Award-winning cinematographer and filmmaker Claudia Raschke will visit Loyola University New Orleans starting Monday, Nov. 18 as part of Canon’s Explorers of Light program, offering workshops focused on her passion for immersive, hands-on education and cinematography Raschke is best known for her work with documentaries, most notably the 2022 mini-series “House of Hammer,” the 2018 documentary “RGB” on Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and the 2021 documentary, “Fauci.”
A talk by the cinematographer at Loyola's Nunemaker Auditorium,
starting at 4:55 p.m. Monday, is free and open to the public.
Born and raised in Hamburg, Germany, Raschke was brought into the world of film through her mother, who owned a chain of movie theaters. Raschke shot feature films for 10 years before switching her focus to documentaries and television.
"Documentaries are my life source."
“Documentaries are my life source. It makes me connected to stories, to people, to cultures, to
conflicts, to forgotten heroes, to blind spots that people are unaware of. And in that for me is, you know, that's my calling,” Raschke said.
Today, Raschke lives in New York City continuing her filmmaking career, working for Canon as an Explorer of Light. She founded the NYC Kamera Kollektiv, a boutique agency for documentary cinematographers.
Canon’s Explorers of Light program was “created to recognize world-class photographers and filmmakers while providing an educational platform to share their experiences and expertise with other industry professionals, including those at the university level,” said Kevin McCarthy, marketing commu-
nications director at Canon and head of its Explorers of Light and education programs
Canon’s education program sends professionals to visit universities and conduct workshops and activities as an extension of students’ in-class curriculum over a three- to four-day period. According to McCarthy, every visit is specifically tailored to the university.
From Nov. 18-21, Raschke will be visiting Loyola to share her experience with Loyola’s film students
“Aside from her award-winning skills as a documentary filmmaker, Claudia Raschke is an extraordinary educator and will bring an added dimension of hands-on learning, and
an experience students will remember long after she leaves,” McCarthy said, “LOYNO has an exceptional film program, and we know that experiential learning is a primary component of the university’s approach to education.”
According to Raschke, her method of teaching is based on immersion and takes into account the objectives of the students.
“My workshops kind of embrace where students are in the moment, and then I try to bring them on a journey to discovery,” Raschke said.
For a greater Loyola Loyola University New Orleans Since 1923 | Nov. 15, 2024 | Vol. 101 Issue 10 | loyolamaroon.com
Deputy Local News Editor Emma Iseman Deputy Worldview Editor Ecoi Lewis Life & Times Editor Isabella Castillo Opinion Editor Aaron Covin Reviews Editor Zach Cesarini
The Wolf Editor Elinor Upham
Production Front Page Designer Daniel Garces
The Wolf Creative Director Taylor Falgout
Photo Director Heidi Herrera-Wanke
Chief Illustrator Daryl Audrey Casas
UI/UX Coordinator Daniel Wong
Distribution Managers Sophia Renzi Eloise Pickering
Digital Director Francisco Esteves
Video Director James Hufnagel
Video Coordinator Christopher Nesbit
Anchor Mabel Regalado-Hernandez
Social Media Coordinator Jordan Higgins
PR & DEI
Public Relations Director Julia Bueno
DEI Officer Tanesha Taylor
Contributors
Writers: Pharrell Every, Alexandra Martinez Ramos, Carmen Tonry, Samantha Guillotte, Myles McWilliams, Dominique Campbell, Ruby Neider, Lonniesha Carroll, Maggie Lewis, Chris Maldonado, Gavin Crehan, Janssen Van De Yacht, Chiara Faircloth, Sydney Piglia, Natalie Thomas, Alexandria Partin, Anna Therapondos, Eleanor Boucher-Ferry, Kaitlyn Gress, William Shepard, James Wyrtzen, Deja Magee, Alana Thompson, Volodymyr Lukianenko, Mary Ella Hastings, Lucy Cromwell, Alyria Pierre,
Photographers: Rodrigo Delgado Jr., Carmen Tonry, Ryan Talley, Ashlyn Bobb Collins, Sophia Renzi, Sunny Bedford, Gana Mohamed, Sophia Santos, Zoie Jones, Olivia Sanyal, Adriana Escobar, Maria Olivera Arbona
Videographers: Carmen Tonry, Jenaleyse Waterman, Daniela Martinez, James Hufnagel, Cecilia Calderin, Gana Mohamed, Macee Fielding, Mary Ella Hastings, Olivia Sanyal, Christopher Pouncy, Maria Olivera Arbona
Our office is in the Communications/ Music Complex, Room 328.
Send mail to: The Maroon, Loyola University, Campus Box 64, 6363 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans, LA 70118
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PUZZLES
ACROSS
1. Accidental fall
4. Frog’s cousin
7. The end of the Streetcar’s green line is on this street in the French Quarter
11. Who’s doing the crossword?
13. More than a cry
15. Measurement in football
17. In-person voting is at these stations
18. “Star Shopping” by Lil ____
21. Baby’s first word
23. Sea snake
25. Like oreos at carnivals
30. Go after legally
31. So much, abbr.
33. Math function that puts numbers together
34. “__, DiOs Mio” by Karol G
35. Response after a funny meme
37. The proper abbreviation for seatbelts
38. Meow
40. Trump’s new head of “Department of Government Efficiency”
42. Nouns denoting that a substance is present in the urine
43. Radio Frequency Interference, abbr.
44. Taurus, virgo, and capricorn are these
46. ___romanic is someone who feels little to no romantic attraction
47. Election for this position last week
48. Concentration, abbr.
50. Opposite of you
51. Complete this to have classes next semester
57. Young pup
59. America’s Funniest Videos, abbr.
60. __ Cola
61. Look over to see the answers on your friend’s paper
62. “___, ___, Goose!”
64. Strike a ____!
66. Students live in these
67. Hera in Roman mythology
68. Drug Abuse Resistance Education, abbr.
DOWN
2. Risk management, abbr.
3. That is to say; in other words
5. Japan’s largest active volcano
6. It’s above the i
8. New York Times, abbr.
9. Learning disorder about attention
10. Initials for Lichtenstein
12. __ __ Land
14. Bed and Breakfast
16. We came from these
17. Battle Pass, abbr.
19. European Economic Union, abbr.
20. Public vote
22. Childhood
24. Opposite of awake
26. They live on your dorm floor
27. Response to a hard question
28. Erectile dysfunction, abbr.
29. Unjust ruler
32. Your back teeth
34. Bring in line
36. Another word for history
37. One of the great lakes
38. “Step on a _____, break your mother’s back!”
39. Early Michael Jackson hairdo 41. Nothing to say, abbr. 42. Type of charger port 45. Greeting 49. A warm white color 50. Type of code 52. English Language Teaching, abbr. 53. Grand Prix, abbr. 54. ____ Tuesday
Crossword by Max Schweikarth, Kira Phillips/The Maroon
Tech collective advocates for diversity
By Ecoi Lewis ealewis@my.loyno.edu
Sabrina Short launched tech collective NOLAvate Black in 2018 in response to systemic racism and social injustices. Short said these issues prevented people of color and certain communities from gaining access to high-wage jobs and demand in the technology sector.
NOLAvate Black hosted Black Tech Nola, “the largest Black tech meetup in the south,” at Loyola. According to Short, the ultimate goal for the organization is to promote advancement, entrepreneurship, and employability for people of color interested in having a career in STEM.
One organization in attendance, Operation Spark, provides opportunities for upward mobility through software training.
“If you don't know [tech fields are] an opportunity for you, you can miss out,” said Johnny James, operations coordinator for Operation Spark. “We want technology and technology careers to be accessible to more and more diverse or-
ganizations and diverse people.”
Professional panelists discussed music business, AI, film, media, and entrepreneurship. Key speakers included Lou Hill, Tavia Osbey, Angelique Roche, Kunique Stewart, and Donovan Williams. The conference offered an introductory coding class plus opportunities to network with tech professionals. After hours, Short shared her insights around building a pipeline for new talent to prepare for the future.
Employers connected with students over job opportunities, including CGI, The Idea Village, Culture Forward, Ochsner, City of New Orleans, Job1, Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Company, Excella, Greater New Orleans, and Operation Spark.
“As we're developing new technologies, new innovations, artificial intelligence, all of those things, the people working on these devices, products, and services are just as diverse as the people that are going to be using them,” Terry Duglad, DEI Consultant at CGI said. “So it's incredibly important for us to make that investment.”
Students win scholarships for side hustles
By Magnolia Birch mmbirch@my.loyno.edu
The Side Hustle Expo, organized by Loyola’s School of Business, gives Loyola students an opportunity to showcase their skills and businesses for a chance to win scholarships and sell their products and services.
The expo gave students the chance to “show the campus community how entrepreneurial Loyola can be,” said Sam McCabe, director of the center for entrepreneurship and career development.
Students from all majors and minors were welcomed to participate. Popular and commercial music senior Treniti
Anderson participated in the expo as the owner of his photography businesses, Flashing Lights by Treniti.
“I really think it’s a good way for people to get exposure to business professionals and a good opportunity for people to display what they do,” he said.
Finalist prizes include a first place $2,000 scholarship, and two runner ups earn $250 scholarship. Winners are determined by a judge panel made up of alumni and entrepreneur faculty.
Judge Marenie Demorriac, owner of Demmoriac Financial Planning, said there are several components to the judging process.
“[The process includes] everything
from their business model to how they are marketing their business, their twelve month plan, how they want to grow their business, what they are going to use the money for and how it would be helpful for their business,” Marenie said.
First place winner Kat Lee won with reptile breeding business Katamaran Reptile Ranch. Runners-up were business freshman Leila Santana with nail business Glam by Leila and design sophomore Sophia Firdausi with creative collective Riot Productions.
Attendees could vote for their favorite side hustle in the People’s Choice award. This year’s People’s Choice award went to Aaron McFadden with production company Yung Senju.
“We're always trying to utilize as much of our funds as we can to support all stages of student entrepreneurs here on campus in a variety of ways,” said McCabe.
Business ideas ranged from physical goods like handmade soap to music producing services and even reptile breeding.
“I think they’re all unique in different ways. I love them all,” Santana said.
Classical pianist enters "jazz world"
ByViolet Bucaro vabucaro@my.loyno.edu
The Symphony of New Orleans presents "Winter Rhapsody,” to commemorate the centennial anniversary of George Gershwin's 1924 masterpiece, “Rhapsody in Blue.”
The performance will feature guest soloist Qifan Wu alongside students from Loyola University's music department.
Qifan Wu, a professor of practice in piano at Loyola, will take on the 18-minute composition from memory, bringing a distinct sense of freedom to the performance, he said.
"I definitely play with more freedom if I don’t have to look at notes," Wu said, the piece's flexibility allows for a nuanced interpretation.
For Wu, who is new to New Orleans, “Rhapsody in Blue” serves as a meaning-
ful introduction to the city's vibrant jazz community. He said he is happy to collaborate with the other musicians.
He said the piece embodies a range of emotions, blending multiple genres.
According to Wu, the piece flows from a “rigid” structure to a “tender and warm” middle section. While the composition maintains a classical cadence, its elements of both classical and jazz styles reflect Gershwin’s range of emotion in music.
Accents on weak beats make this piece particularly captivating, Wu said, describing the forward-driving rhythm said to be inspired by Gershwin's experience composing on a train between Boston and New York.
The performance also presents a unique opportunity for Wu, a classically trained pianist, to explore jazz's creative freedom.
"Because of the fusion of the classical
and jazz sides, this is actually a very good representation [of] myself being a classical pianist and try to do my best to have some freedom in this jazz world."
Conductor and Loyola events coordinator J. Calloway Cieslak proposed a collaboration with Wu.
Wu said he chose Rhapsody in Blue for its triumphant fusion of musical worlds Wu said, stating the piece's significance as a bridge between classical and jazz traditions. "It is a very good experiment," he said. The program will showcase a variety of compositions, including the premiere of “swedish steve’s snowblock sinfonietta” by Loyola alum Dylan Tran, Wu’s rendition of “Rhapsody in Blue,” and Tchaikovsky's “Nutcracker Suite.” "Winter Rhapsody" will take place on December 12 at 7:30 p.m. in Loyola's Roussel Performance Hall. Tickets for the public are $10.
Farah Wells, Program Coordinator for the Center for Entrepreneurship and Community Development holds a reptile from breeding business Katamaran Reptile Ranch by Kat Lee. Courtesy of Sam McCabe
Attendees stand at Black Tech Nola conference. Ecoi Lewis/The Maroon
Courtesy of Qifan Wu
SPORTS
Tennis teams reflect on record-breaking fall season
By Matthew Richards mlricha2@my.loyno.edu
Men and women’s tennis wrapped up their fall seasons with some record firsts.
The women’s team opened the season ranked number nine in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics preseason rankings—their highest preseason ranking in program history—and third in the Southern States Athletic Conference rankings.
“It's nice to see the work we've put in over four years being recognized,” said head coach Matthew Llewellyn. “That said, being picked third should hopefully give us motivation to finish higher.”
The women started their season at the NAIA ITA Gulf Regional and saw a standout performance from graduate student Lucy Carpenter, who reached the championship round in singles play. This achievement was the furthest a Wolf Pack player has ever gone in singles at that tournament.
Carpenter’s efforts booked her a spot in the ITA Cup for the fourth consecutive season as one of the top 16 women’s players in the NAIA, where she posted a 2-1 record, highlighted by a victory against the number nine player in the NAIA at the time.
“It's an amazing and historic achievement for her,” Llewellyn said. “Prior to Lucy, no Loyola tennis player had ever qualified for this event. It's one of many ways Lucy has helped put Loyola tennis on the map.”
The season ended for the women at the Dillard Invitational, which was hosted by local rivals Dillard University and saw a doubles victory for juniors Avery Frierson and Adele Fereres, plus the competitive debut of freshman Bianca Harris.
“Bianca has had a great fall training block and has improved significantly,” Llewellyn said. “We’re really motivated to showcase what we've been working on.”
The men’s team was projected to finish fourth in the conference preseason polls after an injury-filled season last spring. The team looked to improve on last season’s struggles.
“We're installing a new system and the men have really taken to it,” said Llewellyn. “It focuses on high energy, positivity, while giving them tools to help combat the adversity college tennis matches present.”
The fall season began for the men with a trip to Thibodeaux, Louisiana for
“ It's nice to see the work we've put in over four years being recognized.”
Matthew Llewellyn, Men's and Women's tennis head coach
the Nicholls State Invitational that saw them compete against four Division I programs.
“The men performed really well at the Nicholls tournament,” said Llewellyn.
“The year before we played this event and got chopped, so to compete against three NCAA Division 1 teams as well as we did was encouraging.”
A notable performance came from the doubles team of senior Samuel Motazed and junior Sam Izrael, who beat two Division I opponents from Nicholls State and Lamar University.
The men would also wrap their fall season at the Dillard Invitational and saw Izrael make it to the semi final round of the singles tournament before losing to a player from Xavier University of Louisiana.
Coach Llewellyn hopes that the experience both teams were able to gather and the lessons they were able to learn in the fall will carry over into the spring portion of the season.
“We want to continue to build the foundation this spring and keep learning and developing as a team,” he said.
Friday, Nov. 22 Columbia, Missouri @ NAIA National Championships
Lucy Carpenter plays against Jones College on March 22, 2023. Carpenter qualified for her fourth consecutive ITA Cup in October. Gabrielle Korein/The Maroon
Catch up. Get ahead. Study abroad.
An accelerated two-week session
Online and experiential courses
Many Loyola Core options
J-Term takes place January 2 – 11, 2025. Registration starts on November 4.
LOCAL
The Green Project keeps paint out of waterways
By Violet Bucaro vabucaro@my.loyno.edu
Local non-profit The Green Project focuses on three main aspects: recycling, waste aversion, creative reuse, and sustainability, according to Executive Director Jasmine Brown.
Brown said the popularity of the non-profit is due to their wide number of accessible resources and affordability. Shoppers who need screws for their houses, art supplies for projects, or materials for companies can shop at affordable prices, where many other places in the city do not offer, she said.
“Affordability is the biggest reason we are here,” Brown said, “We’re more accessible and I think it’s a benefit to the community to be able to have somewhere to get something that is affordable.”
A key mission of the organization is to provide affordability and repurposing waste, for it is a place where locals can purchase what materials they need without spending excessively at mainstream corporate industries.
The Green Project serves as a hub for recycling, community welfare, environmental education, and affordable resources in New Orleans. All paint
managed by the project is kept out of waterways, curbing energy used to produce new paint, eliminating the amount of paint dumped into soil, and providing affordable and legitimate options for the community, according to Program Manager, Environmental Education and Outreach, Erin Genrich.
Cutting down how much paint goes into the city's waterways and drainage systems is a goal and motive of the non-profit organization, Brown said.
Another positive of the process is that it cuts the city's expenses and funds for disposing waste.
“We are saving the city quite a bit of money by being here and taking paint from the community for free. I shudder to think what would happen to all that stuff if we weren’t here on a daily basis” Genrich said.
According to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality Office’s capacity report in 2021, approximately 931,164 wet-tons of commercial and residential waste were disposed of in Lousianna's municipal solid waste landfills.
According to Waste 360 in 2023, the city of New Orleans produces approximately 173,000 tons of trash per year cumulatively.
Vices & Virtues: New museum explores historic red light district
By Katelin Williams kmwillia@my.loyno.edu
New Orleans native Claus Sadlier founded the French Quarter’s latest interactive exhibit, the Storyville Museum.
The museum offers eight exhibit rooms that explore the history of the red-light districts of New Orleans; the main district being named Storyville. The history of Storyville is intertwined with the early history of colonial New Orleans. The Battle of New Orleans, the final battle of the Civil War, was followed by the first big wave of prostitutes that truly kicked off what would become Storyville, according to Sadlier.
City Alderman Sidney Story successfully established the Storyville District as a response to post-war prostitution complaints. In an effort to regulate and control the issue, Story made Storyville a legally established district in 1897. Basin Street became known as Storyville, the
“Every year, we prevent 40,000 gallons of paint from being dumped down the drain, reclaim 2 million pounds of materials, and educate over 700 local students and residents,” according to The Green Project.
Genrich said many of New Orleans’s schools cannot afford to recycle, so The Green Project took the initiative to offer educational programs for K-12 about recycling responsibility, curbside recycling, and how it has an effect on the environment.
“We are here to meet the needs of the community, and so that’s what I am doing with teachers is trying to meet their needs,” Genrich said.
Genrich said she teaches in local classrooms on what recycling is, she organizes the educational programs for schools in the area to take on-site field trips to the warehouse to blend recycled paint colors to sell.
“It makes sense why schools reach out to The Green Project because we recycle paint and we are a creative-reuse organization,” she said.
Genrich said all profits made by the recycled paints and the M.E.S.S Lab go back to the program. The Green Project is a creative reuse organization where
students are taught how to advertise their hand-made paint color and include why it is the best color to purchase. Students then have their own paint up for purchase at the warehouse.
Brown said The Green Project’s environmental education programs stand out.
“We are the only place of the first of its kind, right in the Gulf South,” Brown said.
Brown said Tulane University has partnered with The Green Project for volunteer students to service the paintyard, which she said, requires constant care. Citizens in-need of community hours are welcomed to volunteer, and Brown said, they often come to The Green Project because of its accessibility.
“Usually they have to come to a place like us because we’re more accessible and we don’t discriminate in terms of who we accept. We accept everybody,” Brown said.
Genrich said she fell in love with the community.
“It’s an amazing, colorful, diverse, creative experience working here with the people that come in, donate, shop, work and volunteer here– it is a very cool place,” she said.
Brown said the organization is a diverse community.
“I think we work with a very, I wanna say, prominent mixture of people. But I think we’re a need and necessity for the people [of New Orleans] in terms of the service and programming that we do,” Brown said.
The project's primary source of funding comes from in-kind donated materials which the salvation store sells, along with individual fiscal donations. Large organizations also donate to the annual salvations gala and design competition.
It is substantially more feasible for people to get reused or refurbished materials than it is not, Brown said.
“There are a lot of people still throwing paint in the garbage or in drains. They [paint stores] are not telling you what to do with your paint, or provide instructions on the paint buckets,” she said.
There is a lack of information, transparency, and responsibility about sustainable disposal.
Some do not know that you can recycle paint at all, or do not know how to properly dispose of it: that is the mission of The Green Project.
Orleans Parish Voter Statistics
main area where prostitution was legalized, according to the museum’s website.
Storyville was close by for port workers and locals. Gambling, drinking, and violence were common. Along with those vices, many virtues were born of the district including early jazz music and the game of poker.
“There is so much to learn from this museum,” receptionist Olive Camp said. “People who visit seem to leave really happy and excited.”
Storyville offers a story to tell to its visitors about New Orleans.
“Everyone that leaves, tourists and locals, says that they learned something that they did not know before,” Sadlier said.
The Storyville-era officially ended in 1917 with the beginning of WWI.
“The essence of it,” Sadlier said, “lives on in the sin-city nature of the culture of New Orleans.”
Party Affiliation
Troy Carter, Sr. (D)
Steve Scalise (R)
Gabriela Biro (D)
Eric J. Jones (D)
Data compiled by Eloise Pickering from Louisiana Secretary of State website
Student made recycled paint for sale. Violet Bucaro/The Maroon
Program manager Erin Genrich disposing contaminated paint with wood chips. Violet Bucaro/The Maroon
Artist brings documentary wisdom to Loyola
from p.1
For the Loyola students, Raschke will be running two workshops, one on lighting and one on verité, a genre emphasizing realism and naturalism.
“The young generation that I encounter have just a very different perspective that is very exciting to explore, and so it's kind of like a discovery of a new frontier,” Raschke said.
Raschke tells students not to be limited by their knowledge.
"Knowledge kind of sets parameters,” Raschke said. “When I talk to students who don't have these parameters, they can think freely, and they might not have the solution of how to go about getting there, but they think freely, and that exchange is very exciting to me.”
Residential Assistants wear many hats
By Marcela Baez mbbaez@my.loyno.edu
Being a resident assistant is more than monitoring dorm floors. RAs serve as mentors, educators, community builders, and first responders to student concerns all while balancing their personal and academic responsibilities.
Carly Hill, Buddig Hall community director, revealed becoming an RA requires students to participate in a selection process. This process includes conduct and academic screening and interviews.
“The application process starts with attending an interest meeting to learn more about the role and the selection process,” Hill said. “After attending, stu-
dents are invited to submit an application, which includes basic personal information, responses to a few questions, and a resume.”
Panashe Masunzabwa, a returning RA in Biever Hall said his main motivation was to help other students.
“I just want to connect people to resources and support them as much as possible,”
Masunzabwa said.
For others, the role of an RA aligns with a student's future career goals. Maleigh Crespo, a returning RA in Biever Hall, said as an aspiring educator, she noticed that the RA role was an opportunity for her to develop skills that will benefit her career.
“By having to confront students on
occasion regarding conduct, I’ve learned how to do so tactfully within this role, and it’s a skill that I’ve carried over into my teaching,” Crespo said.
Emily Schaefer, a first-year RA in Cabra Hall, joined the RA community hoping to become more involved on campus.
“I was looking for a way to get more involved on campus and gain valuable leadership experience. I also wanted to make a difference in the Loyola community by being a role model to students by guiding them through their college experience,” Schaefer said.
The training process for becoming an RA is designed to prepare students for the role and the situations they may face. Schaefer
felt prepared after completing fall training but said some things can only be learned on the job.
“There are more things you learn on the job with hands-on experience, but I felt well-prepared to deal with those situations,” Schaefer said.
The day-to-day responsibilities of RAs involve multiple tasks ranging from administrative duties to resident support duties. RAs are required to conduct occupancy, health, and safety checks, participate in their community’s on-call duty rotation, and actively check on their floor residents.
“RAs typically work up to 20 hours per week, depending on the time of year and the specific processes occurring,” Hill said.
Aside from these tasks, RAs are also required to create a sense of community and create a safe and open space for residents. Masunzabwa explained that his favorite part of the role is building relationships with residents.
“There are plenty of highs and lows during college life, so helping them navigate through that and leaving a positive impact has been the most rewarding aspect of being an RA,” Masunzabwa said.
Schaefer encourages any students interested in becoming an RA to apply.
“I think being an RA is a great learning experience and opportunity to have during college,” Schaefer said. “It’s always worth a try because you can be a great RA if you really want to!”
Continued
Claudia Raschke films documentary “RGB” with Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Courtesy of Synergy Communications
By Maleigh Crespo macrespo@.my.loyno.edu
With the new arrival of sandwich chain Jimmy John’s on campus, students said goodbye to warmly toasted sandwiches, flatizzas, and the short-lived Subway sidekicks.
While it’s unclear why Subway was replaced with another sandwich place instead of a pizzeria or even another burger joint to avenge the Original Burger Company – those who know, know – it appears that Jimmy John’s is here to stay.
As a former Loyola-Subway employee and toasted sandwich enthusiast, I’m a bit partial to Subway, but I tried to keep
an open mind as I began to sample the new menu.
On my first visit to the new location, I was captured by the Beach Club, which is similar to Subway’s Turkey Cali Club. The sandwich consists of turkey, provolone cheese, avocado, cucumbers, and the standard mayonnaise, lettuce, and tomato combo that all sandwiches come with, and for some pizazz, I added bacon. Although the Jimmy John’s club has many of the same dressings as the Subway club, without the ooey-gooey of the melted cheese or the crunch of the crisply toasted bacon, the Beach Club falls flat.
On my second visit, I attempted to try the Big John, which is just a roast beef
sandwich, but instead I got a Billy Club, which has roast beef, ham, provolone cheese, and mustard. Without the order mistake, I wouldn’t have ever thought to mix ham and roast beef, but it wasn’t bad, and it satisfied my afternoon hunger. Then, I thought back to my own sandwich making days at Subway when customers would often try to order multiple meats on their sandwiches, but it was strictly prohibited, or they’d be charged for two sandwiches. Although I don't think I’ll ever order that sandwich again intentionally, I’m glad there are options for those who want to enjoy a sandwich with both ham and roast beef at a reasonable price.
Even though I won’t reorder the Billy
Club, it did inspire me to try another sandwich on the menu – the Bootlegger. Side note: Does anyone know what these sandwich names are inspired by? The Bootlegger has roast beef and turkey, which I quite enjoyed and will be reordering in the future, but my Jimmy John’s go-to from now on has to be the Club Lulu, which is just turkey and bacon, but it’s become my favorite of the ones I’ve tried thus far.
Although I’ve tried less than 5 sandwiches on the menu, I’m not impressed with Jimmy John’s selection of sandwiches. What can I say? There’s nothing like a freshly toasted meatball sub or Philly cheesesteak after a long day of classes. Oh, and don’t get me
Perseverance through struggle that becomes love Subway out-sandwiches Jimmy John's
By Victoria Marino vgmarino@my.loyno.edu
I am both a dancer and a writer; the two mediums seemingly conflict with each other as the dancer’s instrument is their body while the writer’s instruments are their words, so you can imagine my struggle in putting “for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf” into words that satisfy my ‘dancer brain.’ Having the pleasure of taking dance classes with Mama Kai, the director and choreographer of the play, I could both recognize and feel her spirit on that stage upon the first note of music. Each cast member’s movement within the first couple minutes of the play
embodied the passion, vulnerability, and general stage presence that made this play so raw and authentic. Mama Kai always tells me in class to ‘let go,’ and I think I understood precisely what she meant when watching the dancers put their entire soul into their movement. Naturally, I came into the show with my own biases expecting it to be a heavy & dark social commentary on black women’s experiences in urban settings navigating both womanhood and racism in the 1970s. Mama Kai herself admitted prior to my first watch that “the play is hard.” Concise as always. Although the play did encompass all of those themes eloquently and unabashedly, there was an air of girlhood, silliness, and
sisterhood that felt so familiar to me. I too have been at a sleepover in which the agenda is to debrief all the gorey details, or what that bummy guy did to us that one time, or singing and dancing together, and more broadly revealing intimate secrets to each other that are only to be shared among close friends. The key difference is that this time it was set on a stage for an audience to witness.
The organic bonds between the women on that stage in what Mama Kai called ‘sister circles’ created an intimate atmosphere that made me feel like I was sitting on that couch with them. This intimacy created a kind of relationship between the women on stage and the audience. In a packed Marquette Theatre
started on the soups! There was nothing like getting a warm cup of soup when the weather started getting cooler, and everyone began fighting off the Biever fever.
While I’ll miss the Italian herb and cheese bread, fresh mozzarella cheese, and just-baked chocolate chip cookies, Jimmy John’s definitely has some perks of its own. For starters, I’m a big fan of the kettle chips, which are the best partner for their signature sandwiches, and as a pickle enthusiast, my order is not complete without one now, so that’s definitely a perk. While I’ve never had their cookies, there’s something about the pristine, clear packaging that makes me feel like I‘ll be disappointed. I could be wrong, but Subway has set the bar high for me with their cookies, so I’m not sure I want to spend my Wolf Bucks to be let down.
Although Jimmy John’s has taken the spot of Subway in the Danna Canter, it could never claim that spot in my heart. For some students, I’m sure Jimmy Johns has become their new goto OR-alternative, but for me, I’ll always remember the old Subway classics.
on closing night of the production, women of all ages in the audience were snapping at punchy one liners, or sharing a knowing giggle after a discussion about inept husbands and late nights after graduation. I think all of our hearts broke when the lady in red tearfully uttered,
“I loved you on purpose” followed by “I can’t use another sorry” during their “keep your sorry” monologue. The series of monologues by the different women throughout the play was an anthem for tired, fed up women everywhere, and we felt their sentiments in our bones.
The gripping journey of this play left no emotion unfelt; even if a woman was at her lowest after having experienced something so horrific I’m currently
getting chills remembering now, they had each other. There is something so cathartic about being honest and open in the hurt. Something so painfully hopeful about crying together for and with each other. “for colored girls” showcases that moving through grief is not an isolated experience, and healing requires nurturing.
My sorry white tears will never come close to fully grasping the reality of these experiences that absolutely extend past a school play, but that is why good art is so important. It makes us feel and feel and feel. It gives a voice to those who need it, and provides curious listeners with a platform to sit up and lean right in. So yes, I liked the play.
Poster design by Kayla Mendiola, courtesy of Loyola College of Music and Media
Sophia Maxim/The Maroon
OPINION
What makes The Maroon TheMaroon?
By Mark Michel mamichel@my.loyno.edu
On November 1, the Loyola Maroon turned 101. Old, but as far as college newspapers go, still on the younger side. The oldest in the United States, belonging to Dartmouth, was founded in 1799, turning 225 this year.
It’s not a new take, that the last bastion of ethical, honest, not for profit journalism, is student journalism. As conglomerates take over local news, obfuscate the truth, and steal communities identities, student journalism unites thousands of students in the United States who understand that strong, independent journalism, not beholden to money, forms the basis of all democracy.
And collegiate newspapers are part of every campus’ identity. While LSU might be known for Death Valley more than The Reveille, it still forms an integral part of campus life.
Whether the University of New Orleans’ Driftwood (I love this name, shoutout UNO Driftwood team), The Whalesong in Alaska, or any of the thousands of other inventive names given to student newspapers, magazines, and publications help form the identity of their institutions.
Go down the list, some of these names are amazing.
While there may be thousands of college newspapers, what makes the Maroon so special?
Is it our print edition published every week for 101 years? Most student papers can’t claim this feat.
Is it the fact that our broadcast and our print edition are connected? Most student broadcasts are separate from their print newspapers.
Is it that our entire organization is student led and student run? The University of Missouri may have the number one journalism school in the nation, but their paper, The Maneater, is faculty-run not student-run.
Is it our online and print content combined? Most papers choose to focus on one or the other, rather than making
both primary focuses.
So is this what people think makes the Maroon special? Is it that everything we do is what makes us one of the top ten college newspapers in the country?
In the past century, we’ve had hundreds of students have their names printed in bylines on our paper, dozens of editors-in-chief. Our advisors went from a Jesuit priest, to a Times-Picayune columnist, to two former editors-in-chief in a row.
Our office went from a house on Calhoun Street to the Danna Center basement, and in the early 90s, we moved into what most Marooners know as our home, the 3rd floor of the Communications/Music Complex. Former CBS News host Walter Cronkite spoke at the opening ceremony of the building in 1986, preordainment of it to be a place of incredible journalistic ability and that’s the way it is.
So a lot has changed.
The two questions remain: What has stayed the same? And further, what makes the Maroon the Maroon?
Well, our logo hasn’t stayed the same, it changes every five to ten years. Virtually every semester something changes. Our location, our student staff, our faculty staff, how we print, how we construct the pages, what ads we run (Some of y’all would go crazy for how many cigarette ads we used to run) what other branches we had, what we covered, how we’ve covered it.
In my time here, I’ve identified three things that have stayed the same: our name, our motto, and our Wednesday press nights.
The name staying the same is simply owing to our school’s colors so it is discounted here. My firm hope prevails that someone starts a rival publication called the Loyola Gold one day.
However, the latter two things keep us focused with a clear sense of direction, a purpose, a goal, on working for a greater Loyola And hard at work, five meetings a week, Wednesday press nights have run till midnight for as long as any ex-Marooner can remember. And for the past
101 years, there’s been a paper around campus every Friday morning, adorned with the motto: For a greater Loyola.
So is it the motto that makes us who we are? If college journalism is all non profit and independent then it seems that every student publication works towards the betterment of their community.
No, the motto does not make us who we are. What makes us who we are is that somehow, for 101 years, amidst extraordinary changes, we’ve kept one simple tradition alive.
Every Wednesday night, some passionate writers, photographers, artists, and copy editors, who deserve more appreciation than they receive, gather together.
Whether in a house on Calhoun, the Danna Center basement, or the office on the 3rd floor of the CMC that’s, coincidentally, named “The Maroon” several times across the walls, we try and tell stories to our classmates, friends, and colleagues about everything that goes on around us.
We’re really no different from kindergarteners showing off their finger paintings to each other.
Just as well, conventional wisdom and the development of the journalism profession has changed wildly over the decades of our existence. What advice our first EIC, Harold A. Dempsey, sought to pass down surely didn’t survive three decades of new staff to still be relevant to former advisor and EIC Liz Brodrick in the 1960s.
And surely her student experience, when we had our own campus printing press, and had “Liz’s Bits” column every week, didn’t all make it to advisor Michael Giusti when he served as EIC. Even Giusti’s advising us now, is based on his 25 years experience as a professional journalist, rather than when Marooners had to run through the streets early every Thursday morning to get the paper to the printing press on time.
If you look through the Maroon’s morgue, you’ll see dozens of papers that are entitled “EIC advice,” looking to be
a handbook passed down through the generations. They don’t last. The world changes and how we talk about it changes.
The most recent attempt was in Spring of 2021 when the departing EIC made one for the incoming Fall editor, this guide however barely made it two EIC’s later, falling out of use in the Fall of 2023.
And there’s ones that went from 19992001, 2008-2012, and so on. Our people change, our location changes, our traditions change, the way we do things changes, Our motto doesn’t change, but our motto doesn’t make the people here, the people here make the motto.
We hold on to it, and time and time again we pass the torch to the incoming freshman and bid farewell to the outgoing seniors. We try our best to advise and guide and lead the new recruits, but a part of us also knows that most learning here is learning by doing, and that we all eventually figure it out at our own pace and in our own way, whether upperclassmen advice, helpful or unhelpful, is present or not.
At a school as small as ours, no one would expect a leading college newspaper out of us any more than they’d expect a Division 1 football team. Despite that everything has changed from 101 years ago, with students as dedicated as ours have always been, who work themselves half to death for this paper, whether they want to or not, the Maroon continues.
For 101 years, the Maroon has worked towards a greater Loyola, and every generation of Marooners who knows the rule that you don’t mention what time it is on press night or else you’ll be there all night, and every Marooner who knows what it feels like to have a front page story sitting on stands around campus, and every Marooner who knows what’s it like to email 81 professors about writing opinion pieces, know what we’re doing here.
Our dedication is palpable, and to see us so committed, one might be led to believe that some spell, some mystical presence, something unseen, and
intangible exists, a gravitational pull, that draws us in and keeps us here, but simply put, there isn’t. It is true, as it has always been, that we keep each other here, we keep each other sane, and as long as you keep us read, we’ll keep you informed.
Sometimes it makes us look crazy, sometimes it makes us look intense, intimidating, inflammatory, and a whole bunch of other I-words, (you get the idea), but it’s something that when you start to work here, you understand very quickly.
Suddenly, you get swept up in the simple experience of being in a room full of people who get together every Wednesday evening because they have stories they want to share to all their friends across campus on Friday.
For 101 years, only the people present have made the Maroon what it is, and it’s been a task of true enormity to have maintained for so long, what we have. The people here make the Maroon what it is, nothing else, they make this paper not for their own benefit, but for a greater Loyola.
A little anecdote former advisor and EIC Ms. Liz Monaghan wrote, about her advisor, Mr. Fricke, from the sixties, to show that we really have always been this intense:
“When we did a good job, he let us know. When we didn’t, he let us know that too. Any Maroon staff-member who wasn’t producing was ‘dead wood.’ A poor page layout wasn’t just poor; it was ‘bilious.’ A bad issue of The Maroon was an ‘abortion.’ Every year, when a new staff and editor took over The Maroon, the first issue was an abortion, each page bilious in its own way. That issue, and all that followed were posted on office walls, with red circles around stories and exclamation points and comments in the margins. There were a fair number of abortions, but most years the paper took an All-American rating – the highest awarded by the Associated College Press.
To another 101 years, November 1, 2125, we’ll be on the stands that Friday.
The Maroon staff gathers around a campfire on retreat, an organizational tradition, on March 22, 2024. Sophia Maxim/The Maroon
Students deserve education, not indoctrination
In a recent decision, a federal judge struck down a bill advanced by Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry. The bill sought to mandate the Ten Commandments on all public school walls.
Landry justified the move as a gesture of historical relevance, attempting to cast the Ten Commandments as the foundational text upon which the Constitution and Bill of Rights were built. There’s a kernel of truth to the argument—certain Judeo-Christian ideas found their way into early American legal principles. But anyone paying attention can see the troubling implications of such a mandate: introducing explicitly religious text into public schools walks a fine line, and in this case, crosses it. It’s an ironic assault on the very principle that the First Amendment seeks to uphold—the separation of church and state.
President-elect Donald Trump, on the cusp of his return to the Oval Office, has once again signaled his desire to dismantle the Department of Education—a radical idea in conservative politics. Ronald Reagan floated a similar notion in the late eighties, and Bob Dole took up the torch in his 1996 campaign against Bill Clinton. Each effort failed to gain traction—but the fact that this idea keeps surfacing is revealing.
These calls to eliminate the Department of Education are often couched in the language of fiscal responsibility,
framed as a quest to cut “needless” government spending. However, Trump’s intentions, and those of the broader conservative movement, seem to reach beyond budgetary concerns. Over the past decade, the right has cast education—particularly higher education—as a pernicious force, a “liberal indoctrination” factory. The attacks have intensified, emboldened by lawmakers like Jeff Landry, who attempted to enforce the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools under the guise of historical relevance. Such moves carry more than a hint of political and religious indoctrination, and they suggest an even more ambitious agenda.
As Trump prepares to assume power again, this antagonism toward education might only deepen. With the wind at their backs, conservative lawmakers may feel emboldened to chip away at the bedrock of public education, undermining one of the country’s most vital institutions. What we’re seeing now is not merely a debate over federal spending or curriculum choices but a struggle over the future of a well-informed citizenry. The impulse to dismantle educational institutions, one department at a time, poses a threat to the principles of a democratic society.
Education has long been the natural adversary of authoritarianism. A well-educated electorate is a force that
resists manipulation; it’s an electorate that understands its interests and will not easily be led to vote against them. It is, perhaps, for this reason that Republicans today seem so keen to undermine the foundations of public education, or else to reshape it in ways that align with a conservative worldview. We’ve seen this impulse take shape most recently in Florida, where Governor Ron DeSantis has championed a “neutral” approach to teaching slavery—a concept so vague and troubling that it leaves one wondering what historical truth, if any, might survive such a rewrite.
The trend is unmistakable: education, traditionally tasked with cultivating critical thinking and preparing students to help build a more just world, is now threatened by forces intent on dulling its edge. The goal seems to be to keep the electorate uncritical enough to maintain a political order that benefits figures like Trump.
Eliminating the Department of Education is, of course, unlikely to happen. Even if the Republican-led Congress were to pass a bill dismantling it, they’d need a 60-vote majority in the Senate, which they simply don’t have. Besides, the department’s essential functions would almost certainly be absorbed by other agencies such as the department of health, as it was before the creation of the department of education, likely sus-
taining much of its work under different names. Yet, the point is not the logistics of abolishing the Department of Education; the point is what such a desire reveals about the state of American conservatism. It speaks to a deep and growing hostility toward an educated public—an aversion to the very thing that keeps authoritarian impulses in check.
Education in America’s red states has struggled for years, and Louisiana in particular has recently found itself at the very bottom of national rankings. The causes behind this are intricate, rooted in economic disparity, insufficient investment, and systemic neglect. The problem is certainly not that students are unfamiliar with the Ten Commandments.
What Louisiana—and many states like it—needs is not a religious agenda in the classroom but robust educational support. We need greater funding for our public schools, which the Department of Education helps provide; we need higher pay for our teachers, who are often forced to choose between their profession and their livelihood. Above all, we need citizens to stand against the relentless assaults on our already fragile education system, to push back against the distractions and distortions that seek to weaken it. At stake is the future, the chance to build a better, more informed tomorrow.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry ponders his response to a reporter's question during a press conference regarding the Ten Commandments in schools Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Baton Rouge, La. Hilary Scheinuk/The Advocate via AP
