2006年VOA标准英语-Traditionally African-American University

By Greg Flakus
New Orleans, LA
27 January 2006
 
watch Xavier University report

Xavier University re-opens   
  
Among the colleges and universities that re-opened this month in New Orleans, after having lost a semester to the devastation¹ of Hurricane Katrina, was the nation's only traditionally African-American Catholic University. As VOA's Greg Flakus reports from New Orleans, Xavier University is an important part of the city's educational and cultural identity.

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The cleanup is in its final stages now and Xavier University is up and running. Students all attended out-of-state schools last semester, but they returned to Xavier as soon as they could.

"It is a small environment where everyone knows each other. It is like family and the professors are here to help you,” said one student.

Dr. Norman Francis, Xavier University President   
  
Dr. Norman Francis is now in his 38th year as president of Xavier University. He says he was not surprised that more than 75 percent of pre-Katrina students opted² to return this semester.

He says colleges that target the needs of African-American students help reduce the educational disparity between whites and blacks in the United States.  "The disparity is still larger than it should be and, if there were not African-American, or black, colleges educating young African-Americans, that disparity would be greater than it is today."

But damage from flood waters made Xavier's campus uninhabitable for a few months. Dr. Francis says the restoration of this university is part of the overall effort to bring back New Orleans.

"We know what it cost to renovate³ this place in four months, it is at least $20-plus-million already, and yet we know that is money well spent, because it is an investment in the future," said the school president.
 
 
refurbished lecture halls with new chairs
  
The challenge faced by Xavier was overwhelming. Many dorm rooms had to be totally refurbished because of water and mold damage. New chairs were needed in many lecture halls.

Water also damaged a lot of expensive laboratory equipment in Xavier's School of Pharmacy⁴, according to spokesman Warren Bell. "This was an electron-scanning microscope set up in here for a research project. Because the water came in 18 or 20 inches high on this first floor, it was enough to cause serious damage to the electrical components⁵ that are contained in equipment like this. It is part of the reason why our damage total reflects not only the damage to the buildings, but you also have serious damage in terms of lost equipment that was, in this case, less than two years old."

Regina McCutcheon, student body president   
  
Xavier University has counted on support from charitable donors⁶, alumni, faculty⁷ and staff.  That's because of the university's special quality, according to returning Student Body President Regina McCutcheon.

"The love students have for Xavier is phenomenal. We spent the whole semester going to other universities talking about Xavier,” she said. “There is nothing that can replace the experience that we have had here."

1 devastation   

n.毁坏；荒废；极度震惊或悲伤

参考例句：

• The bomb caused widespread devastation. 炸弹造成大面积破坏。
• There was devastation on every side. 到处都是破坏的创伤。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 opted   

v.选择，挑选( opt的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She was co-opted onto the board. 她获增选为董事会成员。
• After graduating she opted for a career in music. 毕业后她选择了从事音乐工作。

3 renovate   

vt.更新，革新，刷新

参考例句：

• The couple spent thousands renovating the house.这对夫妇花了几千元来翻新房子。
• They are going to renovate the old furniture.他们准备将旧家具整修一番。

4 pharmacy   

n.药房，药剂学，制药业，配药业，一批备用药品

参考例句：

• She works at the pharmacy.她在药房工作。
• Modern pharmacy has solved the problem of sleeplessness.现代制药学已经解决了失眠问题。

5 components   

（机器、设备等的）构成要素，零件，成分； 成分( component的名词复数 )； [物理化学]组分； [数学]分量； （混合物的）组成部分

参考例句：

• the components of a machine 机器部件
• Our chemistry teacher often reduces a compound to its components in lab. 在实验室中化学老师常把化合物分解为各种成分。

6 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 faculty   

n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员

参考例句：

• He has a great faculty for learning foreign languages.他有学习外语的天赋。
• He has the faculty of saying the right thing at the right time.他有在恰当的时候说恰当的话的才智。