The Secret life of a freshman

It is finally the end of the year and i am almost done with my freashman year of college. i thought that i would have changed a alot more and i was also expecting alot more but hey you dont always get what you want. What I got out of this year the most is that time management is everything. To succeed you must plan everything and make sure that assignments are done as soon as possible. I lot of people i know did not neccesarily know about that rule. This year i also learned how to take care of my obligations like an adult. Such as calling banks, setting up appointments, and making sure that buisness is being taken care. I must have admit that i have become quite a little adult ever since i left the prison formally known as a all girls high school. Overall i am quite proud of myself and my accomplishments and i cannot wait for all the good things that are to come.

Something that happened this week that i truly could not believe was the recent killer whale incident. Im sure if you heard about it you were appalled by the fact that a killer whale dragged a female trainer down to the bottom of its tank and drowned her to death. This was so tragic to me because not only did this lady die by getting drown but she also died in front of a stadium full of people who for the most part did not even know what was going on and thought it was part of the show. Seaworld is suppose to be a place of wholesome family fun not of sorrow and dismay. This event also became a issue of great contraversy as seaworld continued with shows just three days after the death occured. Alot of people thought it was the trainer’s fault because she did not comply with the necessary provisions before handling the animal while others say it is the animals fault and it should be euthanised. Well i believe that the people who were working with the killer whale for got that they were working with a wild animal and not a household pet. Whales are the largest animals on earth and they travel distances that are several miles long in a matter on a few hours, we are taking this type of animal and putting it a large swimming pool. I presume we would be a little irrate also if we had to live the reminder of our life living in a jacuzzi sized bathtube and force to do tricks a flips everyday. Now im not saying that this is the trainers fault because i feel great sorrow for her death and my blessings go to her family, but whales are wild animals and they should not be trusted because what could potentially mean playing for them could mean death for a human.

This weekend i had a eye opening experience about the violence  that goes on in our community. I mean i knew that violence was in the world but i was so unaware of the fact that it was so close to home. People i pass on the street every day could be victims of abuse and fight daily in order to stay alive. Also until this weekend i didn’t know how a person could stay in an abusive situtation without at least trying to get out but now i know that these people who are being abused are scared and  have no support. These people, who are often women, are usually coerced and are over powered to the point that they think that no one will believe them or even that it is there fault that they are being abused. Abuse not only occurs in the home, but also on the street as women are being trafficked and traded for sex. Most times the women that are traded are actually little girls who are as young as 12 years old. This is a very sad and disturbing thing to hear when has little grls in their life who are the same age. This reason among others is why our eyes must be open and when one sees the signs of abuse we must report it no matter what the victim says. Lastly, we must remember that our voice can save lives.

                                                                              Michelle L.

Growing up i never took football seriously. I watched it occasionally with my father  uncles, and cousins and I seemed to always find my self laughing as they yelled obsenities at the screen and screamed at the top of their lungs at their favorite teams to make touchdowns and kick field goals. I guess i found the passion in their eyes amusing because after all what was football to me, all but a game (or so i thought). For years, i watched this go on and it even got to a point where i disregarded the game completely and only sat with the males of my family just to see who would yell the loudest. Yes, it was merely just game to me i didn’t find any enjoyment from watching sweaty dirty men fight and tumble over a oval shaped ball that was made out of the skin of some dead pig. Yet, a couple of months ago something utterly shocking occurred, everywhere i went and everyone i talked to was raving about the saints and “Who Dat Nation”. Now this was appealing to me, it was the first time i had heard the term being used for a football team , a nation, now that’s something to think about. All the talking about the saints urged me to actually sit for two and a half hours and watch an entire football game. I felt as if i was watching an action packed movie and i found myself traveling through an intense range of primary emotions. I was sad, angry, surprised, excited, and over all happy at the end when the saint won the game with the final touchdown. It was at that moment that i understood what the “who dat nation” truly was and it was also at that moment that i understood that anyone with a heart condition shouldn’t watch a saints game. For weeks and weeks the saints won game after game, and it became an addiction for me i felt unfulfilled during the week if i missed my weekly saints game,this was a feeling that most people in the city felt as well. With every win and one or two loses everyone in New Orleans banded closer and closer together. Everyone, young and old, black and white, disabled and healthy made sure they showed who dat pride. And then, all of sudden  history happen Sunday when the saints won the NFC championship and a spot to play in the Superbowl. The city went mad. That night i made a point to go out and see for my self what the people on the streets of New Orleans were doing, and to my surprise it looked exactly like Mardi Gras minus the parade floats people were in traffic blowing their horns and saying “who dat”. You could hear the chants for miles. Everyone was so happy and excited that our boys were going to the super bowl. There were no crimes and no violence every one was unified under one cause which clearly showed me that the game of football in New Orleans really isn’t just a game when it comes to the saints but, a beacon of hope for the great things to come. With faith anything is possible and with that same faith we will “who dat” our boys right into super bowl victory.

This week has been quite a whirlwind for current events. From the earthquakes in Haiti to the democratic senate loss, proves that these are not  favorable of times. Lately, my heart has truly been with the people who are suffering inHaiti. I will always remember the night that i turned my TV to CNN and watched in horror with tears in my eyes and a broken heart as a thirteen year old girl was pulled from the rubble with no where to go and no one to turn to because all of her family was killed as their home collapsed unexpectedly on them. At that exact moment my heart opened as i remembered that five short years ago the people of my own hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana were in some of the very same situations. Yes, here in the United States ,the supposed land of milk honey, there were whole families livingon the street with no water, no food, and no clothes. And yes, those same people here in the United States had to wait an entire week to receive aid from their own country. Yet, as a city we made through and although our struggle is not over it is officially time for the people of New Orleans to open their eyes and give to Haiti what so many people gave to us in our times of need. We cannot sit and do nothing as young children and the sick are dying and their bodies are being packed into mass graves with no records of their death. These people are now lost forever and their families may not ever know what happened to their mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers. As we all finish out our week our humble focus should be empathy and we should all do our part no matter how minute to make the world a better place. Remember it is not the size of your donation that counts, but the size of your heart when you impact the life of another.

                                                                              Sincerely,

                                                                                Michelle Lawrence

My favorite professor at Xavier would have to be professor Ann Privett. She is the epitome of a great professor to me . She will  go to any length to help a student better themselves and provides many opportunites (including weekend study sessions) for students to make the grade the have been dreaming of. She is also very good at explaining things that may come across as hard of confusing and breaks it down into a form that even the simplest of people would be able to understand. I love doctor Privett and although i am officially done wit General Chemistry i will always remember the firm foundation that she has blessed me with so Thank You sooooo much doctor privett.

                                                                  Michelle Lawrence 

The saints are the team to beat these days in the NFL. Now that they are 11-0 the city of new orleans has been in a drunken stupor that doesn’t seem like it will be ending any time soon. I truly love the spirit and camaraderie that this saint’s season has bought to our city that is usually plagued by violence, corruption, and uneducated citizens. Although they are losing to the redskins at this time i still do have faith in the saints and i don’t want to jinx them but i do hope that they will win but i guess we will just have to see whats going to happen but for now WHOOOOO DATTTTTT!!!!!!!!! :)))

These past couple of days have been quite stressful as i am finally feeling the heat of my upcoming exams. Although i know a month long vacation is so very close it seems o so far away. I am having trouble scheduling what times i should study for which exam, but luckily i do remember most of the things that i learned this semester so any thing i study will just be a reminder. I truly do hope that i make the grades that i have been dreaming of this semester. All i have to do is just remember that i need to work really hard for the next couple of days and then i can get all the rest that I need later. My heart goes out to all the students who are in the same boat as i am i i hope that they all make great grades.

                                                                          M. Lawrence

Xavier has come a very long way from its original foundations. When Katherine drexel first created Xavier University it was nothing more than a small single building on magazine street. She had to fight for that location because at the time no one approved of a college for blacks. From that point, Xavier has worked its way from that small building to a rather large campus in the carolton area. That my not seem to be much to many people but what we must understand is that, that is truly a mirical in its own right. Now at the small location on magazine street is Xavier Preparatory which is a small, private all girls school. Saint katherine drexel would be exceptionally happy with and proud of her investment and how far it has come. Throughout the years Xavier has grown so much literally and eduactionally and we are still growing to today as our new pharmacy building is being built. It is amazing that such a small black college has as much potential as Xavier does and i truly believe that St. Katherine drexel would be extraordinarily happy with it.

In today’s society leadership is most definitely a necessity. The leadership skills that Ipossess are listening skills, dedication skills, and effective skills. Listening skills are important because to be a good leader one must listen to what other people have to say. A leader must learn to incorporate every one’s ideas in order to please the needs of the masses and to get things done. A leader must also possess dedication skills because if one is not dedicated and loyal how can any thing get accomplished. Being dedicated shows your followers that one will do anything necessary to take care of people’s needs for the greater good. Lastly, a leader must be effective because if no one listens to you and you get nothing accomplished you are not a leader at all. It is important that leaders show and express different qualities because if they don’t they world near become a better place. People should work together in order to become leaders, and lead the world together towards success.