Krewe du Fool celebrates first mermaid parade See p. 6
New Director of Communication Laci Burrow is inagurated on Sept. 1, 2023. The cabinet inauguration is an annual event held in the Holy Name of Jesus Church. Sophia Maxim/The Maroon
Student government inaugurated By Kloe Witt kgwitt@my.loyno.edu
Loyola’s Student Government Association held an inauguration ceremony to swear in the Cabinet and Senate into their new positions. The ceremony was an open to the public event at Holy Name of Jesus Church on Sept 1st. SGA President Makayla Hawkins said the ceremony was a success this year and stood true to the purpose of swearing in members as well as getting them excited for their new position. Although this is the main purpose, Hawkins said she felt as though this year held other successes. “It’s also a way for us to celebrate them. They work really really hard throughout the semester so it’s good to just have one day where it’s like congratulations and soak in what you’re taking before they actually start working,” Hawkins said. This event, according to Hawkins, also allowed each member the opportunity to have a moment to shine while also bringing them together. “It’s honestly just a big welcome to SGA so we can all feel like a big family,” she said. Criminology and English junior Mia Vitello was sworn in as Chief of Staff. She said she believes everyone had a great time but this ceremony was especially special for her. “Personally, it was a really great moment for me because I got to have a very nice moment where my boss was able to swear me in and she means a lot to me,” she said. “I was very happy with that moment.” The entire cabinet was able to attend, although not just in the traditional face to face way. Dixon Diamond, new Director of Finance, had to get sworn in on video call through an iPad due to being too sick to attend.
See INAUGURATION, page 2
Krewe du Fool member Samantha Bongiovanni rides along the French Quarter riverfront on a decorated petty cab on Sept. 2, 2023. Bongiovanni gave out biodegradable glitter during the parade. Sophia Maxim/The Maroon
Law students provide legal support to those in need By Mark Michel mamichel@my.loyno.edu
Two law students work at the Loyola law school for the Gillis Long Poverty Law Center. The center provides free legal aid to individuals in need. Courtesy of Kyle Encar
The Gillis Long Poverty Law Center has been a hallmark institution of social justice on Loyola’s law campus for more than 30 years. Created through a congressional endowment to Loyola named in the wake of representative Gillis Long’s passing, the Gillis Long Poverty Law Center has been fulfilling the social justice mission of Loyola for decades by providing free legal services to those for the New Orleans community who are most in need. The center has also successfully provided real world experience for law students who seek to make a difference in others lives, such as third year law student Alex Barrow. “I was drawn to the mission of the clinic, which is basically to give access to justice to members of the community who otherwise would be foreclosed from accessing justice because they don’t have funds,” Bellow said. Director of the center Davida Finger described part of the work they do as providing law students with funding to
work with local civil legal services. “This past summer, we funded and paid 40 law students to work with legal services organizations, primarily around the state,” Finger said. Bellow received funding to work with the Jefferson Parish Public Defenders Office, and the work he did confirmed that this was something he wanted to do in his professional career. “[The job] allowed me to see the inner workings of how to offer effective assistance of counsel to indigent defendants. That was critical for me because that’s my goal- that’s the work that I want to do when I graduate next year,” Bellow said. Bellow wasn’t the only one who praised the program and its benefits. Recent Loyola Law graduate Jessi Dominique enjoyed the community built around the program and how it encouraged her in her career. “It put me where I needed to be. It was so beneficial to be able to meet the people that I needed to meet,” Dominique said.
See POVERTY, page 3