Faculty and Student representatives from Grambling State University Social Research Club and Pi Gamma Mu International Honor Society recently participated in the 32nd Annual Mid-South Sociological Association Meeting held at the Hilton in Lafayette.
The purpose of The Mid-South Sociological Association (MSSA) is to promote the study and understanding of sociological and related issues and problems. In line with the theme of the conference, “Sociology in Ill-Starred Times: Crisis, Survival and Reconstruction”, former GSU students (Farrah Gafford, ABD Tulane University, Dominique Brown, graduate student from Southeastern, and Aaron Johnson, graduate student of Louisiana State University) joined faculty from Grambling State University, Mississippi State University, Southern University, and Alcorn State University in a paper and a round table session.
The topics of focus were “The Significance of Race and Class in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina”, and “The Impact of Katrina on African American Students.” Presenting papers were Alpha Morris (Alcorn), Dorothy Idleburg (Mississippi Valley), Lemmy Akoma (Grambling), Frances Staten (Grambling), and Alma Thornton and William Hawn (Southern). Discussants for the Roundtable included McNair scholars from Southern University and representatives from Grambling’s Social Research Club/Pi Gamma Mu Honor Society. Students from Grambling were Ashley Landry, Brandon Moss, Donovan Webb, and Aerin Washington (Graduate student).
Additionally, the GSU Social Research club presented via video/DVD its most recent research findings on the ingredients to Longevity from the voices of Black Centenarians and Super Centenarians in Rural Communities. Student researchers of the Longevity Project 2005-2006 include: Benny Mckinsey, Robyn Foster, Rev. Michael Douglas, Icerine Wyngarde, Shenna Wilson, Alisha Honere, Aaron Johnson, Crystal Harris, Monica Mcneely, Ashley Landry, Donovan Webb, Keskim Shillingford and Tanesha Wade. It is worth noting that Christina Baker Myers, from Emporia State University, has invited the longevity researchers oup to participate in a film festival in the area of Visual Sociology in Kansas. Demond Miller, a Professor at Rowan University, also invited Dr. Staten to submit a manuscript on Black Centenarians/ Super centenarians in the New Millennium., in his co-authored book: African Americans and Community Engagement in Higher Education” Perspectives on Race in Community Service, Service-learning, and Community Based Research.
Faculty and students also had the opportunity to interact /network with sociologists, social scientists, students of sociology and representatives from American Sociological Association, National Science Foundation, Minority Caucus, Women Caucus, and Graduate/Internship Programs. Overall the Conference was quite rewarding and beneficial in that it further an awareness and exposure to current research on the