LSA panelists sit together at a table during the LSA Latino Legacy panel. Dawson Parks photo Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, the Latino Student Alliance (LSA) is highlighting Latino excellence on campus by holding events and collaborating with other organizations. According to census.gov, the city of Troy has a 2.4% Hispanic and Latino population, which is around half of the state’s average. Troy University Department of World Languages and Cultures Chair Dr. Kelly Suer

A bottle of supplement capsules spills pills onto a table. Nate Henderson photo After two University of Mississippi students died from suspected overdoses after allegedly consuming kratom products, Troy University Police Department (TUPD) is warning students about the drug. Kratom is a drug that has become increasingly popular over the past few years. It can come as either organic or synthetic, and in small amounts it acts as a stimulant. In higher doses, though, it begin

Student nurses use virtual reality to help train and learn without risk. University Relations photo Troy University’s School of Nursing will use two grants totaling $178,070 to expand virtual reality training with emergency medical services and launch a mentorship program for nursing students from rural and underserved communities. The awards are among 138 grants totaling more than $144 million announced through Gov. Kay Ivey’s Alabama Rural Health Transformation Program.

Five Troy University faculty and staff members have been selected for the 2026-27 Chancellor’s Fellows Program, forming Chancellor Jack Hawkins Jr.’s final cohort before his retirement. The new fellows are Heidi Beattie, Amanda Dunagan, Byungkwan Jung, Scott Sexton and Korrie Lynn Williamson. The program gives faculty and staff an opportunity to learn about university operations while developing leadership skills. Fellows are nominated by university leaders and attend mee

A student holds their vape. Nate Henderson photo The Alabama Clean Indoor Air Act expanded to include vapes and e-cigarettes on Oct. 1. The act bans smoking in public places, including theaters, restaurants and educational facilities. While lawmakers hope this extension of the act will create cleaner air environments, students around campus do not think the law will prevent people from vaping in public spaces. “People are not going to stop because, like me, they probably

A sign in the bookstore directs students. Sydnee Pennington photo Students are weighing in on the Trojan Bookbag program after the university released statistics stating the program has saved students $10.3 million in just two years. The Trojan Bookbag promises to save students both time and money, making it so they get their required textbooks at nearly half the original price before their classes even start. For some students, the program works smoothly, but for others,

A building stands on Troy University's Phenix City campus, before the PCBOE purchased it. University Relations photo The Phenix City Board of Education, or PCBOE, unanimously voted to purchase the former Troy Phenix City campus. The campus, which formally closed in December 2025, had an estimated value of over $16 million. PCBOE purchased the building for a downpayment of $800,000, with a finance plan of $10 million over the course of 10 years. Troy University also agreed

Troy University released the annual Clery report, a document filled with every documented campus crime occurring over the past three years, last Thursday. The report is required by law and provides transparent crime statistics to students, so they can make informed safety decisions. The report does not include statistics from this year, only crimes from 2025, 2024 and 2023. The dates for the reported crimes span Jan.1, 2023, to Dec. 31, 2025. Additionally, the report doe

Agboatwala speaks at a campus event. University Relations photo Troy University’s Senior Vice Chancellor of Student Services and Administration concluded his time at the university after 38 years of service on Oct. 1. Sohail Agboatwala has been at Troy University since 1988 – the year he left his home country of India to begin his studies at what was then Troy State University. Over that time, the university gavehim a lot of memories. “I think every memory would involve pe

The five social media ambassadors pose for a group photo on campus. University Relations photo Troy University officially launched its social media ambassador program and announced this year's five ambassadors. Those social media ambassadors selected by the university are Giavanni Fuller, a senior communications major; Ty Davidson, a junior broadcast journalism major; Anna-Scott Gingras, a junior marketing major; Jamarion Willie, a junior electronics engineering major and

A crowd of students ran or walked with AKA sorority on Sunday to raise awareness for suicide. AKA worked to plan the event for over a month, and the outpouring of support was overwhelming. "Honestly I was really overwhelmed,” said AKA Community Service Chair Destyni Winbush, a junior nursing major from Mobile, Alabama. “I was like wow, this is so much of a bigger event than I thought it would be. “I'm so grateful that so many people were able to come out and show support

A Troy Public Radio microphone sits inside a recording booth. Nate Henderson photo Normally, Troy Public Radio (TPR) broadcasts through stereos and speakers to bring information all across Alabama, but last week, it took to the airwaves for a different reason – funding. “We go on air for eight days and remind people that we are listener supported, so that means the majority of the money that we get comes from our listeners to pay for programming,” said TPR Director Kyle Gas

Troy University students with existing businesses can now compete for marketing resources through the Idea Bank’s 2026 Student Entrepreneur Marketing Competition. The competition is designed for students who already have a business and are looking for ways to reach more customers and improve their marketing. Students will create a table at the Idea Bank featuring materials such as business cards, flyers, stickers, products and other items that represent their business. “T

Mayor Jason Reeves visits the Claudia Crosby theater. University Relations photo Mayor Jason Reeves, apart from being born and spending the first six months of his life in Oklahoma, lived in Troy for his whole life. He’s the seventh generation in his family to live in Pike County and the third generation to attend Troy University, after his grandmother and both his parents. During his time as a student in Troy, he involved himself in many student organizations across campus

Academy Street Career Innovation Center (ASCIC) held a ribbon cutting Thursday to celebrate the repurposing of the facility and a successful first month of operations. After 56 years, what was once the segregated Academy Street High School (ASHS) has been repurposed as Academy Street Career Innovation Center. The ceremony featured speakers ranging from Alabama congressmen to alumni of the old high school who are relieved their alma mater is getting new life. “When you have

Troy’s Board of Trustees ratified the continuation of the Faculty Senate in early September after the Alabama state government pushed it to do so. The Alabama legislature passed Alabama Act 2026-432 in early July of this year, which went on to make public universities’ governing bodies across the state review and ratify their faculty senates. Troy’s Faculty Senate serves as an advisory body to the administration, offering the faculty's perspective on issues present on coll

Students hold different nation's flags at the end of the Peace Walk. University Relations photo The International Student Cultural Organization (ISCO) raised its flags high during the annual ISCO Peace Walk Wednesday night. The Peace Walk was made to symbolize international peace and celebrate the International Day of Peace, which was the previous Monday. For ISCO Faculty Adviser Dr. Jay Valentine, the Peace Walk is a great way to directly address peace on campus. “To have

Members of NSA work their Nepali Fest tables. Dawson Parks photo The Nepalese Student Association (NSA) took to the quad for its Nepali Fest Tuesday morning. With Nepali food, drinks, games and henna, the festival itself was lighthearted. The reasoning behind it, though, was more serious. "Recently, the flood happened in Nepal," said Khusi Ramdam, the president of NSA and a junior biomedical sciences major from Kathmandu, Nepal. "This year it was really unexpected. No heav

Students and T-Roy cheer on during the party on the quad. Kathryn Clark photo Troy University kicked off its 140th academic-year celebration Tuesday, marking a milestone that gives students, faculty and alumni an opportunity to look back at how the university has grown, and the legacy current students will leave behind. The kickoff brought members of the campus community together to begin a months-long celebration leading up to the university’s anniversary in February. “It

Students get sworn in as global scholars during an April ceremony. University Relations photo Honors Global Scholars, a signature initiative within University Honors at Troy University, has expanded its enrollment while creating new opportunities for students through research, leadership, scholarships, international experiences and community engagement. “We started with about 50 students in our inaugural Global Scholars class, and in just two years we’re at about 120 studen

Students and faculty listen to a speaker. Jimmy Nichols photo The McNair Scholars Program launched its first lunch-and-learn series of the semester on Wednesday. The Troy’s TRIO Program is aimed at first-generation college students interested in graduate programs. The program aims to help these students achieve their higher education goals. “The McNair Scholars Program helps undergraduate students learn about research and produce research outcomes such as poster present

A student checks her registration online. Caroline Marshall photo Last week, the Troy University chapters of Turning Point USA and College Democrats came together on the quad with one goal in mind: to help students register to vote for the upcoming midterm elections. Members of both groups made it clear to students who passed that checking their registration wouldn’t take long. They said it’s as simple as coming by, filling out an online form and walking back to class. "

A Troy professor will continue his research in Africa for three more months despite a grant that was supposed to expire at the end of June. Thanks to a Fulbright scholarship, Dr. Richard Nokes has spent most of 2026 in Uganda with hopes of turning the country’s spoken history into a written one. “The printing press didn’t come to Uganda until the late 19th century, and widespread literacy is even more recent,” Nokes said. “Most of these stories have been passed down through

The Troy University cheerleading team held its second stunt clinic of the semester on Sept. 13, and plans to have a final clinic in early October. High school cheerleaders from across the area filled the Elm Street gym that weekend as they had the opportunity to work with collegiate athletes and coaches to learn new skills. “A lot of these girls are either learning basing or flying for the first time, or trying new skills,” said Nicolas Laracuente, head coach of the Troy c