and call it NEW ORLEANS

If it wasnt for freshman seminar, I probally would not even consider reading and they call it New Orleans. After reading it I consider it to be quite interesting. What grabbed my attention was the development of the city. This book gives me a little more of a understanding for New Orleans.

I grasped a great deal of information while learning about John law , he was the man with a plan in mind and he acted on it. They called him the inventor of inflation and credit. He invented this financial system for a nation but every prince in Europe turned him down. That did not stop him he was determind. Finally he found the Duke of Orleans and started his operation.thought the demise of both the Duke of Orleans and John Law was typical. The Regent had used and abused all his resources and died in the arms of a whore, only to turn over a chaotic system to a young and inept ruler, while John Law happened to live a while longer than that, but impoverished and alone.

I think the naming of the streets kind of fell in order they named them after people of importance or people close to them. If ever me or someone I knew had that sort of power I would encourage the same thing. I might even have a street named after myself.

Traditions and Customs

The Faubourg Treme film was interesting and very informational. Being that i’m not from here it gives me more of a visual full coverage insight on the disaster. To see one family reopen their home doors for the first time and catch that first glimpse of the destruction in their homes made me feel more so greatful for what I have.. Also seeing people in search for their relatives really encouraged me to reflect on my life. There have been many times me and my siblings argued and fought, but
i honestly can’t imagine them not being around.
Now let’s get into talking about food.I could cook as good as I could eat. Unfortunately I don’t cook to often. My favorite food is almost everything my mom cook. Being that I am Jamaican our food has a little bit of “umph” in it. I love maccaroni and cheese, curry chicken, curry goat, acke and saltfish(a jamaican royal dish), oxtails, lasagna, ham, chicken. I love it all. What I absolutely hate to eat is any seafood, or anything that comes from the water. So that means No Red Lobster for me. I go to Red Lobster and order biscuits, crazy right. As far as dessert goes, I pretty much love all sweets. Anything with blueberries and cinnamon I refuse to eat. But I can eat chocolate chip cookies anytime of the day

As I grew up as a young lady in Chicago, I learned more and more about my culture as a Jamaican. I am a full blood Jamaican. Although I moved from Jamaica to Chicago, IL at age 3, I am still able to learn about my culture and different traditions. My favorite tradition is our independence day activities. American independence day is July 4th. My favorite is Jamaican Independence day, which is August 6th. Since I was a little girl until now, we did the same things each year. Normally our whole family get together for an early breakfast at my grandmother’s house, whic would start off the festivittis for the day. Normally everyone is dressed in the colors of the jamaican flag(yellow, black, and green). Later on in the afternoon everyone gather at Washington Park, which is where you run into plenty of othe r Jamaican families and friends. At Washington Park,There is an event that goes on that is called Jamaican Caribanna. Caribanna is like a large festival,fun and games and lots and lots of food.The food vendors carries more of Jamaican signature foods and drinks, such as currygoat and rice and peas, curry chicken and white rice, oxtails, acke and saltfish, patties, kola champagne, and many more. Not only do you eat and pay but you get to shop to. There are vendors from everywhere selling everything from clothes to jewelry. The very best part is the entertainment. Things start of with a parade, which is mostly composed of different floats with Jamaican dance groups, this gets the crowd very very hype. After the parade is over with a major Jamaican artist or band, which gets better each year. I have fun from the time I wake up until the time I go to sleep, this is why I love this tradition so much.

Wrap Up

At first, I didn’t know what to expect from a class that I wouldn’t be receiving credit for. I thought it would be extra work with no real point. I’m glad to say that I was proven wrong. Over all this has been such a great experience for me.

I now have a better understanding of why Xavier enforces a liberal education in its curriculum and the benefits of such an education. I also more informed about who to seek for help. I am glad that freshman seminar gave us such tools to help us adjust to college live, particularly life at Xavier.

I also had a deep appreciation for the history of the school and the city of New Orleans. As a student from Maryland, it took some time for me to get used to being in New Orleans. The food, the mannerism of the people, and even the time change were all things I had to adjust to. I love being in New Orleans and I especially love Xavier because it is different from my home state. The culture is so rich and lively that it is just fun to be in the moment.

I believe that freshman seminar, although it may not always feel like it, is a useful tool that helps students like myself adjust and become a part of the college life here at Xavier. I couldn’t be more grateful to have had this class to guide me towards success during my first semester. I am glad that I will be returning to Xavier for the spring semester.

I must say that I am curious as to what the spring semester of freshman orientation will hold for me because it seems as though we’ve gone over pretty much all the basics in the first half of the class. Perhaps we will go more in depth or even put some of the things we learned into practice. Either way I hope that the class continues to be engaging and productive. Hopefully, everyone, including those who did not like the class, will make good use of what they learned.

After going through this semester I wish I had known many of my fellow school mates that I now know. I learned many great things from the be it better study habits, various ways to study and many other things. I have listened to them and even picked up many of their ideas. If I had a do over for this semester I would have went to more chemistry tutorials and used my time wisely for writing my essays. During the spring semester I will try to write my essay for english and speech well in advance and not wasting my time doing stupid stuff. it will probably make the essays i write better. I will also try to read books and articles to expand my vocabulary. For the spring semester I will be in the same major which is biology pre med. I will be keeping the same major because the information i am learning is interesting to me and it is the path i need to be on to get in the career i want to be in. I will be returning to Xavier University next semester because I feel that it is a great school. I just love the atmosphere and surroundings. Not only the school but the city has a lot to offer and is very interesting. I feel that the strongest aspect is that the faculty really do seem as though they are here to help you. There is a plethora of ways to get assistance in your weak areas. I love that there are so many different tutorials. I also feel like the students here are more like me than some that I attended High school with.

Wrap Up

My overall Xavier experience has been a true learning experience. I will be returning in the spring and in my same major. I am a Chemistry Pre-Pharmacy major and it is very tough but I know that in the end, it will all pay off. A Pharmacist is just really what I want to be.  In the spring, I plan to work  a lot harder and stay on top of things a lot better than I did this semester. I really like the people at Xavier, eveyone is nice and people are always there if you need help with anything. If I had a “do over”, I do not think that there is much that I would do over. I would just study a lot more and a lot harder. My approch to the spring semester will be a lot different than my approach to the fall semester. Being an incoming freshmen, I really did not know what to expect about college but now I know that attending class, actually paying attention, and studying are very important keys to success. I am now totally prepared for my early classes, long labs,and plenty hours of studying. This semester, my classes were a little laid back but I am positive that will not be the case next semester. I am fully prepared to work and do all that I can to achieve good grades. Coming from high school into your first semester of a college is a rude awakening. I love Xavier University of Louisiana!

Wrap Up

My experience at Xavier has been an enriching and learning one. What I wish I had known in the beginning of the semester is to have a “get it done now” attitude. Another thing I wish I knew at the beginning of the year is that staying on the campus as long as you can when you are a commuter does not hurt. It helps you better your school experience. If I had a do-over, I would change my attitude towards finishing my work, and getting it done as soon and efficiently as possible. For the spring semester, I plan on tackling my work, but also giving myself time for relaxation. I will work on better time management skills for the spring semester as well.  As for my major, I will be sticking to my same dicipline. I feel like I belong in the Psychology field. I love talking to people and helping them with their problems. It brings me an inner sense of accomplishment and achievement. My spring semester will indeed be spent at Xavier University. I would not think of spending it anywhere else. Xavier is a University that helps whip you into shape, and gets you to the status of a strong disciplined student. If I took any lesson from attending Xavier University this semester, it is do not be afraid to ask for help, and when you are studying, it helps to have a person there wiith you to  learn the information with. Between the two people, there is sort of a system of checks and balances that is created. Overall, I love Xavier. It is hardwork, but I kno it will be worth all of the blood, sweat, and tears in the future.

Current Events

Times-Picayune

Jarvis DeBerry

Editor: Times-Picayune

November 7, 2008

 

 

Just Like in the Movies: For Black Americans, Barack Obama means it’s OK to dream BIG

 

This article is talking about the pride that the African American community felt when Barack Obama was announced the future President of the United States. He discussed how some of the most powerful and influential African American in our nation was awestruck and reduced to tears when the news was announced. He also said that black people can now look to things other than sports and raunchy music videos to inspire their children.
In my opinion, the article was wonderful, except for the fact that he paid a little bit too much attention on the fact that he was cousins with Oprah Winfrey and how she was one of the richest people in the nation. To me it kind of took away from the article. Nonetheless, the article was inspiring. If someone was to let their children read the articke, it would be more of a motivation to dream big. When the author said that kids could look to reality and not fiction when they need to see if it is possible for them to succeed, it made me think about how many kids there are out there who look to these false images of success for motivation. The thought made me realize how fortunate I am, and how much more I appreciate the life I lived, and the people who contributed to it.

 

 

Customs, Traditions, and Stories

     These chapters in the book brought back old memories for me. I remember when I was little and my mom was working at the fairgrounds. I would go to the Jazzfest every year because she worked there. I used to have the time of my life.There were so many different styles of food, and so many different displays of culture that I was not exposed to, that it always was memory that stood out to me.

      During Mardi Gras, I like to go out with my family and go to parades. We used to have a tradition of going to one of my family member’s house every year. The house is located right down the street from a lot of the parades, and they always cook and have festivities on the days that the parades pass by the house. My favorite parade is the Zulu, mainly because of the coconuts that are thrown from the floats on that day. There is also more energy on that day, in my opinion.

        Some other festivals I like are the Essence Festival. During the Essence Festival, there is a lot of socializing that goes on, and a lot of free stuff that gets passed out. The concerts that happen during this time are also really popular because of the celebrities they have perform. One other tradition my family has is card and board games during the holidays. Whenever the holidays come along, we pull out the Monopoly game board, or just sit down at the table and play some spades. That tradition has to be one of my favorite.

My First Semester at Xavier

My first semwster here at xavier taught me a lot of things like how to manage time, keeping up my grades, and how to not let school stress you out.  Im pretty sure we all have these issuses that i have but we all dont.  One important thing that i’ve learned at Xavier is that every teacher wants you to only focus on their class, so they will give you a lot of things to do and you may have the same amount in another class but you have to do it.  Xavier is a really good school and i know I have tget used to college life because im still stuck on high school life.  Next semester I will start the new year off right.  No more slacking off or waiting till the last minute to do my work.  That stresses me out and causes me to enter the hospital.  The reason why i said that is because in the beginning of the semester i was dignosed with TMJ symdrome.  Its from stressing and eating certain foods.  So now I am stuck with something that i really don’t want because its painful and i wouldnt want to see anybody else go through it either.  Im really thinking about changing my major next semester to speech pathology because Chemistry is not something I really want to do.  Overall I had some ups and downs but now im starting to get the hang of things. I will come with a new attitude next semester and end with a bang.