PG. 8 “EMPIRE” REVIEW PG. 9 banner on blackness PG. 11 XU TENNIS: QUEST FOR NATIONALS
The Xavier Herald
@xulaherald
xulaherald.com
March 3, 2015 - March 17, 2015
xulaherald.com
Xavier University of Louisiana
New Orleans, La.
Page 2
March 3, 2015 - March 17, 2015
C-SPAN Tour Includes Interview with XU’s Blanchard By Eliqua Brooks Staff Writer
T
he Cable Satellite Public Affairs Network (C-SPAN) bus made its final stop at Xavier University on Feb. 19-20 as part of C-SPAN’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities Tour. In addition to tours of the mobile interactive, multimedia center, the C-SPAN staff interviewed Xavier Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Loren Blanchard for an edition of C-Span’s flagship morning program, Washington Journal. During the segment, Blanchard said he felt C-SPAN could promote interdisciplinary programming to help students think critically about the kinds of experiences they can gain in multiple areas of their academic careers. Through C-SPAN’s educational programming, Blanchard said a new generation of students could find ways to blend diverse interest areas so they can leave their universities with multiple skill sets that
would allow them to achieve their respective career goals. “It’s good to get this spotlight from C-SPAN,” Blanchard said. “It really helps others to understand the real kind of value we have here and the real kind of role that we play in the greater landscape of higher education.” Chellie Zou, a C-SPAN staff member who travels on the bus, said campus tours help students have a clearer picture of what the network is about and introduces them to its programs, online resources and affiliated networks and organizations. In New Orleans, COX Communications provides C-SPAN programming as a commercial-free public service. COX partners with C-SPAN, and all funding for C-SPAN operations, including bus tours, are provided through local TV providers, according to Kristina Lagasse, a COX spokeswoman. “COX is proud to partner with C-SPAN. We support educational opportunities that are being brought to New Orleans and that give students opportunities to expand and network,” Lagasse said.
Above: Dr. Blanchard gets miked-up for C-SPAN interview. Blanchard’s live, hourlong interview aired Feb. 20 and can be viewed online at http://www.c-span.org/ video/?324340-4/washingtonjournal-xavier-universitylouisiana-provost-lorenblanchard&start=2226.
xulaherald.com
March 3, 2015 - March 17, 2015
Page 3
St. Joseph’s Day ‘Cuccidati’ workshop Open to All Students, All Denominations can learn about this tradition, including how to make cuccidati, a Sicilian fig-stuffed pastry, at a hen Catholic workshop March 14 from 9 a.m. Sicilians to 2 p.m. in Xavier's University immigrated to Center, room 205. New Orleans in According to Dr. Kim Vazthe 1800s, they brought with Deville, associate dean in the them a longtime tradition of College of Arts and Sciences creating elaborately decorated and an expert on the St. Joseph’s altars in tribute to St. Joseph, Day traditions, the feast day who is regarded as Jesus’ is celebrated every March 19. stepfather. Xavier students Catholics at Xavier observe the by Kendall Lawson Staff Writer
W
A St. Katherine Drexel plate sits at the center of the altar.
feast day by creating an altar that contains sentimental items,VazDeville said. “It’s about giving to others and being abundantly generous to those in need,” Vaz-Deville said. “It’s about welcoming everybody.” Father Etido Jerome, SSJ., the university chaplain, said the feast day pays tribute to St. Joseph, the earthly father to Jesus Christ and husband of the Virgin Mary, and other heroic men.“We celebrate their manhood and fatherhood,” Jerome said. However, the altar tradition in New Orleans has declined over the years. Sandra Juneau, a culinary historian, hosts St. Joseph Day cuccidati workshops similar to the one on March 14 to preserve and teach the tradition. “Students learn about the ancient tradition and symbolism, and learn the actual process of preparing the cakes,” Juneau said. “It’s a celebration of the artistry and the blessings of those foods.” In the workshop, students
xulaherald.com
form individual cakes, using designs that are personal to them, Juneau said. Many of the cakes have elaborate decorations and details. The altar will be assembled in the Music Building, and on March 19, it will open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.,VazDeville said. The altar will include pastries, photographs and tributes to loved ones, candles and other adornments, she said.
Father Jerome will bless the altar at 12:45 p.m. At the end of the day, the altar will be “broken” and the foods distributed to those in need, VazDeville said. Special guest Byron Miller will then discuss “Sacred Spaces.” More information about the cuccidati workshop and St. Joseph’s Day activities is available at www.facebook. com/St-Joseph-Altar-at-XavierUniversity-of-Louisiana.
Father Etido Jerome blesses St. Joseph Day altar.
Page 4
March 3, 2015 - March 17, 2015
The Xavier Herald Staff SPRING 2015
Editor-in-chief: Eric Craig Managing Editor: Ashlee Hill Graphic Design Teyana Backey Nicholas Davison Leland Johnson
Photographers Eric Craig Kaelin Maloid Jelicia Goff Nicholas Davison Ashlee Hill
Sharane Ellis Irving Johnson III
Staff writers
Anthony Lotten Nicholas davison
Kendall LawsoN| Sirdaria Williams
SHARANE ELLIS ELIQUA BROOKS
WAYNE CARRIERE RONIKA STEWART
Jeleica Goff
Kaelin Maloid
Sports
Kaelin Maloid
Contributing writers Ebony N. Artis
Ernest Lumpkins Jr. Faculty adviser: Melinda L. Shelton 504.520.5096, mshelton@xula.edu
HERALD CONTACT INFORMATION
Herald office:
Email stories: Advertising:
Xavier South, 605 504.520.5096 herald@xula.edu 504.520.5096
The Xavier Herald is an award-winning newspaper produced by, for and about students at Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans, La. While The Herald is housed in the Department of Mass Communication, its contents do not necessarily reflect the views of the department or Xavier University. The Herald is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press and as such adheres to the collegiate journalists’ code of ethics. The Herald staff reserves the right to accept, edit, or refuse content.
www.xulaherald.com
Tweet Us @xulaherald Instagram: xulaherald March 17 April 21
xulaherald.com
Page 5
March 3, 2015 - March 17, 2015
Selma Not Only ‘Bloody Sunday’ by Kaelin Maloid Staff Writer In 1965, the five-day march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala., began March 21with 2,000 people. The numbers swelled to 25,000 during the trek, and more than 50,000 greeted protesters on the steps of the Alabama state
Today,Walker, 65, is a tour guide at the National Voting Rights Museum and Institute located at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge, named for Ku Klux Klan leader and Confederate officer Edmund Pettus. The museum contains historical photos from Selma’s infamous “Bloody Sunday,” when Alabama State Police attacked a crowd of
and membership card, and Confederate flag; tributes to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., including his “I have a dream” speech; and extensive photographs and stories of Selma’s civil rights history and some of the people involved. Walker said the museum was created in 1993 to honor the foot soldiers—the people who contributed but did not receive
organize a Unity Walk held March 1. Roughly 2,000 people—black, white, young and old—marched across Edmund Pettus Bridge into Selma Park, where they prayed and sang. “God has always had a vision for Selma, and we just needed to receive it,” said Wanda Maxwell, a speaker at the Unity Walk. “That’s what this walk is all about,” resident Gail Browning said during the walk. “It’s people willing to promote good things and change the image of Selma.” Selma: resident’s point of view Selma is not just limited to the Edmund Pettus Bridge and downtown Selma where the civil rights marches made its home. To outsiders, Selma is a place of visitation, a tourism spot to walk where Dr. King walked, to see what leaders saw, and to become closer to the fight that took America where it is today.
Sam Walker stands in front of “Bloody Sunday” photos in the National Voting Rights Museum. capitol on March 25. Sam Walker was an 11-yearold foot soldier at the time. He and his classmates helped clean the campsites set up for the marches, and they joined the protesters to walk the last four miles to Montgomery.
demonstrators as they crossed the bridge on March 7, 1965. Other exhibits include: a women’s suffrage gallery; replica of a small Selma jail cell that held up to 20 imprisoned demonstrators at a time; an Alabama KKK uniform, application
Tyqavis Edwards says his hometown does not have much to offer.
the recognition they deserved because they were not the front leaders. The protests for the right to vote included students who were too young to vote, like Walker. “We didn’t know what freedom meant, but we knew it had to be better than what we had then,” Walker told members of The Xavier Herald staff during a museum tour. He added that after Bloody Sunday and King’s appeal for people who wanted justice to join the fight, people from across America poured into Selma. With the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday on March 7 and the release of the movie “Selma,” the townis again under international scrutiny. Walker and other residents, including Tyqavis Edwards, the Rev. Jerry Light, Louretta Wimberly and Sarah Smitheran, told The Herald they believe Selma has changed. “We’re not the city of 1965. We’ve grown beyond that,” Light, pastor of First Baptist Church of Selma, said. Light and a number of leaders from diverse denominations and races, banded together to
xulaherald.com
To 18-year old Tyqavis Edwards, Selma is just home. Edwards says that Selma is boring. With the exception of the historical sites, a few urban stores, a Wal-Mart, and a few mom-and-pop restaurants, Selma doesn’t have much to do. Edwards did admit he would like a teen club since Selma “ain’t about nothing,” and the only form of nightlife is a place
called Roger’s Lounge. “There’s nothing else to do here. We just look around. We sit here and just joke on each other—like my homeboy with the nappy head right there,” Edwards joked. However, Edwards does admit that Selma has changed since 1965. “It changed. White people, they ain’t racist anymore. At least, they ain’t racist when I’m around them.” Selma is associated with Bloody Sunday. Many outsiders do not see Selma as a town with a new generation of people who are trying to change the associations of the town. While Edwards admits that the citizens of Selma think about Bloody Sunday, the historic event does not define the town as a whole. “Selma is more than Bloody Sunday. It’s an old place, full of history. There’s more than just Bloody Sunday in this town.” Editor’s note: Following a trip to the Southeast Journalism Conference in Atlanta, Ga., Xavier Herald staff members Eric Craig, Ashlee Hill, Nick Davison and Kaelin Maloid, and XTV producer Ariel Jallah-Norfleet, spent Feb. 28 and March 1 in Selma, Ala. While there, they covered the Unity Walk on March 1.
See Unity March Pages 6-7.
Selma, Ala., coverage team members include left to right, Ashlee Hill, Eric Craig, Kaelin Maloid, Nicholas Davison, and XTV producer Ariel Jallah-Norfleet.
Page 6
March 3, 2015 - March 17, 2015
Page 7
March 3, 2015 - March 17, 2015
#IAMSELMA: A Unity March
Many leaders from diverse religious denominations and races banded together to organize a Unity Walk held March 1 in Selma, Ala. Roughly 2,000 people— black, white, young and old— marched across Edmund Pettus Bridge into Selma Park, where they prayed and sang. Louretta Wimberly, Above in red coat, and Sarah Smitheran, left, repeated their walk of 50 years ago.
Photos By Nicholas Davison, Ashlee Hill, Kaelin Maloid and Eric Craig xulaherald.com
xulaherald.com
March 3, 2015 - March 17, 2015
Page 8
ARTS aND ENTeRTaINMENT “Empire” Strikes Audience through Music, Direction by Nicholas Davison Staff Writer
E
mpire, a new show directed by Lee Daniels (The Butler, Precious), has not only been a ground breaking show for the FOX network, but it is also a show which sports an amazing sound track that deserves attention. The magic behind the music for the show is all thanks to super producer Timbaland who serves as the executive producer for the television sound-track. Timbaland is known for producing hits for artists
such as Aaliyah, Missy Elliott, Justin Timberlake, and many more. Some of the most popular songs from the five episodes that have premiered include, “No Apologies” performed by the television characters Jamal Lyon and Hakeem Lyon, and “Drip Drop” by characters Tiana Brown and Hakeem Lyon. The actors on the show are also the voices performing the records, providing authenticity in the music. Showcasing a predominately black cast on the show, “Empire” continues to break down barriers by bringing to light issues rarely discussed on television, such as the LBGT experience in the black
community, secret love children, and mental disorders. With “Empire” being renewed for a second season after the second episode, expect to hear more music from the talented cast and watch the interesting plot twists as the story unravel. I give the music and show five out of five stars.
aaaaa
if you're reading this it's a review
I
by Kaelin Maloid Staff Writer
f you’re reading this, then you’ve heard about Drake’s new album. On Feb. 13, Drake pulled a Beyonce and dropped his album, “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late” on iTunes without any singles or promotion. Although this album was available to purchase on iTunes, Drake released the songs to be downloaded freely on his Soundcloud account previously.
PRISON LIFE
This LP completed his four album contractual agreement to Young Money so the rapper could go on and start his own label, October’s Very Own. With hits such as “Know Yourself,” “6 God,” and “You & The 6,” the Toronto rapper wowed fans by dropping another album. This album features artists Party Next Door, Travis Scott, and Drake’s mentor Lil’ Wayne. This album does not feature quick, party beats, but more chill beats. Don’t look to get too hyped off this album. Instead of Drake’s soulful
rapping voice crooning his audience into their feelings, this album reminds listeners of why Drake became one of today’s most famous mainstream rappers.
aaaee
by Leland Johnson
xulaherald.com
March 3, 2015 - March 17, 2015
Page 9
Communication Cues
Patti Pace Performance Festival reboots ‘Here Is Where You Turn Back’
Ebony N. Artis Contributing Columnist
T
he Patti Pace Performance Festival returned to New Orleans for a second time with Xavier as its host, combining the art of performance with tourism as part of workshops and tours. Students from around the country celebrated the weekendlong experience from Feb. 6 -7 with numerous theatrical performances at the Marigny Opera House in downtown New Orleans. As the host, Xavier Performance Studies group showcased its play,“Here is Where You Turn Back,” for the third time to festival attendees. Xavier served as the festival’s host university for the first time this year. The
Patti Pace festival honored Patti Pace, a professor who worked in the Communication Arts Department at Georgia Southern, with a festival of noncompetitive performances. The festival coordinator, Dr. Lisa Flanagan, an assistant professor of Communication Studies at Xavier. “[Xavier] was asked over two years ago if we would host,” Flanagan said. “Once we saw the Opera House, we knew this was where the festival had to happen and I encouraged Dr. [Michael] Bowman to focus his tourism projects on the surrounding neighborhoods.” Bowman, a retired professor
Dr. Michael Bowman introduces Xavier students before “Here is Where You Turn Back”
Division of Business
GNC Position Requires Flexibility
Ernest Lumpkins Jr. Contributing Columnist
F
or the past year, I have worked as a retail sales associate at General Nutrition Company. Based out of Pittsburgh, Penn., GNC is a publicly traded retail business that specializes in nutritional supplements. In 2014, the company had gross revenues of $2.63 billion. While the giant company owns and operates many corporate stores, it also allows individual entrepreneurs to purchase franchise stores. Meeting corporate demands on a small "mom and pop" budget is often an arduous task,
of Communication Studies at Louisiana State University was a guest speaker at this year’s festival. Students from universities in Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, and Texas attended the festival. Flanagan introduced her students to the study of tourism as performance as part of a special topics course she is teaching this semester titled Tourism and Communication Performance. The course challenged students to see New Orleans through a new lens by exploring uncommon spots around the city. The two-day event started with a variety of performances
especially in today’s economy. The short staffing and high overhead often call for a sales associate to perform more tasks than usual. We are often called on for data entry in Excel spreadsheets, and knowledge I gained from my studies in accounting allow me to enter data using simple accounting formats. Working at GNC is also a marketing setting. My dayto-day tasks involve selling beneficial fitness and nutritional supplements to customers, while also trying to maintain a high profit margin. The most challenging part of the job is convincing customers that our products are worth their time and money. The key to success in a sales job like mine is having a superior product that actually works and building positive relationships with our market. Once we have accomplished these two goals, we build a clientele of loyal customers, which is a fundamental lesson I learned at Xavier in my marketing courses.
including one that mimicked a college tour given to a girl scout preparing for the end of the world. Bowman, the festival’s guest speaker talked about taking tourism outside the weekend festival. Student participants worked in assigned groups to explore the surrounding Bywater area where they had specific tasks to complete within a short period of time. Initially, the exercise appeared simple until Bowman challenged students to do so without a cell phone. The activity allowed students to explore new means of capturing an area. The students walked around with their notepads and sketchpads, capturing visual images the old fashion way. By turning their cellphones off, the students became more attentive in selecting images and sounds in the Bywater and surrounding areas. They discovered pink houses decorated with glass portraits of eyes the word “read” sprayed in graffiti, and art warehouses. The students then returned to the Marigny Opera House to put together a performance to be viewed the next day. By challenging students to navigate their surroundings
without their cellphones, they discovered new ways to capture their imagination. It was back to the basics. The students chronicled and sketched the Bywater and its surrounding areas to communicate the images and sounds to an audience. Roughly 13 Xavier students participated in the festival of over 100 students total. For Xavier students, the festival taught them how to reimagine New Orleans. “I have lived here for four years now, but this festival introduced me to a new part of the city” said Jazmin Taylor, a senior Mass Communication major who participated in the festival. “I expected to know more about the city of New Orleans. [The festival] made me explore New Orleans with a new mindset,” Taylor said. The Patti Pace festival took students outside the classroom and immersed them into the community. “I was inspired to think outside the box the entire weekend,” said Kellie Richardson, a Xavier student and Missouri native, who attended the festival. “New Orleans is a place full of rich history” Richardson said.
David Banner: “Killing our Blackness” Ronika Stewart Staff Writer
A
ward winning musician David Banner closed out Xavier’s Black History celebration with a down to earth, edgy and inspirational speech on African American culture on Feb. 24. The ballroom was filled with Xavier students, faculty, and locals. “Most of the things that we do is killing our blackness,” Banner said, “You are what you think, and you think what you see and hear.” A native of Mississippi and Southern University, in Batonrouge, LA, alum, Banner emphasized the importance of the African American image in the community and across the world. He also discussed education in the African American community, Black pride, and the ways college students can contribute to the advancement of Black culture. “The worst thing that happened to black people is integration,” Banner said. Banner’s revolutionary stance
xulaherald.com
and interactive presentation not only had students in awe but also on their feet. Banner provided a series of solutions that he believes would help the African American community advance, including: to applaud education, and to create products that promote the African American culture, and to distribute those products. Banner also stressed the importance of embracing oneself, one’s story, and knowing one’s worth. “We are Gods and Goddesses…. If our children were told they were gods, they would act like Gods,” Banner
said. Banner’s strong sense of self and reassuring conviction not only made students think, but inspired them to speak on issues within the black community. “With people like him speaking his mind, it inspires you to speak your mind,” said Lauren Smith, a sophomore mass communications major. “This is the best program that Xavier has had. For Xavier to allow him to speak unfiltered helped him relate to us.” Sierra Blanchard, a sophomore political science major, said.
David Banner says that when he prays, he does so with his palms facing upward. This symbolizes hiding nothing from God and hiding nothing from yourself, Banner said.
Photo by Kaelin Maloid
March 3, 2015 - March 17, 2015
Page 10
Agrowtopia, Xavier’s own Urban Garden by Sharane Ellis Staff Writer
T
he Xavier community can add one more stop for makin’ groceries. Agrowtopia, Xavier’s rendition of an urban farm, is flourishing in a once-vacant, trash-filled lot at the corner of Euphrosine and South Genois streets, between Drexel Drive and Washington Avenue. Students in the Division of Business launched the vegetable and herb farm a year ago as a profit-making business, according to Mark Quinn, an assistant professor of entrepreneurship in the division. “The farm was conceptualized by students who noticed the Gert Town and Xavier communities’ lack of access to fresh herbs and vegetables,” Quinn said. The farm opens from noon to 2 p.m. on Fridays, and 10
a.m. until noon on Saturdays. Students have planted mustard greens, arugula, kale, lettuce greens, spinach, radishes, rosemary, cilantro, mint, green onions, herbs and dill. Jonathan Menyon, a senior business management major and Agrowtopia farmer said the project is a way for Xavier students to “see something you started, planted, come to fruition. You get to help the community by providing cheap local access to really healthy food.” The farm’s business model is simple. Quinn said on Thursdays customers receive an email blast about available produce, workers tally orders by Friday morning and deliver fresh produce the same day. The email address is agrowtopiallc@gmail.com (Agrowtopia LLC). The weekly blast includes available produce and prices, recipes, volunteer opportunities, and Agrowtopia
Agrowtopia grows mustard greens, spinach, mint, rosemary, and more.
merchandise, including shopping bags. At Agrowtopia, residents can observe how their food is being grown and who is growing it, Quinn said. Students also benefit from the project because they learn how to run and expand a small business—an agriculture business, he added.
“Since I’ve been a part of Agrowtopia, I have learned many lessons that can be applied to life, as well as many things a future entrepreneur must know to be successful,” Menyon said. The farm sells a wide range of fresh greens at competitive prices, Agrowtopia manager Katie Murphy said. Quinn said Murphy, a New Orleans resident Katie Murphy, Agrowtopia’s manager, wants more volunteers to and gardener,was hired because help in the urban garden’s expansion.
of her expertise in farming. “The main drive of the farm is food access,” Murphy said. With the growing demand, Murphy believes the farm will expand its offerings and provide fruit and other additions as well. “If we have the space to grow and people want to eat, why not?” Murphy said.
experience,” Quinn said. Murphy said she would welcome more volunteers willing to learn the art of urban gardening. The project also plans to host gardening classes that would allow members of the community to come to the farm to learn how to grow their own fresh vegetables and herbs.
The farm also seeks to be sustainable, Murphy added. By composting usable waste products from the campus dining hall, the farm creates soil with high quality nutrients.
Murphy said anyone interested in the farm, its products, olunteering and class opportunities can check the farm’s website, www. agrowtopiafarm.com, or join the weekly email blast at agrowtopiallc@gmail.com. There is also an informational video on YouTube https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=0FDsHR Nbjyo&feature=youtu.be.
“[The farm] is a business venture that not only provides fresh, healthy food options for residents as well as students, faculty and staff, but also allows students to get a hands-on
‘Blackness’ in Shakespeare’s Work Intentional
I
By Wayne Carriere Staff Writer
n his famous works, English playwright William Shakespeare created black characters by using racist European stereotypes that were prevalent in his era. According to Xavier assistant professor of English Dr. Oliver Hennessey, Shakespeare did it to provoke the audience’s worst cultural anxieties. Hennessey presented a lecture to the university community, “Black Shakespeare: Race, Racism, and Blackness in the Plays of William Shakespeare,” at the University Center on Feb. 12 as part of Black History Month activities.“Black Shakespeare,” he said, is a critical approach to examining how race played a vital role in Shakespearean
times. Hennessey told the audience it is not a coincidence that Shakespeare includes black characters in a cast that was predominantly white. To illustrate his argument, Hennessey said, “Shakespeare creates these plays in which these black characters are typically paired up with white women in
Dr. Oliver Hennessey gives “Black Shakespeare” lecture to students.
a scene as a sexual threat. So my final point is: Is Shakespeare racist?” Hennessey told the audience how some black characters in Shakespeare’s plays were usually only involved in a scene that typically involved sex and in most cases with a white woman. Black characters in Shakespeare’s plays reinforced the negative perceptions of black people held by the audience, he said. “Certainly, by the standards today, he would be considered racist. What he is really doing is not trying to insight hatred or anything like that, but he is using the audiences’ prejudices to create particular affects in the plays,” Hennessey said. Hennessey specializes in Elizabethan and Jacobean drama and teaches courses in Shakespeare and early modern,
xulaherald.com
Image of James Earl Jones as Othello in the NYC Shakespeare Theatere (1964).
British and world literature, and composition. Faculty and students said Hennessey’s approach to teaching literature is to bring classical works to life and help his students relate those characters to real-life circumstances present in society today. “Xavier English majors will
carry with them many fine and fond memories of their classes with Dr. Hennessey. He's a terrific instructor and what he teaches them will live on, way past graduation,” said Katheryn Laborde, an associate professor of English at Xavier. Although his lecture is provocative, students said his approach helps the reader re-examine literary works and develop a critical understanding for race relations in the past and present. “Shakespeare may have possibly been a little racist, but I personally feel that race should not be confused with skin color,” said Alana Peck, a sociology major who attended the lecture. “Race is a social construct and it is most evident in America. I think it is detrimental to our interracial relations and creates divisions between groups of people,” Peck said.
Page 11
March 3, 2015 - March 17, 2015
Gold Rush, Nuggets Hope for Nationals by Kaelin Maloid Staff Writer
W
hen you ask Xavier University’s tennis teams what their goal is for this season, they reply, “Nationals.” When you ask them how they plan to improve for this season, again, they reply, “Nationals.”
“We [the men and women] just wanna be National champions,” says Coach Alan Green. “One goal, simple as that.” Nuggets Quest to Nationals For the Gold Nuggets, a national championship is only a step away. During the past two years, the Nuggets reached the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics tennis national semifinals. In the 2014 postseason, the Nuggets lost to Embry-Riddle University (Fla.) at Mobile, Ala. in May. The result was Embry-Riddle 5, Xavier 2.
For the Nuggets, winning nationals would be sweet—but for senior Carmen Nelson, the win would be a little sweeter. “For the last two years, we’ve made it to the semis. Last year, it was kind of disappointing, and this year, well, it’s my last semester, I’m a senior. This is my last chance, so we gotta win Nationals,” Nelson said. Since the Nuggets first season in 1994-95, they have won seven Gulf Coast Atlantic Conference championships: in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, and 2010. Currently, the Nuggets are 4-4 overall and ranked number 3 in the NAIA coaches poll. They have yet to play a conference game. The Nuggets’ roster includes: freshmen Dasia Harris and Caroline Vernet; sophomores Nour Abbes, Vashni Balleste, Sha’Nel Bruins; juniors SimoneAlyse Ewell, Brion Flowers, Jana van der Walt; and seniors Jordyn Goody and Carmen Nelson. As far as their goals for this season, Nelson sums it up: “Nationals. That’s where it all counts.”
Rush to the Top “In order to improve we just have to remember how last season ended for us,” Green said. “We had a good season, but they were like the exact same finish from the year before.” For the Gold Rush, a national championship is a little bit further away. After failing to make it past the quarterfinals in 2012, 2013, and 2014, the Rush have plans to not only go further, but to become national champions. “Last year, we made it to the quarterfinals, and hopefully we’ll be champions this year,” said junior tennis player Kyle Montrel. The Rush have qualified for the past six NAIA National Championships—from 2009 to 2014—and won first round matches in 2009, 2010, and 2014. In 2012 and 2013, Rush won second round matches after a first round bye. Also in 2014, the Rush won in the second round. The Rush won five consecutive GCAC championships during the last six years (2005, 2007-2010) Currently, the Rush are 3-1
xulaherald.com
Kevin Chaouat serves ball against XU opponent overall, and they are ranked eighth in the NAIA coaches poll. They have yet to play a conference game. According to Green, the Rush have added some new recruits to help them achieve their championship goals. The Gold Rush roster includes: freshman Jeremiah Capdeville; sophomores Tushar Mandlekar and Adam Albrecht; juniors Kyle Montrel and Kevin
Chaouat; and seniors Nikita Soifer and Vincenzo Ciccone. “Even though we had a successful season, we use it to motivate us, to work harder in practice, and to get to the next round,” Green continued, “For the men, it’s two steps, and then national championships.”
Page 12
March 3, 2015 - March 17, 2015
Crosstown Classic By Kaelin Maloid Staff Writer On Feb. 28, the annual Crosstown Classic was held on Xavier’s campus along with Senior Night. Both men and women’s teams were victorious against the Dillard Bleu Devils. The Gold Nuggets overcame a 29-25 halftime deficit to beat the Bleu Devils 60-57 and clinch the second seed in the Gulf Coast Atlantic Conference. Senior, Vinnnie Briggs, finished the night with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Briggs received help from teammates Whitney Gathright (15 points, 8 assists) and Trana Hopkins, who scored 13 points and 10 rebounds in the first half.
SNAPS! Photos by: Irving Johnson III, Jelicia Goff and Eric Craig
CROSS TOWN CLASSICS
The Gold Rush pulled away in the second half to beat the Bleu Devils by 26 and clinch the second seed in the GCAC. Senior, Sydney Coleman, had a team-high 14 points. Coleman was helped by teammate Morris Wright, who scored 13 points and Welsey PluvoisePhilips, who scored 11 points. RJ Daniels and senior Anthony Goode both added 10 points.
XU bLACK CONVOCATION
Above: John H. Jackson, president and CEO of The Schott Foundation for Public Education, gives an empowering speech about the importance of education in the African American community to XU freshmen and graduating seniors. Left: Dr. Norman C. Francis presented the Anthony M. Rachel Award from the Youth Motivational Task Force by Carolyn D. Thomas, director of Career Services.
xulaherald.com