Customs, Traditions & Stories

My family is Creole, not to be confused with Cajun. No offense to all of my Cajuns, but it is kind of offensive to be called something that you are not. As you may guess, we have a lot of traditions and customs. We hate being swept by a broom because it means you’ll go to jail, we never walk over a grave, we knock on wood all the time if we feel like we may have jinxed ourselves and to add to the list we never ever talk about Voodoo. Many of my friends like to ask me questions like do any of my family practice voodoo or if i have ever practiced voodoo and my favorite of them all. . . “Do you believe in Voodoo?”. I cant help, but laugh at that one. I have cousins who are drug dealers and who would rob the president if given the opportunity, but one thing they would never do is mess with Voodoo. Almost all of us are Catholic, so we go through Lint every year and we have to give up something til April. You are not supposed to eat meat on fridays, but between me and you. . . that is the one thing i slip on every year. Please dont tell my grandmother. I am just playing (not really), but we are a generally fun loving family. Crawfish balls and Trail Rides are my favorite. They both come with smells that on any other day you would say stink, but on those days, you just can not wait to dance and eat. I personnally believe that if you are not from Louisiana yu can not boil crawfish right. Sue me, but I have just never tasted “Good, spicy, juicy crawfish” from any where, but Louisiana. I have tasted some “imposters”, but it is not the same. We have a lot of funny, serious and even unexplainable customs, but i dont think i would have it any other way.

Current Event

I wrote my current event based on an article by Jay Book man. Jay Book man is a writer for the Atlanta Journal Constitution. The article is called “Election of 08 told us what ‘Real America’ looks like. In his article he spoke about how having a Democratic and African American president showed a change in American society. The article contained comments from various citizens speaking about how they feel America needed a change and how they believe it is getting one. I believe that this article is accurate in some ways. Twenty years ago there probably would not have been a president of an ethnic background. If it was not for Bush, I do not believe that we would have one now. It is like the residents of this country were not satisfied with the progress or lack there of that the current president was making so the people of the United States of America picked someone who seems to be entirely different from him. This whole election was about change which also made it nearly impossible for McCain to effectively campaign with out totally going against his party. These past four years better go great because this will be like the test rat to see if it works. Obama has a lot of weight on his shoulders and I hope he carries it well.

wrap Up

My experience this semester has been a great one. I met a lot of people who are very interesting and I have seen a lot of old friends that I hope will be around in my future. Xavier is a wonderful school. It seems like most of my teachers really love what they teach and they love their students. I have never met so many people enthusiastic about education. It is refreshing to know that they want you to succeed. There were so many opportunities here. It made me realize that if I did not do well then it would be my fault because I have so many people trying to help me. I may have not worked up to my potential, but I worked well this semester. I have done my fair share of partying. I had my bored moments also, but I really enjoyed myself this semester. The clubs are awesome and it is nice to have friends who let you crash at their house after you miss curfew. Which would have to be one thing I would want to tweak about the university. I think Xavier is one of the strictest universities in the country, but I am glad that I came here because being here taught me how to effectively handle responsibility and how to balance my social life and my school work. I do not think I would have rather spent my semester anywhere else. Xavier has some of the best professors and I am glad that God blessed me with the opportunity to be taught by them.

Wrap Up

I have learned a lot during the first semester at Xavier.  Being a college student, I have more freedom in education.  I can choose my major, classes and professors I wish to attend.  I am independent and have full responsibility of  my whole life.  I have learned a new study habit  to balance my studying outside and class time.  Overall, college life is totally different that make me scared at the beginning of this semester of my freshmen year.  I need to restart everything:  making new friends, developing a new study habit, building up the  time management  skills,….  to follow up  the college’s expectation. 

My major is Chemistry Pre-pharmacy.  I love chemistry since I was young; hence, I will try my best to pursuit my dream.  I will study at Xavier two years for Pre-pharmacy and start apply to Pharmacy school next year.  At the beginning of school year, I knew what I need to focus and drew my studied plan.  Therefore, up to now, I am happy for what I gained and do not regeret any thing. 

Next spring semester, I will definitely come back Xavier to continue studying my major.  I know that it is getting harder and harder since I applied  for 14credits.  However, I have more confident and be ready to surpass any coming challenge.  I will study more in the winter break and get back to spring semester with a new spirit, a refresh mind.  I know my weak points of speech and writing composition, so I will work hard on these aspects. 

Last but not least, I really appreciate Xavier for giving me the chance to attend here.  I have experienced everything  I expected at the begining from academic point of view to social college life.  I love Xavier!

Wrap Up

I’ve learned a lot of lessons from being at Xavier for my first semester of college. I’ve certainly learned how to build more study habits. I wish that I would have known that I would have to put more study time in before I started school. I messed myself p and winded up having to drop Biology this semester. If I could do anything over it would probably skip going to a lot of the clubs that I went to in the beginning of the year. It would have really helped my grades and it would’ve also saved me some extra cash.   During the spring semester I plan to study a whole lot more than i did at the beginning of this semester. I am probably going to try to get more active at school as well if my grades allow.  I think I am going to remain a Biology Premed major for the spring but by the end of the spring semester if I still can’t seem to pas Biology them I my change majors. I am definately going to return to Xavier next semester because it is a place where I feel confident that I can get the help that I need always at the time that I need it. I think the University’s strongest aspects are that it is a catholic institution that offers daily mass, there are smaller clas sizes so the professor can cater to more of your individual needs, and there are many postive activities that everyone including freshman can participate in.  The weak points of xavier are not really of Xavier but of some of its students. There is always something going on at the UC and many freshman don’t make the right decision to go to the library or other things so that they can be a part of the action. Some even skip class for the events that take place there.

#7 wrap up

I like Xavier all in all. It’s a good school, and it’s #6 in HBCU’S. Going to an HBCU was very important to me and i think i made a very good decision by coming here. Campus life isn’t all what it’s supposed to be but i still enjoy myself because i make the best out of any situation. Plus all schools say the same thing, that Campus life is okay, they thought it would be better. Therefore, i think i made an even better decision by coming to Xavier coming to Xavier because i really like New Orleans. When i first came to  Xavier I wish i would have known that we  could add classes because as a freshman they pick your fall classes, so i figured that your stuck with what they give you. This mentality left me with 12 credit hours. Which means that i’m going to have to work even harder next semester to become a sophomore. However, i liked how my first semester went. I worked diligently and had a good time. My grades can look a little better but next semester i know what to ecpect so im going to work even harder.

Current Events

The title of this article is “We were robbed” This comes from the Times Picayune. It was written by Jarvis DeBerry.

It was an article about the former chief spokesperson for U.S. Senator Jesse Helms.  Claude Allen is a man who spoke for the senator until he was diagnised with a mental condition. He was put on trial for stealing from a local Target. At the same time this incident was happenning Hurrican Katrina was happening in New Orleans. The way he used it to his advantage was a terrible almost demeaning thing to do. He said that he saw all of the devestation in New Orleans after Katrina. He also said that he saw all of the looting going on on the city after the storm and that it made him upset.  It made him depressed and he said that he had to steal. He had so mich pity and love for New Orleans that he had to steal for us. I totally disagree with this.  I am from New Orleans and saw all of the things going on on the city. I would never even think about stealing anything from anywhere in texas where I lived after the storm. To top it all of it seemed as though the judge and the jury agreed with him. He convinced them that he was under a lot of stress since it was the nation’s biggest natural disaster and he had to work with the president. Whoever the courtroom officials were believed him and he was only slapped with only being recommended to be suspended from practicing law for 90 days. To me it seems like a big pile of lies.

Customs traditions and stories

Being born and raised in New Orleans, I’ve been attending different kinds of festivals all my life. Jazzfest has been one of the many festivals I’ve been going to for many years. I’ve been going to Mardi Gras parades even lobger, ever since I was a baby.  My favorite parade is the Krewe of Endymion. They are pretty much the biggest krewe. I like to walk on Canal street Saturday night and catch up with friends and family. Many of the people that I see are people who I havent seen in forever. The same thing happens when I go to Jazzfest. When I go to Jazzfest though I tend to see older people who I know through my parents. I see a lot of friends my age too but there aren’t nearly as many of them as there are of my older adult friends. My favorite jazzfest stage would have to be the main stage in Congo Square. I like it because it has all of the main feature artists. I get a chance to see some of the old muscians and artists as well as some of the new artists.  I also like it because I can og to the booths in the area while at the same time listening to music and I never have to go that far. I also like the grandstand stage because the grandstand is air conditioned on the inside.  Since Jazzfest takes place in the spring it can get pretty hot.  I enjoy attending these events because its what makes New Orleans what it is.  There are many other places that have celebrations but other than Mobile, Alabama there is no other place with Mardi Gras. To be honest it doesn’t compare.

Wrap Up

I know now what exactly to expect for Xavier University. Academically, this is the most challenging institution I have ever been at. I know not to be too hard on myself, as I was an ‘A’ student throughout high school; college is a totally different story. I would not pull all-nighters writing papers, or studying for a test if I had a ‘do-over’ for this semester. I also wouldn’t procrastinate! I will stay in the same major (biology pre-med) in the spring. Although it has been an extremely challenging semester, having biology and chemistry in the same semester, I will not give up because I am a really determined individual and I am even more motivated to succeed when the odds are not in my favor. Of course I will return to Xavier in the spring! I love Xavier and New Orleans as a city. The University’s strongest aspects are its tutoring centers and computer labs. Its weakest are some of the professors that I have run into that teach because they have to, but do not have a real passion for it and do not explain the material well at all, leaving the student, (I.e. myself), to teach themselves.

Customs, Traditions, and Stories

  

My family always gets together for Thanksgiving and Christmas. During Thanksgiving time, my immediate family and friends of the family get together and have the traditional feast at my house. After we are done indulging in the typical Thanksgiving food such as: turkey, Honey-Baked ham, macaroni and cheese, gumbo, cranberry sauce, and dressing, we all put on our Salvation Army aprons and head downtown to the Salvation Army to serve the families that come for a warm meal. This is a very rewarding experience for me, as I am reminded to be thankful to have a roof over my head, and enough money for groceries to make meals. Christmas time is without a doubt my favorite time of the year. I love the Christmas music and the overall feeling of complete bliss because of the hot chocolate by the fireplace, a full house of relatives, and presents! Every Christmas the littlest cousins are the first to arise at the wee hours of the morning. They come and wake up everyone else in the house and we all go downstairs and open our gifts and have a big breakfast. The rest of the morning is spent cooking Christmas dinner and desert. After we have dinner, we always go to see the latest blockbuster at the movie theater. This completes my favorite holiday.