WHITE COAT CEREMONY:
First-year College of Pharmacy students
(from left) Courtney LeBlanc of Marrero
LA, Teekay Nguyen of Baton Rouge LA and
David Wilson of Englewood NJ sign their
professional oaths at the 10th annual White
Coat Ceremony, during which the neophyte
students received their first professional
uniform - the white jacket - symbolizing
ethical practice and signifying the beginning
of their professional pharmacy educations.
Volume 14 – Fall 2011
Did you know?
- Post-Hurricane Katrina enrollment has hit
yet another new high again this fall, thanks
to a solid freshman class of 786 that met
projected levels and 150 new transfer students.
That pushed the university’s current overall
enrollment to 3,399 students – ever so slightly
higher than last fall’s figures. It continues a
trend that has seen enrollment grow at a slow
but steady pace in the six years since Katrina
knocked down the student population to
around three-quarters of its best pre-storm
figures.
- Xavier and Delgado Community College have
signed a formal agreement of cooperation to
work together to develop academic programs
and other collaborations that would be of
mutual benefit to both institutions.
-
University officials have met with
representatives of the Universite NotreDame d’Haiti to explore ideas for a proposed
collaboration that could involve exchanges of
students and professors as well as the creation
of a school of pharmacy and an expanded
teacher certification program in Haiti.
-Xavier and Hebei Normal University of
Science and Technology (HNUST) have
signed a cooperation agreement to promote
Mandarin instruction at Xavier and support
faculty and student exchanges between
the two institutions. The agreement is an
important milestone in the university’s efforts
to establish a Confucius Institute at Xavier.
continued on page 2
A publication for parents, students and prospective students of Xavier University of Louisiana
City girl travels the world
Sometimes you just have to go with the flow. Just
ask Markita Harris ’08, the self—proclaimed city
girl from Buffalo NY whose has seen her life take
some rather unexpected turns.
Harris entered Xavier in 2004, just one year
before Hurricane Katrina devastated New
Orleans. She was undeterred by the six-month
setback and returned to campus to help with the
recovery of both the city and the University.
After earning her political science degree, Harris’
first stop was Baton Rouge LA, where she
taught for three years at Brookstone Elementary
and the Inspire Charter School under the
Teach for America program. While there she
simultaneously completed her master’s degree
program in public administration at LSU.
But Harris, who describes herself as “a bit daring,
nomadic and curious”, was looking for much
more. She hitched herself to star that would take
her to faraway India, where she planned to teach
at an International Charter school and explore
“every inch of Asia from Thailand to Tokyo”, not
to mention getting herself a taste of Europe and
Africa as well.
But after months of trying to make the dream
happen – which saw her filling out mounds
Markita Harris ’08 with her class in Qatar
of paper work, coughing up a goodly sum of
cash, and spending countless hours trying to
make sense of Indian bureaucracy – the wheels
abruptly came off of her carefully laid plans. The
company arranging the teaching assignments
pulled the plug on the whole venture, leaving
Harris jobless, homeless, and clueless.
But just as quickly as the clouds of despair began
to close in, another opportunity fell into her lap.
Doha came calling. That’s the city of Doha, as in
the Middle Eastern nation of Qatar, where she
continued on page 3
Alum cherishes career, Xavier roots
There were some confused looks on campus
when Keith Smith ’83 returned to campus this
summer as director of photography for a movie
that was being partially filmed on campus.
Heads turned to read his t-shirts, which sported
names like “Leonard Drake” and “Carroll Mace”.
Although meaningless to the vast majority of
current campus residents, those are names
undoubtedly familiar to University old-timers
and alums from 1970’s and 80’s. Drake, a
former assistant men’s basketball coach, and
Mace, a long-time language professor, both
are long-gone from Xavier – in fact, the former
has since passed away. And yet their impact on
Smith remains profound, and helps to illustrate
the special bound that Xavier often inspires in
its graduates.
“Dr. Mace was very soft-spoken, gentle person
who took a special interest in me despite the
fact that I wasn’t even in his department,” said
Smith, a communications major. “Coach Drake
to win the AFI distinguished student scholarship
award. He went on to earn a Master of Fine arts
degree.
“Being at AFI really helped me to appreciate the
education that I received at Xavier,” he recalled.
“I was surrounded by talented people from all
over the world, but it quickly became clear to me
that I had the skills and the training necessary to
succeed in a highly-competitive environment.”
Smith began his film career as a camera
assistant, gaining precious experience working
for such well-known filmmakers as Oliver Stone
(“JFK”), Rob Reiner (“A Few Good Men”) and
David Koeppe (“The Trigger Effect”). Stepping
up to cinematography, he has worked on a variety
of projects, ranging from the independent film
“Statistically Speaking” which aired on Showtime
to a short film that was one of seven finalists for
an Oscar in the live action short category. He
has also served in various capacities on more
Did you know?
continued from page 1
-The phrase of the year on campus is
“Pardon Our Progress”. Two new buildings
– a Convocation Academic Center (which will
house the University’s first modern indoor
assembly center and sports arena) and the
St. Katharine Drexel Chapel (the University’s
first free-standing house of worship) – are
currently under construction. Another already
existing building – formerly a residence hall
– is being transformed into the modern St.
Joseph Academic and Health Resource Center.
- Xavier was singled out as one of the nation’s
best institutions for undergraduate education
by The Princeton Review in its annual college
guide publication, “The Best 376 Colleges”
guide. The University was also included
among the nation’s “best and most interesting
colleges and universities” in the 2012 edition
of the Fiske Guide to Colleges, and was tied for
the No. 5 spot among all 79 Historically Black
Colleges and Universities HCBCUs) in the
2012 edition of “Best Colleges” by U.S. News
Media Group.
- Forty-six XU graduates were accepted into
medical, dental, podiatric medicine, veterinary
medicine, optometry, podiatric medicine,
chiropractic, public health, and other health
administration programs this fall. In the fall of
2010, there were 359 XU graduates in graduate
or professional schools in those fields.
OUR MAN IN HOLLYWOOD:
Keith Smith ’83 (second from left), director of photography for the upcoming movie On the
Seventh Day, gets camera and crew ready for the next shot. Some scenes for the film were
filmed on campus and in nearby Gert Town, giving the proud alum a chance to revisit his alma
mater.
was just the opposite, he was very demonstrative
and outspoken, but he helped me mature both
on and off the court.”
than a dozen other feature films as a principle
photographer, A-Cam Operator and assistant
director of photography.
“They didn’t have to do that; it was just the kind
of people they were,” he said. “I owe them a
great deal.”
“On the Seventh Day”, an independent film
starring Blair Underwood and Sharon Leal, and
directed by Emmy-winning director Neema
Barnette, represents his first major shot at
director of photography. Expected release is early
2012. In that new role, he’s responsible making
the overall look of the film match the director’s
stated vision. That involves setting the style of
the film by making the correct choice of cameras,
lenses, framing, lighting, etc., etc. It’s a daunting
task, but one he relishes.
Smith, a four-year basketball letterman on
Xavier’s powerhouse basketball teams of the
early 1980’s, was just as focused when it came
to his career goals. Most notably, as a senior he
snared an internship with the local cable station
as a videographer, which led directly to his being
hired as a news photographer for WWL-TV, the
city’s most respected news team.
In 1989, Smith was accepted into the prestigious
American Film Institute (AFI) in Los Angeles CA,
where he became the first cinematography fellow
2
“I find it just incredible that I have the
opportunity to do this,” Smith. “I honestly love
what I do, whether I am focusing on the creative
or technical side of the business.”
-Fifteen undergraduate students were to
participate in the 2011-2012 Ronald E. McNair
Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program,
which is designed specifically to help students
who wish to pursue a Ph.D. Participants
attend semi-monthly seminars featuring
guest speakers and topics of importance for
prospective Ph.D. students. Select McNair
students travel during the year and conduct
research internships in the summer.
-Thirty upperclassmen have been named
Rousseve Scholars for the 2011-12 school
year. Students selected for the honor generally
represent the top ten (or more) students in the
senior, junior and sophomore classes based
on their academic performance the preceding
two semesters. Each recipient receives a full
tuition scholarship and a book allowance.
Derrick Bradley, a P3 pharmacy student
from Ringhold LA, was one of 260
students nationwide to receive an Albert
Schweitzer Fellowship, which is awarded to
underclassmen who are actively engaged
in service projects that address the unmet
health needs of underserved individuals and
communities.
One student NOT on campus this year is
senior Abigail Hyndman, who was the winner
of the 2011 Miss Universe British Virgin
Islands pageant during the summer. As Miss
continued to page 3
Did you know?
continued from page 2
British Virgin Islands she was awarded a full
four-year scholarship and other prizes, plus
the opportunity to represent her territory in the
worldwide 2012 Miss Universe Pageant next
year. She plans to return to finish her degree.
Adia Wallace, a sophomore philosophy major
from Jackson MS, was named to the Kemper
Scholars Program’s Class of 2013. Designed
to prepare students for leadership and service,
the program offers annual scholarships of up
to $10,000 a year as well as stipends while
serving internships at major nonprofits in the
Chicago IL area.
Junior biology/pre-med major Blake Gray
of DeSoto, TX and junior psychology/premed major Janay Tyler of New Orleans spent
10 weeks in Ghana (Africa) conducting
ethnobotany research under the auspices of
the Minority Health Disparity International
Research Training (MHIRT) summer program
through San Diego State University.
Three XU students participated in Behavioral
Health internships at various sites last
semester under an HBCU Mini Grant from
the Morehouse School of Medicine, including
junior political science major Jarvis Lewis of
Luling LA, senior biology major Brandy Davis
of Springfield LA, and junior biology major
Brittney Lewis of Harvey LA.
Senior chemistry/pre-med major Keishondra
Sampson of Baton Rouge LA participated in
an intensive eight-week research program
in Brigham Women’s Hospital and the
Harvard Medical School’s Summer Training in
Academic Research and Scholarship Program
in Massachusetts this past summer.
Junior business major Loic Didavi of Contonou,
Benin, playing his first tennis tournament for
Xavier, defeated Florida A&M’s Levan Clark
6-4, 6-4 to win the men’s singles A-flight of the
HBCU National Championships.
Freshman English education major Catherine
Fakler of Phoenix AZ set a school record for
the 6,000 meter run (24 min., 10.3 sec.) at the
LSU Invitational cross country meet, held in
Baton Rouge LA. She finished 16th out of 76
runners in the race.
P3 pharmacy student April Green of Homer LA
was named co-recipient of the Edith Hambie
Outstanding Fellow Leadership award at
the Ferguson Fellowship at the Centers for
Disease Control this summer.
Junior biology premed major Courtney Royal
from Kenner LA has been granted early
acceptance into the University of Rochester
Medical School via its Early Assurance
Program.
THE RIGHT FIT:
Enthusiastic members of Xavier’s incoming Freshman class – (front row, L-R) Edwin Scott and
Jerren LeBlanc, and (back row) Meagan Williams, Kimberly Feast, Quenisha Thomas, Moira Kirk,
Taylor Reuther and Ivory Bibbins – proudly display their new Class of 2015 baseball caps following
the annual “capping” ceremony, part of the week-long New Student Orientation program.
City girl travels the world
continued
from page 1
“Everything happens for a reason,” said Harris.
“I am in Doha for a reason. It may be 30 years
later when I figure it out, but I know there is
one.”
Despite some language and cultural differences,
Harris has settled into her new surroundings.
“The kids love me and I love them,” she said.
“They are so well-behaved, interested and eager
to learn.” Harris also has nothing but good
things to say about Qatar, which she has just
begun to explore. “To my surprise, everything is
written in both Arabic and English,” said Harris,
who has also observed that almost no one who
lives there is from the Middle East, but rather
lots of foreigners (like herself) from all over
the world. “Even though things are written in
English, not everyone here is fluent in English.
I secretly plan to learn some Arabic while I’m
here.”
In the meantime, things are going swimmingly.
There she goes planning again.
is currently working as a Kindergarten teacher.
Miraculously her resume had gotten passed on
to the principal of an international school there,
and the rest is history.
“Let’s just say the person with the plan finally
went with the flow,” she said, explaining the
sudden turn of events to fans of her internet
blog. “My plan for India didn’t work out and
that’s when I realized life isn’t my plan to make.
It’s beyond me.”
EXPLORE XAVIER - Open House | February 9, 2012, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
For more information or to submit an online application for admission, please
visit the Xavier website at www.xula.edu.
Office of Admissions
Phone: (504) 520-7388 | Toll Free: 1 (877)-XAVIERU | Fax: (504) 520-7941
Email: apply@xula.edu
3
Xavier University of Louisiana
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New Orleans LA 70125
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Xavier Prep Co-valedictorians
Have Campus Seeing Double
Megan and Melissa Riley
When Megan Riley decided to attend Xavier, her
sister Melissa was quick to follow. Or was that
Melissa who decided and Megan who followed?
Actually, there’s no telling, because unless you
know them real well, you can’t tell them apart
either looking at them or talking to them. Megan
and Melissa are, of course, twins; but they are very
special ones. The new freshmen are graduates of
Xavier Prep (New Orleans), where they were covaledictorians. That little feat earned them both
full St. Katharine Drexel tuition scholarships.
we don’t want to overwhelm ourselves.” It also
has something to do with the rigorous college
curriculum. “We’ve been really busy,” added
Megan. “It seems like we have to write a paper
every week.”
Talking to the duo produces a lot of echoes, as
you tend to get the same, simultaneous answers
from each. Best part of going to college? “Living
on our own” (they share a room in Katharine
Drexel Residence Hall). Most difficult part of
college? “Time management” (e.g., learning how
to allocate their free time between studying and
hanging out with friends). Graduate school in your
future plans? An unequivocal “Yes”.
Both have enjoyed their college experience so
far, and both credit taking advantage of Xavier’s
concurrent studies programs and participating
in New Student Orientation with making the
transition from high school to college easier.
“Concurrent studies gave us a head start in seeing
how college works,” said Megan. “And we made a
lot of new friends during orientation.”
Yet there are some subtle differences. Although
they are both teacher education majors, Megan
plans to focus on special education, while
Melissa’s preference is early childhood education.
And they swear their friends can tell them apart
with no problem.
Although the twins were extremely active in high
school, they are easing into the myriad of Xavier
offerings. “That can wait until next semester,” said
Melissa. “Right now we’re just trying to adjust;
And the favorable impression is mutual. “I had
the pleasure of meeting Megan and Melissa
when they were seniors at Xavier Prep and was
excited then about the prospect of having them
in our program,” said Dr. Rosalind Pijeaux Hale,
Chair and NCATE Coordinator in the Division of
Education. “But I’m even more impressed now
that they are here. They are serious about their
work, are doing well in their classes, and are
regular participants in the activities sponsored by
the Division. It’s a pleasure to have them here.”