Loyola University New Orleans Newsroom

Loyola students' anti-bullying campaign wins university's eighth national Bateman Competition title

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:24:24 CDT

Students at Loyola University New Orleans leading an anti-bullying campaign took home the university’s eighth national title in a public relations competition for college students—the Public Relations Student Society of America 2013 Bateman Case Study Competition. The Loyola Bateman team’s “Step Up, Reach Out!” campaign to stop bullying was chosen as the winner among 68 entries from colleges and universities nationwide. Loyola public relations students have dominated the national Bateman competition for more than a decade. In addition to winning eight national titles, Loyola’s Bateman team has advanced to the national finals 12 of the last 13 years. This year, the Loyola team beat finalists from Kent State University and North Dakota State University for the final competition held via Skype conference May 10. “Loyola has won the Bateman Competition more than any other school in the country—a longstanding tradition we are proud to continue,” said Sonya F. Duhé, Ph.D., Loyola professor and director of the School of Mass Communication. “Our students are making a lasting impact at a national level and are making a lasting impact on our community by working with New Orleans schools to help stop the heart-breaking problem of bullying.” Loyola Bateman team members include Dwayne Fontenette, Haley Humiston, Charlie LaRock, Leah Whitlock and Vannia Zelaya. Loyola public relations professor Cathy Rogers, Ph.D.—also named by the Public Relations Association of Louisiana as the 2012 State Educator of the Year in public relations—spearheads the students’ participation in the competition. “We are honored to have such a tradition of outstanding students who are so committed to public relations excellence and especially to New Orleans. Their anti-bullying campaign reached numerous students, parents and educators as well as resulted in long-standing partnerships sure to make an impact in our city,” Rogers said. The 2013 Bateman competition focused on the rise of bullying and its short and long-term effects for the bully, the victim and even bystanders who witness bullying. Experts say bullying can lead to developmental issues, mental health disorders, sleep problems, school attendance problems and decreased academic performance. Loyola’s “Step Up, Reach Out!” anti-bullying effort partnered with New Orleans schools and other local organizations to host 22 workshops and programs in six schools and an anti-bullying summit in February. Activities are based on the campaign’s motto “Geaux K.I.N.D.,” where each letter stands for a step against bullying: Keep others included; inform an adult when you see bullying; never bully others; and decide to be more than a bystander. “I remain impressed by the attentiveness and seriousness that many students showed during our workshops. It was apparent that bullying exists in local schools and students were eager to do their part to stop it,” Fontenette said. “Shortly after our Step Up to Bullying Summit, a high school student reached out to us to let us know that she had already pitched her bullying prevention plan to the student council. Student-led campaigns will be critical to changing school cultures to prioritize tolerance and acceptance.” For media interviews or high-resolution photos, please contact Mikel Pak, Loyola associate director of public affairs.

Four graduates receive Loyola's highest student honor

Mon, 13 May 2013 02:58:37 CDT

Loyola University New Orleans honored four of its recent graduates with its highest student honor, the Ignatian Awards for Outstanding Senior and Graduate Students. The awards were formally presented at the Baccalaureate Mass on Friday, May 10. The awards are given annually to those students who represent the university’s commitment to Ignatian values. The 2013 award winners are: Outstanding Ignatian Senior Woman - Carissa Marston, a biology/pre-med major from Luling, La., served as a resident assistant, awakening rector and Ignacio Volunteer in Belize. She graduated magna cum laude and will serve with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps/Northwest for a year following graduation. Outstanding Ignatian Senior Man - Justin Romaire, a chemistry major from Harvey, La., is a four-year letter winner for the Loyola baseball team. He put his sports skills to good use when he taught baseball in Belize last winter with the Ignacio Volunteers. He graduated magna cum laude and will attend Yale University in the fall to pursue a doctorate in organic chemistry. Outstanding Ignatian Graduate Student - Mary DePartout received her Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and is currently finishing her internship with Family Service of Greater New Orleans. DePartout was responsible for starting Loyola’s Active Minds chapter. The chapter organization strives to de-stigmatize mental illness on college campuses. Outstanding Ignatian Law Student - Javier Jalice, a native of Cuba, graduated cum laude in the Loyola College of Law Civil Law Division. He worked on the College of Law’s Journal of Public Interest Law, serving his last year on the board of editors. In that role, he helped coordinate alumni and professor panels on diversity by spearheading the journal’s annual fall symposium. Jalice will work as an associate at The Kullman Firm in downtown New Orleans following graduation. (The Outstanding Law Grad award was presented at the Law Graduation Mass May 9.) Recipients have a distinguished, pronounced involvement in the life of the university, and represent Loyola with honor and distinction. They have achieved academic excellence and critical thinking skills, and have demonstrated a commitment to faith. They also demonstrate an acceptance of Loyola’s Jesuit values and goals as well as a commitment to service with special concern for the disadvantaged. “I am amazed and inspired by our student award winners this year. Each has a unique and compassionate story to tell,” said Kurt Bindewald, associate director of the Loyola University New Orleans Office of Mission and Ministry. “These students not only maintained a distinguished grade point average, they demonstrate devotion to service and to others.” The selection committee for the outstanding senior man and woman student awards included: vice president of student affairs; vice president of mission and ministry; deans from all five colleges and the library; and the director of university ministry. The selection committee for outstanding graduate student is the Graduate Council, comprised of directors of each graduate program at Loyola. The law graduate was chosen by a separate committee of College of Law administrators. For media interviews or high-resolution photos, please contact Mikel Pak, Loyola associate director of public affairs.

Bayou Boogaloo features eco-friendly signage by Loyola students

Tue, 14 May 2013 09:26:25 CDT

Art and design students at Loyola University New Orleans are going green this spring as they help to create signage made from recycled materials for the annual Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo May 17-19. The signs designate areas for recycling, food vendors, stage areas and more. The free music and art festival takes place along the banks of historic and beautiful Bayou St. John and is well-known for its ongoing sustainability efforts. This year, Boogaloo founders are calling on the ingenuity of Loyola’s graphic design students to use recycled materials for signage that will be displayed throughout the event and at future festivals. “We presented the students with a problem, one that has pained us for a few years,” said Jared Zeller, director of Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo. “After reviewing our parameters, the students presented us with creative and inexpensive ways to address our signage needs. The students offered several solutions, and we liked them so much that we decided to implement all of them.” Additionally, students in the advanced typography class created a series of 12 screen-printed posters inspired by the Dalai Lama, who will be in New Orleans this weekend. The posters will also be displayed during the festival. The Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo strives to be a “zero-waste event” by reducing the volume and toxicity of waste and materials, conserving and recovering all resources, and does not burn or bury waste. Other sustainability efforts include replacing nine large southern live oak trees on the festival grounds that were lost during Hurricanes Katrina and Isaac. In 2012, more than 25,000 locals and visitors reveled in music from three stages, sampled unique local culture and enjoyed the Boogaloo Art Market.

Experts shed light on Louisiana's emerging deadly tropical diseases in May 15 public forum

Tue, 14 May 2013 09:26:26 CDT

When Loyola University New Orleans biology professor Patricia Dorn, Ph.D., in collaboration with researchers at Tulane University and Louisiana State University Health Sciences centers, discovered the first case of deadly Chagas disease acquired in Louisiana, they knew they had evidence of a troubling trend: Chagas disease, West Nile and other neglected tropical diseases are emerging as health threats in the state. Dorn, along with Loyola College of Humanities and Natural Sciences Dean Maria Clazada, Ph.D., will join other local experts to explore that trend during a Research!America forum Wednesday, May 15. The forum is free and open to the public. The Research!America forum, “Neglected Tropical Disease Research in Louisiana: Saving Lives and Creating Jobs,” is set for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine located at 1440 Canal Street in New Orleans. Research!America is the nation's largest nonprofit public education and advocacy alliance working to make research to improve health a higher national priority. “Chagas disease and other neglected tropical diseases are not just affecting the poor in rural areas of Latin America, these diseases are emerging as silent killers in the Southern U.S., even here in New Orleans,” Dorn said. “While these tropical diseases are often neglected in terms of funding for research and treatments, it’s important the community knows how very real these problems are in our state and in the world.” Approximately 300,000 people in the U.S. are infected with Chagas disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Louisiana also has the second highest number of West Nile fatalities in the U.S. “We have been nurturing the perfect storm for a while now,” said Jennifer Chow, director of Global and Public Health at Research!America. “We’re seeing diseases emerging and re-emerging, whether it’s due to increased globalization, trade, migration, urban sprawl or climate change as we're scaling back funds to our federal agencies that track and research these diseases. This is a situation that will not only hurt local communities but the nation as a whole. If we don't address these issues now, we will pay a higher price later.” Experts are concerned that post-hurricane conditions create an ideal environment for insects that transmit the tropical diseases. The forum’s discussion will focus on the health and economic impact of the diseases throughout the region, research funding and the development of new tools and treatments. The forum features Dorn along with other local experts: Dr. Pierre Buekens, Ph.D., professor and dean at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine; Calzada, dean of the College of Humanities and Natural Sciences at Loyola; Kenneth J. Linthicum, Ph.D., director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology; Jeffrey C. Luvall, Ph.D., of the National Space Science and Technology Center at NASA’s Global Hydrology and Climate Center; John B. Malone, D.V.M., Ph.D., professor and director of the Office of International Programs at Louisiana State University’s School of Veterinary Medicine; Kristy Murray, D.V.M., Ph.D., associate professor of pediatrics at the Baylor College of Medicine National School of Tropical Medicine; Dr. Raoult C. Ratard, state epidemiologist with the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals; Dawn Roellig, Ph.D., microbiologist in the Waterborne Disease Prevention Branch at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and Dawn Wesson, Ph.D., associate professor at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine For media interviews, please contact Mikel Pak, Loyola associate director of public affairs.

Nurse committed to military veterans receives Loyola DNP scholarship

Tue, 14 May 2013 09:26:27 CDT

The Loyola University New Orleans School of Nursing awarded a $5,000 Jonas Nurse Leaders Scholarship to Racquell Garrett, R.N., M.S.N., a nurse known for her dedication to caring for military veterans. The scholarship is made possible through Loyola's partnership with the Jonas Veterans Healthcare Program. Garret is a student in Loyola’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program, which is ranked in the top six graduate nursing online programs in the country by the U.S. News & World Report 2013 rankings. “Through the Jonas Nurse Leaders Scholars program, Loyola is helping working nurses who are committed to treating our men and women in uniform and those veterans who have served our country,” said Ann H. Cary, Ph.D., M.P.H, R.N., professor and director of the Loyola School of Nursing. Garrett is currently a nurse at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston, Texas, and previously worked at the Southeast Louisiana VA Medical Center in New Orleans, La. In her 13-year nursing career, Garrett has served the nation’s heroes for 10 years, caring for veterans who served in Korea, World War II (and the wives of veterans from World War II), Dessert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. “I have veterans come to me in tears with appreciation of services they get from the VA as other health care organizations don’t understand the needs of the veteran population,” Garrett said. Her scholarship will go toward tuition in the Loyola School of Nursing DNP program, an integral step in becoming a leader in the nursing profession. “It is important for professionals who serve veterans to train as DNPs so that quality care is provided at high levels. The special needs of our veterans and the subsequent care of our veterans, demands advance training for nurses to identify how these needs will be best addressed.” For media interviews, please contact Mikel Pak, Loyola associate director of public affairs.

Board of Regents funding boosts Loyola's commitment to Catholic studies

Thu, 09 May 2013 03:49:57 CDT

Further distinguishing Loyola University New Orleans as an important center for the study of Catholicism, the Louisiana Board of Regents announced this week it is contributing $400,000 to support the university’s scholarly activities and programming in that field. The funding will match a private donation of $1.3 million to endow The Rev. Stephen Duffy Chair in Catholic Studies at Loyola University, the South’s largest Catholic, Jesuit higher education institution. “The Duffy chair will not only strengthen the intellectual infrastructure of Loyola, it will distinguish Louisiana as a center for scholarship and innovative public programs that promote dialogue across religious and cultural borders,” said Loyola President the Rev. Kevin Wm. Wildes, S.J., Ph.D. “This investment in Catholic studies will benefit the community and the state for years to come.” The chair is named for the late religious studies professor, the Rev. Stephen Duffy, Ph.D., who died March 2007. Duffy taught at Notre Dame Seminary for more than 20 years before serving on the faculty at Loyola from 1971 to 2007. He received Loyola’s highest honor for faculty as the Dux Academicus Award winner in 1999. Years before he passed away, Duffy included Loyola in his estate plans in order to establish an endowed chair for Catholic studies. “It was important to Fr. Duffy that his gift would ensure that study of Catholic theology would continue to take place at a high level at Loyola,” said Robert Gross, Loyola’s director of planned giving. The chair is currently held by Jesuit and nationally known scholar, the Rev. Edward Vacek, S.J., Ph.D., and is the first endowed chair in the humanities field at Loyola. In addition to teaching theology courses, Vacek also holds free, public lectures on religion and Catholicism. Loyola’s focus on religions and Catholic studies aims to prepare students to be informed, ethically-minded and socially conscious citizens. “The College of Humanities and Natural Sciences is honored by this deserved recognition from the Louisiana Board of Regents. Fr. Duffy was very important to our college. His dedication to teaching and the study of Catholic theology were transformative for our students,” said Maria Calzada, Ph.D., dean of the College of Humanities and Natural Sciences. “We are extremely happy that Fr. Vacek will continue his legacy.” For media interviews, please contact the Office of Public Affairs.

Saturday: Tom Brokaw to address Loyola's Class of 2013

Thu, 09 May 2013 03:49:39 CDT

Tom Brokaw, respected television journalist and long-time anchor of “NBC Nightly News,” will address Loyola University New Orleans' Class of 2013 during its spring commencement ceremony. Brokaw will receive an honorary degree during the ceremony along with legendary jazz vocalist Germaine Bazzle and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and now New York Times Managing Editor Dean Baquet. Loyola's College of Law commencement will feature political power couple Mary Matalin and James Carville as the keynote speakers. Both commencement exercises are scheduled for Saturday, May 11 and will be held in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in downtown New Orleans. The undergraduate and graduate ceremony begins at 9:45 a.m., and the College of Law ceremony starts at 5:45 p.m. Both commencement ceremonies will be webcast live Saturday, providing access to family and friends who are unable to attend. Tom Brokaw Tom Brokaw has spent his entire distinguished journalism career with NBC News beginning in 1966 in the Los Angeles bureau where he covered Ronald Reagan’s first run for public office, the rise of the Sixties counter culture, the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy and the 1968 presidential campaign. From Los Angeles, Brokaw went to Washington, D.C., as the White House correspondent during Watergate and as the principal backup for John Chancellor as anchor of “NBC Nightly News.” His next stop was New York and the “Today Show” followed by his appointment as anchor and managing editor of “NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw.” He took over “Meet the Press” for the 2008 campaign when his close friend and colleague Tim Russert died. In addition to his daily news gathering responsibilities, Brokaw reported on more than 30 documentaries covering subjects ranging from AIDS, Los Angeles gangs, race, education, medicine, immigration and global warming. He has an impressive list of firsts, including the first interview with Mikhail Gorbachev; the first network report on human rights abuses in Tibet accompanied by an exclusive interview with the Dalai Lama; and the only American network anchor to report from Berlin the night the Berlin Wall came down. In 1998, Brokaw published his first book, “The Greatest Generation,” one of the most popular nonfiction books of the 20th century. He followed that with five other books, including “Boom! Voices of the Sixties,” and most recently, “The Time of Our Lives.” Brokaw has won every major award in his craft, including a Peabody, Duponts, Emmys and lifetime achievement recognition. Brokaw has also been a generous and dedicated supporter of the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. Germaine Potter Bazzle Retired music educator and renowned jazz vocalist Germaine Potter Bazzle is arguably one of the most expressive and stylized voices in New Orleans’ music history. The roots of jazz have always focused on the improvisational skills of the performer and Bazzle has mastered this art with an ability to musically explore an arrangement while leaving space for spontaneity. Her wide vocal range and mastery of animated dynamics, especially in her legendary “scats,” has allowed Bazzle to take ownership of jazz standards. Musicians even refer to that style as having “Bazzled” the melody. The late Wardell Quezergue, H’09, celebrated New Orleans music arranger, producer and bandleader, once said, “Germaine is the only person I know who can turn a microphone into a musical instrument.” Bazzle has recorded with a number of well-known jazz masters including Wynton and Ellis Marsalis, Dianne Reeves, Lady BJ, George French, Johnny Adams and Alvin “Red” Tyler. She recorded her first and only solo album in 1994, “Standing Ovation,” produced by AFO Records. In addition to her extraordinary talents as a musician, Bazzle is perhaps best known locally for her teaching and support of young musicians. After graduating from Xavier University of Louisiana, Bazzle embarked on a teaching and entertaining career simultaneously—teaching during the day and playing bass in a traditional jazz band at night. While playing gigs “just sort of happened,” according to Bazzle, her true desire was to teach. She taught choir at Xavier University Preparatory School for many years before retiring and has also trained countless women in private vocal lessons. She participates each year in the Louis Armstrong Jazz Camp and also teaches in the Heritage School of Music, educating highly talented children on the New Orleans heritage of music, a multi-generational tradition which she embodies and professes. A devout Catholic, Bazzle sings in the St. Louis Catholic Choir where she coaches fellow choir members. Bazzle is a tireless advocate for musician’s rights. She has both led and been a member of the local musicians’ union and has spearheaded an advocacy initiative for women, New Orleans Women in Music. The organization helps bolster the musical careers of women through music industry seminars and concert fundraisers in which resources are collected for social services for female musicians. Dean Baquet New Orleans native Dean Baquet became managing editor of The New York Times in 2011. He was Washington bureau chief for The Times from 2007. That year he returned to the East Coast after seven years on the West Coast as editor and managing editor of the Los Angeles Times, during which the newspaper earned 13 Pulitzer Prizes, the most successful run in its 128-year history. Like many reporters, Baquet did not initially want to become an editor when the prospect was raised by then-executive editor Joseph Lelyveld, who had recruited him to the paper. Baquet's style of leadership became famous. Ken Auletta wrote in The New Yorker that, while newsrooms are notorious for competition and backbiting, the national desk at The Times suddenly became an exception. He quoted one staffer saying "It was the happiest place ... where editors joked and reporters liked to drop by, rather than slink past. And it was because of Dean." Baquet first joined The New York Times in 1990 as a metropolitan reporter. In 1992, he became special projects editor for the business desk, and in 1994, he held the same title but operated out of the executive editor’s office. Before joining The Times, he reported for the Chicago Tribune from December 1984 to March 1990. There he was associate metropolitan editor for investigations and chief investigative reporter, covering corruption in politics and the garbage-hauling industry. He was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting in March 1988 when he led a team of three in documenting corruption in the Chicago City Council. Baquet started out covering police at New Orleans’ now-defunct States-Item, then moved to The Times-Picayune where he worked for nearly seven years. He attended St. Augustine High School, and his family ran Eddie’s, a Creole restaurant in the city’s Seventh Ward. In addition to the Pulitzer Prize, Baquet has received the Peter Lisagor Award for Investigative Reporting in 1988 as well as the Chicago Tribune’s William H. Jones Award for Investigative Reporting in 1987, 1988 and 1989, and numerous local and regional awards. Born on Sept. 21, 1956, Baquet majored in English at Columbia University from 1974 to 1978. He and his wife, Dylan, have one son, Ari. Mary Matalin and James Carville Long before they co-authored the national best seller “All’s Fair: Love, War and Running for President,” Mary Matalin and James Carville were key players on the national political stage. Carville has been at the center of many dramatic Democratic political victories in recent decades. The “Ragin’ Cajun” achieved a number of successes in electing Democrats to the U.S. Senate and to governor’s seats in the 1980s and early 1990s. He emerged on the national scene after his consulting firm, Carville and Begala, helped elect President Bill Clinton in 1992. A best-selling author, he co-wrote his latest book—“It’s the Middle-Class, Stupid!”— with pollster Stan Greenberg. Carville is also a frequent political commentator, a professor at Tulane University and former contributor on CNN. Matalin is one of the most celebrated conservative voices in America. As an author, political contributor and public speaker, she is noted for her straight talk and keen insights. Matalin served as deputy campaign manager on President George H. W. Bush’s 1992 re-election bid. She later was assistant to President George W. Bush and counselor to Vice President Dick Cheney. She joined CNN as a Republican strategist and political contributor in April 2009 and appeared on a variety of the network’s news and public affairs programs. She authored “Letters to My Daughters” in 2004 and co-starred on HBO’s critically acclaimed series, “K Street,” which was produced by George Clooney. Matalin also co-hosts the nationally syndicated “Both Sides Now” radio program with Arianna Huffington. Matalin and Carville were co-chairs of the Host Committee for the 2013 NFL Super Bowl played in New Orleans Feb. 3. The couple has resided in the Crescent City with their daughters, Matalin and Emma, since 2008.

Southern Rep and Loyola join forces to host summer theatre camps

Thu, 09 May 2013 03:49:57 CDT

The Department of Theatre Arts at Loyola University New Orleans will team up for the first time with New Orleans’ only year-round professional theatre, Southern Rep, to host three new theatre camps this summer for children ages 9 to 18. Each camp will concentrate on a specific production for a designated age group and conclude with staged performances. This new alliance between Southern Rep and Loyola provides the opportunity for students to learn about auditions, acting technique, musicality and dance. Every child who participates is also automatically cast in a play. Tuition for each camp is $300, and parents are responsible for providing costumes and make-up. The three camps will take place in the Lower Depths Theater, located in the Communications/Music Complex on Loyola’s main campus. “Guys and Dolls, Jr.” (Registration deadline: May 27) For ages 9 through 12 Camp dates: June 3-15, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Performance dates: June 14 at 7 p.m. and June 15 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. “Guys and Dolls, Jr.” is set in Damon Runyon's mythical New York City and introduces the audience to a variety of colorful characters: Sarah Brown, an upright but uptight “mission doll;” Sky Masterson, a high-rolling gambler who woos Sarah on a bet before falling in love with her; Adelaide, a nightclub performer whose chronic flu is brought on by her 14-year engagement to the same man; and Nathan Detroit, Adelaide’s devoted fiancé who is renowned for his floating dice game. “Sweeney Todd, School Edition” (Registration deadline: June 17) For ages 13 through 18 Camp dates: June 24-July 6, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Performance dates: July 5, 7 p.m. and July 6, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Masterfully adapted with a few lyric and key changes to facilitate high school productions, “Sweeney Todd, School Edition” is sophisticated, macabre, visceral and uncompromising. The play mixes intense drama with dark humor to keep audiences on their toes. “Pirates of Penzance, Jr.” (Registration deadline: July 15) For ages 9 through 18 Camp dates: July 22-Aug. 3, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.to 2 p.m. Performance dates: Aug. 2, 7 p.m. and Aug. 3, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Wacky and irreverent, this farce tells of sentimental pirates, bumbling police officers, dim-witted young lovers, dewy-eyed daughters and an eccentric Major General, all morally bound to the often-ridiculous dictates of honor and duty. More information is available online or by contacting education@southernrep.com.

Loyola student journalist wins national honors for Hollywood South feature story

Mon, 06 May 2013 11:05:36 CDT

A story written by Loyola University New Orleans student journalist Shannon Donaldson detailing how college students are reaping the benefits of a booming Hollywood South film industry won national recognition May 1 in the Society of Professional Journalists National Mark of Excellence Awards. The student journalism competition recognizes the best in collegiate journalism. The Society of Professional Journalists named Donaldson’s story on the New Orleans film industry in the top three feature stories nationwide among small colleges and universities with fewer than 5,000 students. Donaldson’s national finalist feature story, “N.O. film industry breaks out,” first appeared in Loyola’s student newspaper, The Maroon. “Loyola student journalists shine on a national stage, and their professional-caliber work demonstrates the kind of journalism training we are proud to offer,” said Sonya F. Duhé, Ph.D., Loyola professor and director of the School of Mass Communication. The national Mark of Excellence Award winners are chosen from the first-place category winners in each of the Society of Professional Journalists’ 12 regions, and the awards are judged by professionals with at least three years of journalism experience. This year, student journalists submitted more than 4,600 total entries. “I just can’t say enough good things about Shannon or the Maroon staff. The work being done at Loyola is amazing, and we are lucky to have such talented student journalists working for us,” said Michael Giusti ‘00, M.B.A. ‘12, Loyola Student Media adviser and instructor. Several fellow student journalists writing for The Maroon and Wolf Magazine also won top regional honors this year for writing and photography from the Society of Professional Journalists Region 12 chapter, which covers student publications in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. For high-resolution photos or to schedule interviews, contact Mikel Pak, Loyola’s associate director of public affairs.

Graphic design students create multilingual project with local elementary school

Thu, 09 May 2013 03:50:01 CDT

Art and design students from Loyola University New Orleans recently initiated a collaborative, multilingual, motion graphics project with second graders from the International School of Louisiana. The ongoing research project and design experiment embraces the vibrant French-speaking subculture that thrives in New Orleans. By centering on the distinctive, French culture of the city and working outside the classroom, Loyola students created a variety of typographically complex pieces that employ video footage and animation technology to create the illusion of motion. The resulting works are unique, typographic fables and songs where type is the protagonist and images are mere props. The project examines and collects data on how the second graders respond to these typographic motions. The ultimate goal is to continue to collect data and then host the collaboration online so all French immersion schools can benefit, according to project adviser Daniela Marx, associate professor of graphic design.