Season’s Greetings from the Parents Council

The Christmas season is upon us again and what a difference a year makes! This year has emphasized for us Loyola University New Orleans’ wonderful spirit and the endurance of a firm value system. The Jesuit values stressed and taught at Loyola have provided our students with clear goals and insights to deal with their own losses, to advance to higher levels not imagined before, and to help with New Orleans’ rebirth. 

Loyola’s staff, faculty, and Board of Trustees responded quickly and thoughtfully on our students’ behalf to minimize academic disruptions, stabilize the school, and make the necessary tough decisions to ensure Loyola’s fine reputation and strong academic programs; they did so spectacularly and we are grateful for all their efforts and sacrifices.

Everyone can cope with good times, but happiness is dependent on coping with bad times. Our students have had the unique experience of dealing with a catastrophe, learning how to come out better and stronger. The guidance and example set by professors, administrators, and staff is the most important education our students will ever receive and one that cannot be bought, only given. 

This Christmas season gives us a time that we can remember how blessed we have been by Loyola’s constancy and lets us appreciate the Jesuit philosophy that has been so sustaining and nurturing to our students (and ourselves), setting an example for them to live fulfilling and productive lives.

Cathy and Hal Raper
Parents Council Members

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Chat with the Pack

“Loyola parents are a fun group to call because they sincerely care about what’s going on with the university,” says Mauricio Esquenazi, a Loyola University Annual Fund student caller. The Annual Fund student callers are responsible for contacting various constituency groups in an effort to raise funds for student travel to conferences, classroom renovations, technology upgrades, and much more. This fall, student callers contacted more than 2,000 parents to support these initiatives.

According to Lucy Gossett, also a student caller, “it’s fun to hear about their (parents) child and the experiences they have had at Loyola.” Through the many calls and several nights spent reaching out to parents, both Gossett and Esquenazi report that parents are not only fun, but despite the fact that most are still paying tuition, they are generous givers to the university as well.

Parents are always eager to hear about the current events and recent changes that have occurred at Loyola. “They enjoy talking with us because we provide them with a different perspective about school happenings they don’t necessarily hear from their child,” says Esquenazi. Calling parents is a great opportunity for the student callers to share their experiences as well. “I enjoy talking with parents because I feel that by sharing my own experiences at Loyola I am helping individual students,” notes Gossett.

Both Gossett and Esquenazi feel that calling parents is more than a job. It is an opportunity to help raise funds for scholarships and student initiatives from which both current and perspective students can benefit.

If you have not yet given to the Loyola University Annual Fund, we ask that you consider a gift in any amount. You can make a gift online at giving.loyno.edu. Thank you in advance for your support of Loyola!

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Making Tracks

Across Campus
The Associated Collegiate Press (ACP) awarded Loyola University New Orleans’ student newspaper, The Maroon, the 2006 Pacemaker Award on Saturday, October 28, during ACP’s national convention in St. Louis. “The Pacemaker Award is the most prestigious award in college journalism and is widely acknowledged as the Pulitzer Prize of college journalism,” explains Michael Giusti, faculty adviser for The Maroon.

Loyola University New Orleans College of Business and College of Law are among the nation’s most outstanding schools, according to The Princeton Review. Both colleges are featured in the New York-based education services company’s 2007 publications “Best 282 Business Schools” and “Best 170 Law Schools,” respectively.

Loyola students and alumni were shining stars at the annual awards ceremony for the New Orleans chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) on November 16. PRSSA Bateman Team 2005 and Bateman Team 2006 both won Silver Anvils, the highest award given, at the New Orleans chapter award ceremony. full story

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Office of the Annual Fund creates new Parents Council

The Office of the Annual Fund has recently created the Loyola Parents Council, a new committee to help boost parent and volunteer involvement. The council is an initiative of University President Kevin Wm. Wildes, S.J.

Currently comprised of 12 family groups from around the country, the council is designed to provide opportunities and resources to enhance student satisfaction and quality of life. The group met for its inaugural meeting on Friday, October 13, to discuss how to increase parent giving, strengthen parent and volunteer presence at a national level, and serve as a resource for other parents. 

The Parents Council is an asset to the needs of many divisions on campus, including institutional advancement, student affairs, and admissions. The group will help with new student send-off parties, serve as a new resource for prospective students, and help promote the university nationally. 

Would you like to become more involved with Loyola University? For more information on the Parents Council, contact Assistant Director of Parent Programs Amanda Hembree at alhembre@loyno.edu or (504) 861-5858.

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A Message from Amanda

Greetings, Parents!

As a student here at Loyola University New Orleans, I knew my parents’ support was vital to my success. As the assistant director of parent programs, I have come to truly appreciate the unique, valuable, and ongoing importance of parents and other family members in Loyola’s success.

The university created my full-time position as assistant director of parent programs this past summer. The timing seemed just right to work on facilitating a closer relationship between Loyola and our students’ parents. “Millennial Generation” students, as they are being called, are in closer touch with their families, seeking their parents’ advice and guidance more than previous generations of college students. In turn, parents today are far more engaged with their children’s day-to-day college experiences. We believe that many facets of this trend are very positive, and we hope to establish the university as a supportive partner in this dialogue.

Parents often ask how they can feel more engaged with Loyola. I love to hear that question! The most powerful steps parents can take to be involved and engaged with Loyola are by: keeping up with the website, reading our magazine and other mailings, attending local and on-campus events, referring terrific high school students to Loyola, hiring our students for internships and jobs, and generously supporting the Annual Fund! Thank you for entrusting your child to us. And keep in touch...

All the best,

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Helping winter break be merry and bright

On what previously has been the most wonderful time of year, tension and stress can mount as students return home for winter break...

As college students return home for winter break, it is often a time of adjustment for the whole family. During the first few days of break, parents often become concerned that their children are sleeping too much. Don’t be alarmed if your student comes home exhausted from the stress of taking final exams. Those bags under their eyes most likely mean students have just finished finals and are exhausted, needing to sleep a lot the first day or two. For students returning home for the first extended period since leaving for college as freshmen in the fall, sleep can serve as a way to gradually fit back into home routines. They will wander into the kitchen, have something to eat, and then be at a loss as to how to relate to the family. A nap provides an escape and a chance to think about what to do next.

Students may also come home from school thinking they will be treated as a guest, but parents want their child to fit back into the family. Parents often are solicitous the first day or two, making their child’s favorite foods and doing special things for him or her. Conflicts arise when parents ask their child to assume his or her regular family chores—doing dishes, shoveling snow, or running errands. Parents and students should discuss expectations about household chores and family obligations early in the break. full story

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Calendar of Events

Links to all campus calendars:

Academic Calendar

Athletic Calendar

Music Performance Calendar

Theatre Arts and Dance Calendar

This Week at Loyola 

University Calendar

Thank you for being part of our pack!

Copyright © 1996-2006 Loyola University New Orleans Contact Information: Loyola University New Orleans Office of Alumni and Parent Relations 7214 St. Charles Avenue Box 909 New Orleans, LA 70118 (504) 861-5454 (800) 798-ALUM e-mail: alumni@loyno.edu