Meet the women on the 2014 Tulane Homecoming Court

Armando Marin and Amanda Verdi, Online News Editor and Associate News Editor

Students and alumni selected these five senior women to be on the 2014 Tulane Homecoming Court. Students first nominated individuals through OrgSync and the Tidal Wave homecoming committee invited a portion to interview for a position on the ballot. Tidal Wave narrowed the field to ten individuals, and these five women received the most votes from 1,854 voters. The homecoming king and queen will be announced at halftime of the homecoming football game Saturday against Memphis.

Piper Browne

Piper Browne is from Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts and is majoring in sociology with minors in French and music. She is currently president of Green Wave Ambassadors, president of the Green Envy a cappella group and an intern in the Office of Undergraduate Admission. She has also served as an Orientation Team Leader for incoming freshmen this past summer.

Browne said she is grateful for the recognition she is receiving.

“I’m incredibly honored and humbled and just very, very lucky,” Browne said. “I do feel like I’ve worked very hard in my years at Tulane, and it definitely feels good to be recognized and honored for that in a special way.”

Browne said she is unsure what she is doing upon graduation, but that her Tulane experience has given her the tools to know she wants to stay in New Orleans.

“I would describe [my Tulane experience] as an adventure…making New Orleans my home and figuring out my path in this university and in this community,” Browne said. “I’ve met some of the most influential and incredible people because of my time here, so I’m so thankful for that. Now I know that I’m not ready to leave this city.”

Olivia Patsos

Boston native Olivia Patsos is double majoring in Spanish and neuroscience. She is active in the Tulane community, having previously served as the Undergraduate Student Government Vice President for Student Organizations and senator-at-large. She is currently the head CPR instructor for Tulane Emergency Medical Services, a Green Wave Ambassador, a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority and a performer in Tulane’s annual production of “The Vagina Monologues.”

Patsos said her previous experience as a member of the Tidal Wave homecoming committee has given her appreciation for what a position of homecoming court means.

“I’ve served on the Tidal Wave homecoming committee for the past three years, so [homecoming] is always something I look forward to,” Patsos said. “I’ve done so much for this school, and I love it so much that I would love to represent it.”

Patsos said her work with other student leaders on campus has been a critical part of her time at Tulane.

“The one word I would use to describe [my Tulane experience] is ‘wow,’” Patsos said. “I can’t even describe the amount of leadership opportunities that’ve been granted to me.”

Patsos is applying to Tulane’s 4+1 Master’s program in neuroscience and plans on going to medical school or into the healthcare profession after graduation. 

Charisse Poston

Charisse Poston is a double major in English and economics with a minor in Spanish from Honolulu. She is currently a liberal arts senator on USG, a member of the Gender and Sexuality Advisory Council, a service learning assistant and community engagement advocate at the Center for Public Service and a WTUL DJ.

Poston said that it surprised her that she was selected to be on the homecoming court.

“The fact that I actually made it on is out of this world,” Poston said. “I’ve wanted to be on the homecoming court since high school…It’s really, really exciting.”

Poston said she was familiar with New Orleans and was excited to start living here during her college career.

“I grew up coming to New Orleans and I never thought about living here, but I knew I loved it when I came here as a kid,” Poston said. “Everyone I met [at Tulane] was so nice and so helpful. I really like it here.”

Poston applied for a Fulbright scholarship to teach English to students in Turkey. Her alternate plan is to stay in New Orleans and start teaching here.

Allyson Scheppler

Allyson Scheppler is a psychology major from La Grange, Illinois. She is the personnel chair of Chi Omega sorority, a public service fellow and the Lavin-Bernick Center event services manager. She was an Orientation Team Leader in the summers of 2013 and 2014.

Scheppler said that being a part of Homecoming Court is an incredible feeling.

“I feel so honored and humbled to be considered amongst this group of people,” Scheppler said.

She considers the “fantastic” people of Tulane to be the best part of the university by far.

“I have friends that I will have for life at this school,” Scheppler said. “It has been an incredible few years.”

Scheppler said she does not have any current plans for what she is doing upon graduation.

Morgan Wittenberg

Morgan Wittenberg is a political science major with a concentration in international relations and social policy and practice, with a minor in social innovation and social entrepreneurship, from Raleigh, North Carolina.

She is currently serving in her second term as USG president and has served previously as director of communications and senator-at-large. She is the current chair of Crawfest, a program assistant and SOCretary in the Student Organization Center, and the chief education officer for Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. She has also been an orientation coordinator for Greenie Camp and the NOLA Experience.

Wittenberg said she is “absolutely flattered” to be selected for the Homecoming Court.

“I remember as a freshman getting involved in the Tidal Wave Committee and seeing these incredible seniors who had done so much for their university,” Wittenberg said. “It’s still humbling every time I think about how I’m in their shoes.”

As a self-proclaimed bleeder of olive and blue, Wittenberg has nothing but positive things to say about Tulane.

“Tulane has been everything I needed it to be and everything I didn’t know I needed from it,” Wittenberg said. “The Tulane community is unlike any community I’ve ever found.”

After graduation, Wittenberg hopes to do meaningful work and build community, but does not have any concrete plans yet.

“I’ll keep people posted,” Wittenberg said.

To learn more about the men of the homecoming court, read their profiles here: https://www.tulanehullabaloo.com/news/article_d4a76e3c-69f2-11e4-9764-5b88fa2678ac.html

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