In May 1929, nearly four years after Xavier University of Louisiana was established as an institution of higher education, the student-led newspaper "The Xavier Herald" printed its first edition as a singular college-level paper. Now, over 9 decades later, the paper was recently celebrated as the third-best college newspaper in the south for 2022 during the Southeast Journalism Conference (SEJC) with its revamped print edition winning 2 “Best in South 2022” awards. Out of seven states, Xavier is recognized as one of the leading institutions for journalism in the region. Several student Herald staff members also received awards from the Associated Collegiate Press (ACP) for their work on print editions of the Herald.

The Herald was first published the same year the College of Liberal Arts was established at Xavier University. The paper was originally called "La Cigale," or cicada in French. In 1928, the name was changed to the Xavier Herald to reflect the affiliation with the university better. Throughout the decades since the Herald has served as an outlet for Xavier students to express the developments and their thoughts on and around the Xavier community and the black community as a whole. The newspaper was instrumental in movements such as advocating for more black faculty on campus and for reporting on certain events from the Civil Rights Movement. Now, after a few years with just a digital issue, the award-winning newspaper has returned with a print issue.

The revamping process of the newspaper was constructed by a team of student journalists who covered stories about sports, campus events and the community of New Orleans. Xavier’s Mass Communication Department faculty served as advisors in the process. The Department is proudly dedicated to educating aspiring mass media professionals. Through rigorous practice and work, students can develop skill sets that are important to further their careers. In the Fall semester of 2022, students had the opportunity to bring the Herald back to print for the first time in five years, an award-winning effort.

"I know that the students worked long nights and days to revive the Xavier Herald in print form,” said Dr. Shearon Roberts, an associate professor of mass communication and head of the Department of Mass Communication at Xavier. “It was important for students to experience the “sausage-making” process that goes into design, layout and deadline preparation to get to press. And to see that hard work pay off the same year with this recognition shows them that hard work reaps the rewards.”

Beyond the two “Best in South” awards for the Herald, Xavier University of Louisiana student Leah Clark, a student contributor to The Herald, was ranked first-place, best news writer in the South for 2022 at the SEJC. Clark is an Exponential honors student and is studying mass communication with a minor in political science. Clark also received an honorable mention for the top national News Writing award for her coverage of the Jackson Water Crisis from the ACP.

“The Xavier Herald has been one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had at Xavier. From writing articles to laying pages, it truly has allowed me to grow my skills and given me the opportunity to start my career as a journalist in college,” said Clark, a sophomore and chief writer for the Xavier Herald.

More students who worked on the newly revamped Herald won awards as well. Kiersten McCollum and Liza Montgomery won first place for Best Newspaper Front Page Design by the Associated Collegiate Press for “The Renaissance Edition” of the Herald’s cover art. Likewise, Brier Evans received an honorable mention for the Feature Writing award for her reporting on Beauty and Black Women.

“Being a part of the Herald has been one of the most transformative periods of my life. Ever since joining the staff my freshman year and becoming Editor-in-Chief, I have been able to see the newspaper grow and flourish throughout the last two years. Publishing our first print edition in five years was a major milestone, and receiving this award from SRJC is only a small indicator to the hard work that all the Herald staff put in,” said Brier Evans, a junior mass communication major and Editor-in-Chief for the Xavier Herald.

The new and improved Xavier Herald is now a platform that allows for Xavierites to express their viewpoints of campus issues and the city of New Orleans. Through news coverage, art and comedic columns, the paper highlights the community of the university and the changing society.

“The overall newspaper award was a great accomplishment for the entire student staff and faculty. With the help of Dr. Shearon Roberts, Dr. Nia Mason and Professor Monica Pierre, along with our departmental instructors Ms. Tia Alphonse and Ms. Prinsey Walker, the fall edition was an award-winning newspaper. As far as the future is concerned, my hope is that we can build on this accomplishment and continue to grow the newspaper where we can attract more students and more campus involvement overall,” said Dr. Quincy Hodges, an assistant professor of Mass Communication and faculty advisory to the Herald.

Story and photos by Tyana Jackson, Student Contributor