my part in seeing it happen. Tonight, I talked to a few Xavier students (I've had the same discussion with Dillard students) and thanks to Bomani, I asked them about SUNO and none of them knew anything. Xavier, Dillard, Loyola and Tulane will basically be one big ass university come spring semester. One girl mentioned that most of SUNO's students won't return anytime soon because they didn't have dorms therefore they all lived on campus and most of them, "Don't have shit to go back to." The Bayou Classic will be held in Houston this year. Great for Houston, sucks for us. It's not as if we had a grip of money pouring in to begin with and now we have to rebuild. *DISCLAIMER: I MEAN THIS IN THE NICEST/NON ELITIEST/MOST UNDERSTANDING WAY POSSIBLE* but a great deal of "steam" behind this issue is the question is SUNO worth what it'll take to rebuild and in the fucked manner of how life goes sometimes, is it? Stephanie makes an argument for the people who have very few options beyond SUNO. Yes, it's unfortunate but they're just not on the top of the list of concerns right now. These people have (or had) jobs where an education wasn't needed. People are going to put money/effort into what will give the “best” and “most immediate results.” Of that LONG list of people who need help in Louisiana, I just don't think many people are worried/wondering about them SUNO. I love my state, it's home and it always will be. I have a great appreciation for Southern, as my mother is a grad. As much as I think it would be great to happen, I just don't see people thinking they'll get out of SUNO what it takes to rebuild it. I believe that anyone who wants an education should have the right to one. I wholeheartedly appreciate the fact that HBCUs tend to give people chances when no other school will. But when there’s so much going on right now, so many people who can’t find somewhere to live, people who have nothing but the clothes on their backs, I just cannot advocate spending a shitload of money into rebuilding SUNO when our basic needs are nowhere near being met. With state/federal money, we need to be focusing on the children who were uprooted one August weekend and are now in classrooms that were shitty to begin with and are now about to crumble under the recent/drastic shift of everything. We need K-12 teachers. Classrooms, desks, books for students. I won’t say that I don’t think SUNO should ever reopen. But, right now, isn’t the time we have far more pressing issues.
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  katrina

  November 26, 1568, 5:34 am

  I'd like to throw out another idea. I'd be all for rebuilding Southern if damn near the entire coast of Louisiana didn't need rebuilding. If this was some isolated incident and for some odd freak of naturish way, SUNO was ruined, I'd be all for doing my part in seeing it happen. Tonight, I talked to a few Xavier students (I've had the same discussion with Dillard students) and thanks to Bomani, I asked them about SUNO and none of them knew anything. Xavier, Dillard, Loyola and Tulane will basically be one big ass university come spring semester. One girl mentioned that most of SUNO's students won't return anytime soon because they didn't have dorms therefore they all lived on campus and most of them, "Don't have shit to go back to." The Bayou Classic will be held in Houston this year. Great for Houston, sucks for us. It's not as if we had a grip of money pouring in to begin with and now we have to rebuild. *DISCLAIMER: I MEAN THIS IN THE NICEST/NON ELITIEST/MOST UNDERSTANDING WAY POSSIBLE* but a great deal of "steam" behind this issue is the question is SUNO worth what it'll take to rebuild and in the fucked manner of how life goes sometimes, is it? Stephanie makes an argument for the people who have very few options beyond SUNO. Yes, it's unfortunate but they're just not on the top of the list of concerns right now. These people have (or had) jobs where an education wasn't needed. People are going to put money/effort into what will give the “best” and “most immediate results.” Of that LONG list of people who need help in Louisiana, I just don't think many people are worried/wondering about them SUNO. I love my state, it's home and it always will be. I have a great appreciation for Southern, as my mother is a grad. As much as I think it would be great to happen, I just don't see people thinking they'll get out of SUNO what it takes to rebuild it. I believe that anyone who wants an education should have the right to one. I wholeheartedly appreciate the fact that HBCUs tend to give people chances when no other school will. But when there’s so much going on right now, so many people who can’t find somewhere to live, people who have nothing but the clothes on their backs, I just cannot advocate spending a shitload of money into rebuilding SUNO when our basic needs are nowhere near being met. With state/federal money, we need to be focusing on the children who were uprooted one August weekend and are now in classrooms that were shitty to begin with and are now about to crumble under the recent/drastic shift of everything. We need K-12 teachers. Classrooms, desks, books for students. I won’t say that I don’t think SUNO should ever reopen. But, right now, isn’t the time we have far more pressing issues.