Week Ten Sunday, Dec 6 2009

Dear Dr. Shade,

This is Behanzin Austell with your English Composition and Rhetoric class. This letter is a simple thank you for all your advice, help, support, and encouragement throughout my first semester here at Xavier University of Louisiana . I  just want you to know that because of the challenges you presented through different topics has helped me to grow to a writer and that I will carry over what you have taught me about how to write a great and well- thought out research paper for the rest of my life.

Thank you again Dr. Shade… I will stay in touch and because of your instruction and influence I am seriously considering a minor in English.

Sincerely,

Behanzin T. Austell

One Response »

 

Interview a Xavier senior about his/her thoughts on Xavier’s mission and blog about what they say. Sunday, Dec 6 2009

I interviewed an Xavier senior about his thoughts on Xavier’s mission and he gave me some really positive feedback. This senior in particular credited his main reason for attending Xavier outside of their reputation for turning out the highest percentage of African-American students who eventually go to medical school was the mission statement he found on XULA’s website. He said that by reading the mission statement he felt assured that he would not only grow mentally and be prepared for his future career, but that he would also be taught how to become a respectable man that would make him and his family proud.

One Response »

 

Katherine Drexel Sunday, Dec 6 2009

Katherine Mary Drexel was born November 26, 1858. She was a Roman Catholic Saint when she was 29 years old by Pope John Paul II just 6 days before she turned 30. After receiving that honor she dedicated her life towards creating a universal education to everyone, especially Black and Native Americans who were being strongly discriminated against and mistreated at the time. Because of her work she has had nearly 2 dozen schools named in her honor and one school in particular that aims to maker her proud. That school happens to be Xavier University in Louisiana.

If she were still alive today I think she would be proud for the most part with Xavier’s success in creating students who excel in college and in their profressional lives as doctors, lawyers, business majors, journalist, and etc. However, I am not sure she would agree with some of the actions of the students not befitting of what a great student should be. For example, the students who drink underage and use drugs not just off-campus, but on-campus as well. Nevertheless, for the most part I think she would feel accomplished and satisfied with what she has done.

One Response »

 

Week 7 Post Sunday, Dec 6 2009

jstepehn927
jthomas6
vsari
ksander5
asmith32

Leave a Response »

 

Week 6: What would Barack Obama’s father think about his book? Sunday, Oct 11 2009

I am almost positive that Barack Obama’s father would think highly of his son and the book. Even though President Obama had some choice words for his father as a result of being practically abandoned by his father, his father had to be proud knowing that even though he was not involved as much in his son’s life as he should have been that his son still managed to become successful and not fall victim to bad ways and habits. Not only that but be able to know that your son who has your genes was able to accomplish going to Howard, becoming the first black student president, and become the first black president of the United States breaking down the racial barriers and encouraging African American people everywhere must be a feeling out of this world in terms of never ending pride.

One Response »

 

Week 5: Favorite Xavier class and why? Sunday, Oct 11 2009

My favorite Xavier class is without question English 1010. As I stated in my week 4 post I have had a love of writing and doing research installed at me at such a young nature that it has become almost second nature to me. I simply love the opportunity to thoroughly express my opinions on different subject matter and research different material to gain a vaster knowledge on that material.

Leave a Response »

 

Week 4: How has poverty benefitted New Orleans? How has it hurt New Orleans? Sunday, Oct 11 2009

I am not sure about if poverty benefitted New Orleans necessary, but losing everything during Hurricane Katrina did benefit the survivors of this tragedy by bringing them together and creating a strong bond and since of unity in New Orleans that is almost incomparable to any other place in the United States where we all appear to be very divided in the eyesight of other countries and nations.
Poverty and Hurricane Katrina has definitely hurt New Orleans as well. These events have been the reasons for the lost of human lives, the lost of jobs, and for starvation and homelessness that is apparent in certain areas of New Orleans.
Even though I mentioned the one benefit earlier poverty is never a good thing and poverty should not be the only reason that people can come together and become a “true” community that benefits itself.

Leave a Response »

 

Week 3: What type of leadership do you possess? Sunday, Oct 11 2009

My leadership skills start with simply leading by example. I try to live my life in a very productive way void of distractions, allowing others to influence me into making bad decisions, and etc. I have always been like that though, never the type of person to try to “fit in” because everyone else does just that. Instead, I just act myself and choose friends based on good characteristics and personalities not those who are always getting into trouble, not doing well in school (because they are not trying to be study and be productive), and etc. because they are considered “cool”. I have never been like that and never will.
Another crucial leadership skill is my ability to talk and communicate via speeches and through my writing that has always stood out at any school I attended and even led to me speaking in front of over 1.5 million people at the Millions More Movement in Washington, D.C. celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Million Man March. It is all due to my upbringing and my parents influence that I have such a skill to be recognized. I have been writing research papers, papers choosing a side, and papers stating my opinions on subject matters since the age of 6, so I am no stranger to writing and that instilled love of writing is the reason to my success in writing at any level from elementary school to the university level.

Leave a Response »

 

Week 2: What are your professional plans? Sunday, Oct 11 2009

My intended career profession since the age of 10 has to become a cardio-thoracic-pathologist. I have done some shadowing work under my current mentor in this field Dr. Sedeke and I feel it fits perfectly into what I want to do in life both for income purposes and the purpose of giving back to people by helping to save and preserve as many lives as possible. That is also why my current major here at Xavier University is Chemistry Pre-med upon the advice of my doctor mentors in the field of cardiology. Even though I prefer Physics, Chemistry was the other choice and so far I am enjoying everything I am learning here at Xavier University of Louisiana.
Heart disease is still the leading cause of what could be called pre-mature deaths among citizens of the United States. With my goal being to saving and helping the lives of others it is easy to see why I would want to target the biggest problems we are having which happen to be with our hearts.

Leave a Response »

 

Week 1: Why I chose to come to Xavier? Sunday, Oct 11 2009

My decision to come Xavier was a well thought out, but almost pre-planned decision. In the application process I knew right away that my top two schools were Xavier University of Louisiana and Johns Hopkins in Maryland. Though I was accepted to several other schools besides Xavier, when I did not get into Johns Hopkins (#2 medical school in the country) for my freshman year I jumped at the opportunity to go to Xavier University.
In a sense it almost seemed to be fate. I knew I wanted to become a doctor and around the age of 7 or 8 I had already started people that I was going to go to XULA when I became old enough. Even though some of the people I told it to asked what if I did not get into that school what other school would I want to attend I never changed my statement until I got much older and had a few universities I was looking at lined up.

Leave a Response »