By Madison Brydie, Staff Writer
At Xavier, the anticipated experience consists of not only Black excellence, but an authentic New Orleans atmosphere. On Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021, the Xavier Activities Board held, “Xavier’s Bourbon Street,” featuring street like performers scattered throughout campus to mimic the atmosphere of New Orleans iconic Bourbon street. Some of the performers included: a saxophonist, pianist, a bass player, a guitar player, a tarot card reader, and a Micheal Jackson impersonator.
“I’ve only seen one performance but I think it’s a really great vibe,” said Amaya Sanders, 21, who is a senior. “Also I was having a not so great day and a not so great moment. I walked out of St. Joe’s and heard the music. It just made me feel a lot better and just reminded me of what New Orleans is,” said Sanders, who is a Biology, Pre-Medicine student.
This was the first time such an event took place on campus. Some students on campus, like Sanders, responded positively to the entertainment during class time. The purpose of the event was to give students an uplifting experience during midterms, and according to Sanders, it did just that. As students like Sanders walked to and from classes they were given an experience that took their minds off the sometimes overwhelming expectation of pursuing “Black excellence.”
“I really like it but I feel like it should be promoted more especially since there are very good performers,” said Zaliya Anthony, a 20, a sophomore, Biology, Pre-Medicine student.
For the first half of the event very few students stopped to observe the performances, and it wasn’t until around 2:30 p.m. when crowds started to appear.
Despite the stress of exams, the “Xavier’s Bourbon Street” event still created a calming and inspiring atmosphere throughout the campus given the rough start to the semester due to Hurricane Ida.
“I wish there was another Tarot card performer or more performances around the campus so more people would know about it,” said student Zaniya Richardson, 19.