Month: April 2022

Xavier’s annual Cajun fest held at Convocation center, details here.

Kiersten McCollum

By Kiersten McCollum As the 2021-2022 academic year comes to an end at Xavier University, the Xavier Activities Board and Student Government Association put on one of the final events of the year, the annual Cajun Fest. On April 22, 2022 students could be seen gathering outside the Convocation Center to celebrate. “We partnered SGA and XAB together to create an event at the end of the year when students can come out have a good time and get some Louisiana culture,” said Deeuatrail Nichols, the 2021-2022 Xavier Activities Board…

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Black entrepreneurs find ways to thrive in niche markets

Chyna Valentine

By Chyna Valentine African Americans have powered through hundreds of years of disadvantage, segregation, and unequal treatment to become successful in their respective fields. Entrepreneurship is a field of work in which people of color are just starting to get a foothold.   “Being black has impacted my business in many ways, Good and Bad,” said Brandon Valentine, owner of  Prince Charles Lemonade. “Bad in the way of working hard to prove to the world that we can produce products in a fashion that can rival or surpass any other race…

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Late Lunar New Year Celebration with XULAVA

Jasmine Christopher

By Jasmine Christopher Xavier University of Louisiana Vietnamese Association hosted Xaigon Night, a celebration of Vietnamese culture, and a late Lunar New Year celebration during the spring semester. The event started with milk tea and Thai tea boba and an assortment of Vietnamese foods for the event attendees to enjoy, followed by a performance by the Rising Dragon Lion Dance Team.Their performance had the crowd shouting and clapping in amazement. “Our initial expectation was 50 people, but then over 50 people RSVP’d, and we’re like, oh ok, we’re back popping…

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Independent film City of a Million Dreams screens at Xavier University of Louisiana

Roderick Elston

By Roderick Elston The Xavier University of Louisiana presented a film adaptation of City of a Million Dreams by writer and producer Jason Berry, featuring Xavier’s very own Dr. Michael White. The mid-afternoon event kicked off at the Qatar Pharmacy Pavilion, with attendees being greeted by the sounds of the Dr. Michael White Quartet and complemented with cold cuts, sweet confections, and refreshing beverages. The film offers the cultural depiction of how jazz and funerals co-exist in the largely described “backward” New Orleans. The city’s cycle of invention, struggle, death,…

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New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival returns to the city

Endya Gillard

By Endya Gillard The Annual New Orleans Jazz Fest is back. New Orleans residents are excited to have festivalseason back, but most importantly, Jazz Fest. The event kicks off on April 29 and ends on May 8.The event headlines major artists such as Luke Combs, Erykah Badu, Big Freedia, and more. “Jazz Fest is so original, and jazz just makes the city come together,” said New Orleansnative Erica Woodridge. The city of New Orleans centers around Jazz, and the city took a huge hit during Covid whenthe festival was inactive.…

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New Residence Hall to relieve overcrowding for future XULA students

Mekayla Marshall

By Mekayla Marshall There is a new residence hall in town, and it will be located on Xavier University of Louisiana’s campus.After the long-awaited project, it has been announced that a new residence hall will be built for futureXULA students. “I am happy that we are getting a new residence hall built, but sad because current Xavierites will not be able to enjoy it,” said Mo Koontz, a junior at XULA majoring in political science. “I felt like this shouldhave been done a long time ago, so students now should…

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XULA Track athletes heading to NAIA in May

Karrington Stewart

By Karrington Stewart After competing in March, XULA added four new athletes to the NAIA national qualifying list to be ableto automatically compete at the NAIA Championship meet that is being held in San Antonio, Texas at the end of May. With most athletes the closer they get to the end of the season their body starts to break down, causing more injuries to rise after competing each week. Now the question is will XULA track and field athletes be able to stay healthy and have a top performance, despite…

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Peer Dean Association Week ends in Celebration

Chyna Valentine

By Chyna Valentine The “littest” organization on Xavier’s campus, also known as the Peer Dean Association, are studentleaders that incoming first-year students encounter when beginning their journey at XULA. As they embark on their journeys, the Peer Deans that they met during their orientation serve as theirmentors and guides throughout the year. Members of the Peer Dean Organization go through a two-week-long process to earn their spots in the association. This 2021-2022 school year, the student director, senior Abena Garrett, led the organization.Alongside Garrett were the other Peer Dean Planning…

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Musicians, Artists find their Voice during challenging times

Irvin Washington

By Irvin Washington Within the last two years, we have seen the dynamics of the world change before our eyes. From theintroduction of COVID-19 to the current war between Russia and Ukraine, these are just a few of themany things that are changing the world as we know it. Some of the greatest works of art, from music to painting, have been created through times of great strife. “My focus is usually on my fans…I make this music not only for me but for them,” said U’Ronnie Banksin regards to…

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XULA Softball Team powers through first season despite Covid regulations

Endya Gillard

By Endya Gillard In March 2020, Xavier University of Louisiana announced they were launching a SoftballProgram starting in the Fall of 2020. The team’s first opening day was against Texas University-Texarkana and they did not look like a first-year program. Despite taking the Covid test twice a week, transfer Junior Mecolett Bradley is the team’s firstbaseman and she did not let Covid affect her. “When I am on the field, it doesn’t even feel like covid is a thing until we go back to the dugout and put our mask…

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