The Xavier heraldFebruary 22 - March 14, 2011 xavierherald.com Xavier University Of Louisiana Established in 1925

xavierherald.com

Mardi Gras 2011 Develop healthy eating habitspg. 11

A&E: Mardi Gras History pg. 6

By Holle FordStaff Writer

Study room reopens;entry worries students

By Ariel JohnsonManaging Editor

See HOME on pg. 5 See STUDY ROOM on pg. 8

Irving Johnson III stood in the kitchen of his new home on Drexel Drive and reflected on his journey that began Aug. 29, 2005. Like most New Orleanians, he endured devastating losses when his home in the

Seventh Ward flooded post-Hurricane Katrina. After spending months commuting daily from Baton Rouge to his job here as Xavier’s official photographer, he moved into a FEMA trailer in March 2006. Reconstruction on his house started in December 2009—but ended the next month when the entire structure collapsed. Fast-forward 13 months to Feb. 7, 2011. That’s when Johnson became part of Xavier’s historical reconstruction efforts: He is the first tenant to move into

brand new university-owned housing for staff and faculty.

Long road ‘home’

Johnson has been the university’s award-winning photographer for nearly 20 years. His work appears on Xavier’s web page, in just about every printed publication from brochures to books, and many photos are displayed around campus. Without question, Johnson is the person the university calls

A contractor’s error caused Irving Johnson’s 7th Ward home to collapse. His long road home ended at Xavier Feb. 7, when he moved into a three-bedroom dwelling on Drexel Drive.

Parade Schedulespg. 6

A long road home ends

XU’s Johnson is first to move into campus housing

Back by popular student demand, the Xavier University 24-hour study room re-opened on Feb. 14 after a two-year hiatus due to the construction of the Qatar Pavillion. However, students feel uneasy and vulnerable about the lack of security in the area.

Once the library closes for the day at midnight, there are no staff members on duty in the library or monitoring the study room. The room is in

a corner on the first floor of the library, behind the 3M computer lab. Fully enclosed by glass walls and doors, anyone who is in the study room can be seen from outside or inside the library. Top right: A long alley leads to

the study room, where Javonne Gartrell-Hall studies.

With a strong fan base and school support, Xavier’s basketball teams have proven their worth in gold. On Saturday, Feb. 26, both will face off against longtime rival Dillard in the Crosstown Classic at The Barn. The Nuggets will open the doubleheader at 5 p.m. The Rush will follow at 7 p.m. The Gold Rush began the season with a 13-game winning streak and

went on to win nine consecutive games midseason. Despite the nerve-wracking, nail-biting loss in the final seconds of the Feb. 19 game against SUNO, the Rush remain 23-4 overall, and 3-2 in GCAC. Undisturbed by minor setbacks, the team has confidence and momentum as they prepare take on the Dillard Bleu Devils for the last game of the regular season. For the Gold Nuggets, adjusting to a fairly new team took time.

See TEAMS on pg. 11 A packed Barn watches the Rush take on SUNO on Feb. 19. SUNO won at the buzzer. R. HENRY

Nuggets, Rush gear up for Crosstown Classic, GCAC

By Maya JonesSports Editor

xavierherald.com

Page 2 February 22-March 14, 2011NeWS

CAMPUS BRIEFSCourtesy of Media Relations

Compiled by Ariel Johnson

Mardi Gras Career Fair

The Office of Career Services is making it easy for students to attend the Mardi Gras Invitational Career Fair by providing a shuttle to and from the Hilton Riverside Hotel, where this year’s event is scheduled for WEDNESDAY (Feb. 23) from 12 noon to 4 p.m.

Late Night Scripture Series

The Office of Campus Ministry’s Late Night Scripture Series wraps up WEDNESDAY (Feb. 23) at 7 p.m. in the Chapel with “Victory Testimony at a Parade," presented by the Rev. Fernand Cheri, XU Chaplin & Director of Campus Ministry.

Effective Library Research Strategies Workshop

The Student Academic Success Office will sponsor a workshop on Effective Library Research Strategies WEDNESDAY (Feb. 23) at 12 noon in the Center for the Advancement of Teaching (CAT) Teaching Lab, Library Room 532A. The workshop will be facilitated by Paula Singleton, the XU Library’s assistant director of access service. Participation is limited; to register contact Nedra Kelly at nkelly@xula.edu.

XU Family Weekend

The Center for Student Leadership and Service will host Family Weekend FRIDAY-SUNDAY (Feb. 25-27). Highlights will include the Xavier-Dillard Crosstown Classic Games and the Freshman Honors Convocation. All faculty, staff, students, and alumni are invited to participate in the pre-game activities Feb. 26 and the Honors Convocation Feb. 27. For more information, contact David Lewis at 520-5133.

National Survey of Student Engagement

Freshmen & Seniors! Give us your feedback on XULA and get a chance to win a 32GB iPod Touch, concert tickets, or Barnes & Noble gift certificates! Please check your XU e-mail account for an email from Dr. Loren Blanchard about the 2011 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). Share your opinions on your experiences

here at XU, and make suggestions for future improvement. You must COMPLETE the survey to qualify. Winners, based on timing of survey completion, will be announced at the end of February.

St. Katharine Drexel Feast Day

The Office of Campus Ministry and the New Orleans Alumni Club will commemorate the Feast Day of XU founder St. Katharine Drexel SUNDAY (Feb. 27) with Mass at 6:30 p.m. in the University Chapel. [note: her actual Feast Day is March 3]. The XU community is invited to attend.

Special Xavier Review

The new issue of Xavier Review (Vol. 30.1) – featuring the writings of Catholic, Louisiana writer Andre Dubus and his son Andre Dubus III – is now available for purchase at the Department of English and African American Studies, Administration Annex, Room 204, or by calling 520-5246.

NOMA Membership

Xavier has renewed its institutional membership with the New Orleans Museum of Art which has been dormant since Hurricane Katrina. The membership provides free admission for students, faculty and staff with a current Xavier I.D., as well as a 10% discount at the museum shop. The University will also receive one copy of the Museum’s Arts Quarterly magazine which will be available in the VPAA Office. The current membership expires on Nov. 30, 2011.

Super Scholar/EXCEL

Super Scholar/EXCEL is now accepting applications for summer 2011. Open to rising high school seniors, this intensive four-week summer program looks to improve the analytical, critical, reading and writing skills of its participants. The program runs from June 26 to July 23. The application priority deadline is March 1; the final deadline is April 30. Both merit and need-based scholarships are available to qualified applicants. For more information, call 520-7633.

Saturday, March 1910 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Tulane faculty, staff, current students and alumni will be on hand to answer questions.

Informational items include:• MastersinSocialWorkProgram• Part-timeEveningProgram• CertificateinDisasterMentalHealth• CertificateinInternationalSocialWork• DualDegreewithSchoolofPublicHealth• FinancialAidandScholarships

TULANE SOCIAL WORK OPEN HOUSE

Fordirectionsormoreinformationhttp://tulane.edu/socialwork•msw@tulane.edu

504-865-5314or1-800-631-8234

Mass Communication students attended the Real World PR Conference in Atlanta, Ga., on Feb. 18 where they were able to network and explore opportunities in the public relations field. Top: (l-r) Rabiat Saraki, Brooke Adams, Hong Nguyen, and Melanie Kaufman. Bottom: (l-r) Mylinh Hoang, Brittany Martin, Cassie Smith, and Dudley C. Grady.

xavierherald.com

February 22-March 14, 2011 Page 3

WhaT’S oN your miNd?

By Brooke AdamsStaff Writer

Armani Patterson, Sociology, freshman

Breon Hightower, Finance, sophomore

Chigozie Mbamalu, Chemistry/Pre-Pharmacy, sopohomore

Courtney Wilson, Sociology, freshman

Haroon Waseem, Chemistry/Pre-Pharmacy, junior

Kearns Louis-Jean, Physics Engineer, sophomore

Kristen Vincent, Psychology, junior

Serena Black, Psychology, freshman

Taquoya Portee, Biology/Pre-Med, freshman

“I never been to Mardi Gras, but when I go I hope to have fun. I hope to be safe, and I want to catch beads. I want to be able to experience the culture around me. It will be my first time, so I want it to be wonderful.”

“My most memorable Mardi Gras was the first time I went to a Zulu parade and an Endymion parade. I just remember how they were throwing coconuts, and I was excited. I was pretty young cause I live here. But Mardi Gras is pretty fun and nice.”

“My most memorable Mardi Gras was last year in 2010 because that was my first time going. I really enjoyed Bourbon Street and everything. That is probably the only time I have ever really enjoyed Bourbon Street. It was nice to see how other people enjoy Mardi Gras instead of being in another state. It was fun to actually be in New Orleans for the holiday.”

“Considering I have never experience Mardi Gras I hope to experience fun times. I want to get the real feel of New Orleans. I want to experience the culture, and take in all that I can. I want to be able to learn what New Orleans and Mardi Gras are all about. I look forward to it.”

“I have never been to Mardi Gras, but when I do go I hope to see a bunch of crazy people. I want to attend a lot of parties. I want to see and experience all the excitement like they show on television. I basically just want to have a great time.”

“I have never been to Mardi Gras, so I expect to get a lot out of it. I want to have a wild crazy experience. I want to experience the New Orleans culture. I want to have a lot of fun with my friends. I just want to have a real good time.”

“OK, well, I did not really have a great Mardi Gras experience last year. I must say my most memorable Mardi Gras moment was when I got hit in the head with beads. I was at the Endymion parade. I got hit with a huge bag of beads, and I felt horrible. I wanted to stop getting beads at that moment, but I just tried to enjoy the rest of the parade.”

“My most memorable Mardi Gras was last year. It was my first time ever attending Mardi Gras. It was a very interesting experience. I was with my friends having a good time experiencing the culture, and experiencing what Mardi Gras was all about.”

“I have never been to Mardi Gras, but I hope to have a great time. I want to see the parades, and see all the fun things that go on downtown. I hope to go on Bourbon Street after the parades. I want to be able to experience everything that goes down on the street. I want to experience the parade atmosphere it is very upbeat. I hope to even try my first king cake.”

Jared Willis, Chemistry/Pre-Med, freshman

“My most memorable Mardi Gras was just seeing all the parades and all the floats. I love going to all the parades and the parties after. Going on Bourbon after the parades is really fun and a great experience.”

Mardi Gras season is underway. What is your most memorable Mardi Gras or what do you hope to celebrate this year?

“My most memorable Mardi Gras was my freshman year when my friends got stuck on Bourbon Street. It started raining, and we had to walk all the way back to school. We were soaked, and we were singing church songs.”

Archie Galang, Physics Engineer, junior

xavierherald.com

Page 4 February 22-March 14, 2011

STAFFeditor-in-chief: STACEY A. WINDONmanaging editor: ARIEL JOHNSONA&E editor: CASSIE SMITH sports editor: MAYA JONESgraphic design editor: HONG NGUYENweb design editor: CLINE BAILEYfaculty adviser: MELINDA SHELTONbusiness manager: LATASHA TINSONstaff writers: BROOKE ADAMS, KRISTIN FLETCHER, HOLLE FORD, MYLINH HOANG, RABIAT SARAKI, KENNETH NORWOODphoto editor: JIMMIE JOHNSONphotographers: RUSTON HENRY, ALYSSA MERCADEL

CONTACT INFORMATIONherald office (504) 520-7474melinda shelton: director of student publications (504) 520-5096communications department (504) 520-5092fax (504) 520-7919email: herald@xula.eduads: Latasha Tinson ltinson@xula.edu

The Herald Office is located in the Communications Department, Room 112B, in Xavier South. Please stop by during regular weekly office hours for information.

STUDENT INVOLVEMENTThe Herald is a student newspaper created by and for the students. We encourage all students to write stories, short columns, submit your professional, academic, Greek organization news, but most importantly keep us informed.

Publication date Print-ready ad and copy deadlineMarch 15 March 4March 29 March 18April 12 April 1

The Xavier herald

Are You an Active Reader?

Quality Enhancement Plan Office LRC 407 • Box X • 520-5353 Visit our website: read.xula.edu Find us on Facebook: xula.qep Follow us on Twitter: @xula_qep

Much of the work of Read Today, Lead Tomorrow is about provid-ing members of the Xavier community with opportunities to become more engaged readers. To that end, we sponsor literary events, foster book clubs, provide reading nooks, and more.

Another part of our mission is to help students become more active read-ers. Beginning next year, the entry-level courses for each academic department will introduce students to the skills they need to actively read within their majors. An entry-level course is one of the first classes required for a major.

This is a huge project that will ulti-mately affect every student on campus. To make it succeed, we’re providing fac-ulty opportunities to learn more about active reading through monthly work-shops focusing on specific aspects of active reading . In addition, on Wednes-day, February 23, Dr. Alice Horning will speak with the faculty about how and why reading should be taught in every college class. Interested students and staff are welcome to attend.

ACTIVE READING IS... The ability to comprehend, interpret, and evaluate what is read.

A set of skills that need to be developed and honed over time.

Considered to be one of the most important factors af-fecting student success.

Essential in every academic discipline and in every pro-fession.

More effectively learned in a content class than in a separate skills class.

For more information or to see the full list of entry-level courses that will incorporate active reading instruction beginning next fall, please visit http://read.xula.edu and select Active Reading from the menu .

By Kenneth NorwoodStaff Writer

In the midst of the sounds of troubled car engines and children’s sidewalk antics sits a safe-haven of knowledge known as the New Orleans Af-rican American Museum. Located on the corner of Governor Nicholls and North Villere streets, the NOAAM is a treasure that’s “hidden in plain sight.” The museum is in the historic Treme community, which is the oldest surviving black community in the United States, according to museum records. History bleeds from the mor-tar veins of this1828 Creole-styled villa that makes up the museum. In a city rich with his-tory, this museum is the only one dedicated to “architecture, culture, and artistic production of the African American lega-cy in New Orleans.” Despite its notoriety, on a recent Friday afternoon only three people were found tour-ing the grounds. The museum was started in 1996 and incorporated in 2000. The six buildings that make up the current museum were rescued from demolition

by the City of New Orleans Department of Housing and Neighborhood Development. The mission of the museum is to “preserve, interpret, and promote the African American cultural heritage of New Or-leans, with a particular empha-sis on the Treme community,” according to museum docu-ments. Artwork inspired by Martin Luther King Jr. to the events of Hurricane Katrina spark a range of emotions and memo-ries within its viewers. “Evacuating was nothing new,” Tyrannie Page says, a local New Orleanian and Xavierite, while viewing art-work inspired by the events of Hurricane Katrina. As Page slightly runs her finger on the surface of the portrait, she be-gins to drift away and recall “You know how everyone goes to the store to stock up on things like water and food. I remember seeing my good friend there and talking as if it was another day. It was the last time I saw him. Later on I find out that the hurricane had taken him.” So why does it seem as if the museum is being over looked? “After Hurricane Ka-

trina, the museum underwent some drastic times,” Executive Director Hankins explains. “It wasn't operating on a full schedule.” As Hankins pauses, a slight smile emerges as he says, “The museum struggled to come back, but we’re back.” He also goes into detail about a $6 million restoration cam-paign, for which they have re-ceived a $3 million grant from the city. Current exhibits include the “Drapetomania: A Disease Called Freedom,” which ex-plores three eras of the African American experience. Part of this display includes papers from a female slave who had purchased his own self to hu-man shackles and collars. Oth-ers include, “ The American Dream,” which includes art work that is inspired by Mar-tin Luther King’s Jr.” I Have A Dream speech to work by well-known artists and city- wide student contest winners; and the “Zululand: An Exhi-bition of Zulu Posters 1990 - current,” which includes poster winners from the Zulu’s annual fundraising contest. The NOAAM is just wait-ing to be explored by locals and visitors alike.

African American museum is gem ‘hidden in plain sight’

A Danzinger Bridge painting startles Tyrannie Page.

New Orleans African American Museum1418 Gov. Nicholls St.Open: Wed.-Sat., 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.Cost: Adults, $7; seniors and stu-dents, $5; children 2-12, $3504-566-1136Web: www.thenoaam.org

Tyrannie Page explores museum’s outer buildings.

xavierherald.com

February 22-March 14, 2011 Page 5

HOME, from pg. 1

So if you’re in college, get your season flu vaccination right now. It’s a smart course of action. And your best shot at staying healthy.

For more information, ask your health care provider or pharmacist, call 2-1-1 or visit www.FightTheFluLA.com.

A message from the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals.

Higher education means a higher risk of exposure to the flu.

It’s Not Too Late To Vaccinate.

on to capture the essence of Xavier. But behind the camera, Johnson has been in a constant battle to rebuild his life. After Katrina, Johnson joined the thousands of New Orleanians forced to relocate to Baton Rouge. “Everyday, I commuted from Baton Rouge at 5 a.m. with XU police to take pictures of the recovery

contractor’s poor work and decision-making. Last year, he took interest in the houses being constructed around campus. His interest ultimately led him to his new single-story home on Drexel Drive. “I needed to make a move, and Xavier had better deal,” Johnson said. Johnson’s house, like the other nine, features eco-friendly construction and energy-saving windows, AC/heating, and appliances. His home has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a spacious living and dining room and kitchen area. It came furnished with a washer and dryer, stainless steel refrigerator, microwave and gas stove, and smooth-as-silk bamboo flooring. “The best part about moving into the new house is that it’s

Johnson says home is stable, close to workefforts on campus and returned to Baton Rouge at 7 p.m.,” Johnson said. Like countless other residents, he was mired in bureaucratic red tape as he tried to jumpstart reconstruction of his house. Finally, in December 2009, a contractor began the long-delayed work on Johnson’s home. But a month later, the house collapsed due to the

Bamboo flooring, energy-saving appliances are in each home.

stable and close to work,” said Johnson. It has been a long road home, he said, but he made it.

For rent: 10 houses

The 10 houses Xavier built were FEMA-funded, according to William Jeffrion, Associate Vice President of Auxiliary and Support Systems. During the last 12 months, vacant structures were torn down to make room for the state-of-the-art homes for Xavier faculty and staff. There are four houses on Dixon Street, one on South Cortez, two on Howard Avenue, and three on Drexel Drive. Each house has its own driveway, the lots have been landscaped, and every lot is different, Jeffrion said. There are six, single-story houses and four, two-story

houses. A single-story house has three bedrooms and two bathrooms and is 1,567square feet. The two-story house is designed with three bedrooms and two full and one-half bathrooms, and is 2,300 square feet. Like Johnson’s home, each house includes bamboo flooring, all appliances, an alarm system, garbage disposal, light fixtures, granite countertops, and plenty of storage space. To save on energy costs, the homes are equipped with LCD lighting and a tankless water heater, Jeffrion said. Rent prices range from $1,050 to $1,750 a month. For more information on renting opportunities and the application process, Jeffrion can be contacted at 504-520-6780 or via e-mail at wjeffrio@xula.edu.

Page 6 February 22-March 14, 2011

xavierherald.com

By Brooke AdamsStaff Writer

It’s Carnival time in New Orleans! Never seen a Mardi Gras parade? There are plenty of opportunities because Mardi Gras season is ramping up, and the city is bracing for hundreds of thousands of revelers for the two major parade weekends between Feb. 24-March 8. Mardi Gras, which literally means “Fat Tuesday,” ends March 8 and is followed by Ash Wednesday, when the Lenten season of fasting and moderation begins. For those who don’t know, Mardi Gras parades are organized by committees called krewes. The parades consist of marching bands from local high schools, flambeaux, and floats that are decorated according to the krewe’s theme. Up to 27 floats are featured in the larger parades, and all of the riders throw beads, doubloons, stuffed animals, and spears to eager parade-goers. The “super krewe” parades are Endymion, Bacchus, and Orpheus. These three parades are famous for their enormous floats, celebrity royalty, and large number of riders—often 1,200 krewe members.Xavier students looking to attend a fun—and convenient—parade this season should put Endymion on their must-see list. Students can simply walk down Jefferson Davis Parkway to Canal Street! Endymion rolls Saturday, March 5 at 4:30 p.m., so students should stake out a location early and enjoy the crowds and beautiful illuminated floats. The Endymion grand marshal is CNN’s Anderson Cooper, and celebrity Kelly Ripa is also riding. Bacchus rolls down Napoleon Street and St. Charles Avenue at 5:15 p.m., Sunday, March 6, and Bacchus XLIII is actor Andy Garcia. The six-mile route ends in the downtown area. Orpheus, the last of the super krewes, is another Uptown parade that gets started at 6 p.m. on Lundi Gras, Monday, March 7, at 6 p.m. and winds through the downtown area. Two African American krewes also have parades: NOMTOC and Zulu. The Krewe of NOMTOC rolls Saturday, March 5, at 10:45 a.m. on the West Bank. On Mardi Gras day, the two most famous parades roll: Zulu and Rex. Zulu is an African American organization that started in 1909 with a group called “The Tramps.” Today’s Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club’s members hand out highly coveted, decorated coconuts. This parade kicks off at 8 a.m. Uptown, followed by the “King of Carnival,” Rex, and both parades travel down St. Charles Avenue through the central business district and along Canal Street.

Mardi Gras season is here!Arts & Entertainment

Friday, February 25, 2011Cork-French Quarter 3:00 p.m.Oshun-Uptown 6:00 p.m.Cleopatra-West Bank 6:30 p.m.Excalibur-Metairie 7:30 p.m.Atlas-Metairie 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, February 26, 2011Choctaw-West Bank 11:00 a.m.Adonis-West Bank 11:45 p.m.Pontchartrain-Uptown 2:00 p.m.Sparta-Uptown 6:00 p.m.Caesar-Metairie 6:00 p.m.Pygmalion-Uptown 6:45 p.m.

Sunday, February 27, 2011Carrollton-Uptown 12:00 p.m.Alla-West Bank 12:00 p.m.Rhea-Metairie 2:00 p.m.Thor-Metairie 3:00 p.m.King Arthur-Uptown 1:15 p.m.Barkus-French Quarter

Wednesday, March 2, 2011Ancient Druids-Uptown 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 3, 2011Babylon-Uptown 5:45 p.m.Muses-Uptown 6:15 p.m.Chaos-Uptown 6:30 p.m.

Friday, March 4, 2011Hermes d’Etat-Uptown 6:00 p.m.Morpheus-Uptown 7:00 p.m.Centurions-Metairie 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, March 5, 2011NOMTOC-West Bank 10:45 p.m.Iris-Uptown 11:00 a.m.Tucks-Uptown 12:00 p.m.Endymion-Mid-City 4:15 p.m.Isis-Metairie 6:30 p.m.

Sunday, March 6, 2011Okeanos-Uptown 11:00 a.m.

Mardi Gras Parade Schedule 2011Mid-City-Uptown 11:45 a.m. Thoth-Uptown 12:00 p.m.Bacchus-Uptown 5:15 p.m.Napoleon-Metairie 5:30 p.m.

Monday, March 7, 2011Proteus-Uptown 5:15 p.m.Orpheus-Uptown 6:00 p.m.Zeus-Metairie 6:30 p.m.

Fat Tuesday, March 8, 2011Zulu-Uptown 8:00 a.m.Rex-Uptown 10:00 a.m.Elk Orleans-Uptown 11:30 a.m.Crescent City-Uptown after ElksArgus-Metairie 10:00 a.m.Jefferson Trucks-Metairie after ArgusElks Trucks-Metairie after Jefferson TrucksGrela-West Bank 11:00 a.m.

OKAY

February 22-March 14, 2011 Page 7

xavierherald.com

Every woman who has ever

had a rooomate or is planning to have one will be rethinking that choice after seeing “The Roommate.”

The movie depicts the life of Rebecca (Leighton Meester), a college freshman who develops a strange and disturbing relationship with

her new roommate Sara (Minka Kelly). The women meet and begin a friendship that looks healthy and promising—until Rebecca goes into full BFF mode, literally

in one night, and becomes jealous of Sara’s other friends. She begins her plot to get rid of the people in Sara’s life, one by one, like her party-going friend Tracy (Alyson Michalka),

outgoing frat boyfriend Stephen (Cam Gigandet), and an annoying ex-boyfriend. In keeping with this kind of movie’s plot, Sara does not suspect anything is wrong with her

roommate’s bizarre actions. Instead, she assumes that Rebecca is being over protective because they are friends. The movie progresses so fast that all the parts that should have been elaborated go unexplained. Somewhere in the midst of all the commotion, the audience finds out that Meester’s character has not been taking medication prescribed to control schizophrenia, which explains her unstable behavior. As Sara finally wakes up and starts distancing herself from Rebecca, the suspense and action pick up pace. “The Roommate” follows the same formula that most suspense thrillers follow: An introduction to the “good” (Sara) and “bad” (Rebecca) guys, the building of a strong relationship, and then a relationship-turns-deadly-obsession. The audience begins to root for Sara, as Rebecca’s role intensifies.

The big difference between this movie and others in the same genre is “The Roommate” lacks luster and gets a bit boring between the choppy, badly setup scenes. The audience

is left wondering what is going on too many times as the scenes fail to transition properly or critical scenes are omitted, leaving viewers confused. Overall,

“The Roommate” gets points for putting a spin on the suspense thriller formula by using an emotionally unstable college female as the

“bad guy” but loses those points because the movie isn’t the least bit memorable.

‘The Roommate’ from hellBy Rabiat SarakiStaff Writer

Many college students have experienced the discomfort of having a dorm roommate, but few have experienced the fear of having a psychotic, obsessed roommate. In the newly released movie “The Roommate,” Leighton Meester, best known for her role as Blair on the hit TV show “Gossip Girl,” gets into character to play psycho college coed Rebecca. “The Roommate” was shot on location in Los Angeles and is centered around college freshmen Sara Matthews (Kelly), who is randomly assigned to a dorm with new roommate Rebecca (Meester). The women become great friends, but Rebecca soon becomes obsessed with their friendship. Sara tries to distance herself from Rebecca, who sets off an on jealous, psychotic rampage, sabotaging all of Sara’s relationships. Sony recently held a promotional conference call with university media outlets, and Meester discussed her dark role and how she got into character. Meester, who plays the villain for the first time, said she read psychology books on women’s mental health and watched related movies, such as “Single White Female,” “Obsessed,” and “Fatal Attraction.” Meester said she also spoke with psychiatrists who treated patients who were mentally disturbed. “The psychiatrists I spoke to were the most helpful because they would describe in gross detail different cases that they’d worked on defending their patients who had been convicted of crimes,” Meester said. “I’m really proud of how it turned out and it’s definitely a ride. It’s got a lot of levels, it’s sexy and exciting and scary and jarring and disturbing,” Meester said. “The Roommate” is now showing at local theatres.

Leighton Meester channels the villain in “The Roommate”By Cassie SmithA&E Editor

Actress, Leighton Meester

Arts & Entertainment

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Page 8 February 22-March 14, 2011

By Danielle L KennebrewContributing Writer

Success in sales, marketing involves strategy, diligence

Careers in sales and marking are vastly expanding and many opportunities are becoming readily available for college graduates. As a junior enrolled at Xavier University with a major in Sales and Marketing, I was required to take the personal selling course. In doing so, I had the opportunity to experience a semester in the shoes of a sales representative. My task was to sell advertisements for the Xavier Herald newspaper. My objective was to prospect for and secure new clients and to surpass my expected quota of $400. To do this, I first developed a selling strategy or a selling plan, which included having adequate product knowledge, identifying the sales territory, recognizing prospective clients, and finally generating a plan of delivery for the product. This assignment gave me the opportunity to apply the selling processes we learned in class. It also helped me to

understand the challenges that occur when executing the process. I started by doing research on the history of the Xavier Herald, for example when it was founded, by whom, and its purpose as the university’s newspaper. Then I researched the university’s demographics. By gathering this information, I felt that I could present data about the Herald readers and how businesses would benefit by reaching these readers. I felt that the most opportune sales territory would be the businesses along South Carrollton. I believe fellow Xavierites will venture out to businesses near campus, so I selected five local stores as potential clients. Next, I called each business, introduced myself and explained the reason for the call. I made it a point to emphasize the benefits of placing an ad in the XU Herald. There were a few patrons who were not interested in buying ads due to financial difficulties and timing issues. I learned valuable lessons from each sales call, whether I made the sale or not. I made sure to follow up with the delivery of the paper and a thank you letter to each client. We learned follow-up is the last step in the selling process and is vital for future business. Finally, the best advice I can give stems from this saying by Fredrick Smith: “Fear of failure must never be a reason not to try.” By applying the selling strategies, I was able to surpass my quota and sold $500 in advertising. Kennebrew is a junior, sales and marketing major.

Long blinds on the exterior glass wall easily move with a slight breeze. The study room is accessible from midnight until 7 a.m. when the library opens. The study room has a single entry/exit. To access the study room, students have to walk around the back side of the library near the interstate, up the isolated, dead end alleyway next to the Qatar Pavilion, around broken glass on the ground, and past dark corners, fences, and stairways. Late at night, students say the walk to and from the study room is frightening. Junior Biology major from Seattle, Wash. Javonne Gartrell-Hall, said, “I think the 24-hour study room is a great idea but security is not as visible as it should be. There doesn’t seem to be anyone monitoring the room itself late at night or monitoring the area outside the doors. We have an open campus, the fact that anyone can walk in, and there doesn’t seem to be any one I could turn to immediately in case of an emergency. It makes me a little uneasy.” To address some of the safety concerns, Library Director and Head University Librarian Robert Skinner,

said the library has asked XUPD to monitor the area. Skinner is also working with facility planning to have an emergency box installed in the alley. XUPD Crime Prevention Officer Morris Moore says a patrol car passes by and monitors the area at least once every hour and officers take note of how many students are in the room. “We encourage students that before they walk out at night to make that phone call for a patrol car to escort them out,” Moore said. A male student, Nicholas Alexander, Junior Biology major, New Orleans said he feels uneasy in the study room as well. “Yes, I feel vulnerable because this is an open campus and there is no constant surveillance of the study room. Luckily, we can call the police if we need to,” Alexander said. Two students volunteered to call XUPD to get a ride from the study room. The phone call was placed at 11:41 p.m. and XUPD arrived at 11:46 p.m. to pick them up from the alley. The number to campus police is (504) 520-7490. Moore pleads that students call before leaving the study room at night.

XUPD: ‘Call for a patrol car’ STUDY ROOM, from pg. 1

Terri Johnson studies in 24-hour room.

Terri Johnson and Javonne Gartrell-Hall enter the study room.

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SporTSTennis teams adjusting to new recruits

By Kristin FletcherStaff Writer

The Xavier Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets kicked off the season the right way, and are continuing to make the steps necessary to be strong contenders this season. Currently, the Gold Rush stands with a 6-2 overall record, while the Gold Nuggets are 2-4. This season they will play five men's opponents and eight women's opponents from NCAA Division I. Last season, the tennis teams won the first round matches at the NAIA National Championship. This season, the teams have a lot of new recruits. The women’s team consists of

Amber Brown, a freshman from Decatur, Ga.; sisters Melissa and Nicole DeLoach who are a senior and freshman from Fort Washington, Md.; Yazmin Hooper, a sophomore from Corona, Calif.; Kourtney Howell, a freshman from Cypress, Texas; Ashley McGill, a senior from Memphis, Tenn.; and Carmen Nelson, a sophomore from Jonesboro, Ga. The men’s team consists of Hassan Abbas, a senior from Saltaire, England; Jonathan Aubrey, a freshman from Decatur, Ga.; Steffen Giles-Osborn, a junior from Atlanta, Ga.; Amir Rahbar, a freshman from Houston, Texas; Sean Richardson a junior from Ellenwood, Ga.; and

Zach Taylor, a junior from Monroe, La. Alan Green, head coach of the tennis teams, believes the new recruits have proven to be assets to the team. “The freshmen are very talented and very hard workers,” Green said. “They enjoy playing tennis. I have to kick them off the course, which is a good thing.” New recruit Zach Taylor has proven to be a valuable player. Green says Taylor clinched the second consecutive victory for the Gold Rush with a 6-3, 6-1 decision over Juan Tellez from West Alabama. “Zach is playing pretty high in the line up,” Green said. Coming into as a new member, Taylor has discovered that the team

is jelling together well this season. “This is my first season playing with Xavier,” Taylor said. “We have good chemistry together. We are a good team, but we have a lot of work.” After losing two All-American players, the women’s team has also undergone changes this season. Green notes that players Carmen Nelson and Melissa DeLoach are proving to be capable of leading the team. Nelson and teammate Amber Brown scored an 8-2 doubles victory against West Alabama on Feb. 8. “Carmen Nelson has stepped up to be a leader on the team this season,” Green said. “And Melissa (DeLoach) always has been

a leader and team captain.” Melissa DeLoach defeated West Alabama in a women’s dual 6-4, 7-5, in singles. This season the teams are not competing in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference, but in an unaffiliated conference. Loyola and four other conference members left for the Southern States Athletic Conference, and LSU-Shreveport moved to Red River Athletic Conference. There must be at least six teams playing in tennis to participate in the GCAC. Although the teams are not competing in the GCAC, the players are still confident in this season. “I feel like we have a really strong team,” Green said. “I believe we have the teams to win Nationals.”

Amir Rahbar watches match with trainer and teammate. Hassan Abbas and Zach Taylor are coached during a match.

A typical tennis backpack. Hassan Abbas waits for his partner, Zach Taylor, to serve.

Zach Taylor gives his partner Abbas signals before serving.

Nuggets gear up for doubles match. Zach Taylor and Hassan Abbas wait for opponent to serve.Photos by Stacey Windon.

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healTh & FiTNeSS

By Mylinh HoangStaff Writer

Last issue, our goal was to incorporate more walking into our day-to-day life. Re-member when you wrote those honesty entries? Did it include multiple trips to the vending machines and fast food res-taurants? Healthy eating along with squeezing some type of exercise in your schedule, like aerobics or walking, are two great habits that could lead you to the lifestyle you long for. Have you been fulfilling your hunger with a Snickers bar or quenching your thirst with a bottle of Coke? It’s so hard to resist these popu-lar vending machine goods

because it’s inexpensive and convenient, but planning ahead is a great tactic to pre-pare yourself to refuse those indulgences. You are what you eat. America’s famous candy bar, Snickers, known as the go-to sweet snack is popular for its slogan “Hungry? Grab a Snickers.” This chocolate-car-amel-nuts-filled bar contains all the ingredients to fulfill your hunger for a moment or two, but are you really satis-fied? A Snickers bar is 266 calo-ries and includes eight mil-ligrams of cholesterol, 130 milligrams of sodium, and 28

Help yourself to healthier eating habits grams of sugar. This nutri-tion fact isn’t just a collection of numbers to scare you into a calorie-counting stage, but rather encourage you to really think about what you’re con-suming. A Snickers bar doesn’t seem to be enough and you reach for a bag of Doritos, which con-tains 140 calories and 310 mil-ligrams of sodium, more than twice the amount of sodium in a Snickers bar. Some time passes by and you’re body is having another craving, this time a Hostess honey bun. This oval-shaped, glazed-topped, donut look-a-like costs you about $1.00 and 440 calories. The nutrition

facts include 340 milligrams of sodium and 29 grams of sugar. According to CalorieK-ing.com, you would have to run 30 minutes if you want to “burn off” this honey bun.

Quench your thirst.

You’re on your way to class and you pass up the Student Lounge. The big and bright red Coca-Cola machine catches your attention and next thing you know there’s a 24-ounce bottle of Coca-Cola in your hand. That machine-cold drink contains 290 calories, 90 mil-ligrams of sodium, and last but not least, 79 grams of sugar.

This is more than twice the amount of sugar in a Snicker’s bar. So let’s do the math: You start the day with a Snicker’s bar and wash it down with a bottle of Coca-Cola, and then you grab a bag of Doritos. You’re still hungry, so you grab a honey bun. Total snack calories: 1306 calories.

Solution: prepare yourself! Pack your refrigerator with fresh vegetables and fruits that contain important vitamins, like carrots, celery, broccoli, and bananas, oranges, and apples.

What you should eatWant to fill yourself up with vitamins A, B, C, E and 10 different minerals like potassium, calcium, and iron? Eat half a cup of:• Broccoli• Carrots• CeleryBring an orange, banana, or apple to school as a snack. These fruits are high in vitamins, fiber and water.• Apple: 47 calories• Banana:110 calories• Orange: 60 calories

TEAMS, from pg. 1

Food pyramid chart

Teams prepare for last game of the regular season

With a 23-6 overall record and 5-0 in the GCAC, the Nuggets remain in the number one spot in GCAC. After a 72-58 win over the Lady Knights of SUNO, the Nuggets are primed for another run at the conference title against the Lady Bleu Devils. For students interested in purchasing tickets for the Crosstown Classic, there will be an advance ticket sale on Wednesday, Feb. 23, from 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. at The Barn. Advance sale tickets for Xavier students are $5, and game-day general admission is $10.

Kevin Miller shoots over opponent. Michael Harvey goes for two.

Brandi Young dribbles down the court. Photos by Alyssa Mercadel and Irving Johnson III.

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in case you missed it

Zeta Sister R. Paris White speaks on her knowledge and views about Creoles.

Dr. Wendy Gaudin tells students about the difference between Creole and Cajun.

Junior French student, Birkinesh Maat, shows off the DVD she won.

Creole Forum

Night Catches Us

Stop The Violence Rally Valentine’s Day

Auction

Chavez Scott, Alpha brother who was auctioned, and Satearia Thomas, who paid for the date.

(l-r) Sophomore Court Christian Heyser, Nikki Odofin, and Karmyn Marks.

Sophomores Angel Jones and Gabrielle Henton at the rally.

Freshmen Courtney Wilson and Armani Patterson are all for stopping the violence.

Freshman Day of Service

Freshmen Christian Campbell and Chandler Mitchell participate in a day of service.

Photos by Ruston Henry and Alyssa Mercadel.