Reflecting on the trip

We left the gorgeous weather, great food, and amazing people yesterday. I don't think that any of us wanted to come back and leave the amazing city that is New Orleans.

During our reflection time, we discussed a lot of topics, including:
- How there are so many contrasts in New Orleans, from the French Quarter, to Bourbon Street, to the Lower Ninth, and surrounding residential areas (such as Chalmette, where we stayed). Most tourists flock to the first two places but never really venture 10 minutes down the street to where many businesses have shut down, houses are still boarded up, and poverty still reigns.
- How many of the residents are distrusting and frustrated with the government. One resident we talked to said that he lost his house and all of his possessions and all the government gave him was a $2000 check, which did not even start to cover his losses.
- How there are a lot of factors - economic, environmental, and maybe political - that led to the devastation. One thing that I learned was that the receding wetlands that usually buffer the effects of hurricanes contributed to the extreme flooding. I didn't even know that wetlands had anything to do with the Hurricane before the trip. (See the documentary "Hurricane on the Bayou").
- How little footage the news showed and how quickly it moved on to another topic. So many people lost their homes, family members, and all they had, yet it was pretty simple for us to move on the next hot topic. Also, many of us didn't know about Hurricane Rita, which came very shortly after Katrina, made matters worse. In addition, the devastation wasn't limited to just Louisiana. Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida were also affected.
- How New Orleans "grows on you like a fungus," like Brent said. A lot of us fell in love with New Orleans and could see why many people come to New Orleans and never leave.

Another good documentary to watch is "When the Levees Broke."

I've learned a ton from this trip and I highly recommend to anyone that has a few free days to take a trip down to New Orleans. And to not only visit the French Quarter and the touristy places, but to also visit the lower Ninth Ward and surrounding residential areas.

- Melanie

Last Night in New Orleans

This week went by so fast. I don't think any of us are ready to leave. Being here has affected all of us in different ways and we have all learned so much.
We learned a lot about Hurricane Katrina - we watched "Hurricane in the Bayou" on IMAX, talked to some locals and staff at Tulane University, and toured the Lower 9th Ward with our excellent half-tour-guide half-staff-leader Brent. A whole blog could be devoted to everything we saw and heard about the devastation of Katrina.
After learning about the people who need help here after the storm, and even talking to some of them, the service component of our trip was extremely rewarding. Alongside Habitat for Humanity, we hammered a lot and sawed some in order to finish a whole floor structure and put in all the floor boards for a house. We finished today very sore and with a lot of blisters, but with a wall up and huge smiles on our faces. We were helping somebody!
One question that was asked a lot - why would anybody want to move back into a city with so much devastation and abandonment that is prone to be hit by another hurricane? That question was quickly answered as we explored the city. We went to Bourbon Street, shopped in the French Market, ate beignets at Cafe du Monde, visited Universities, spoke to locals, went on a ghost tour, and just drove around looking at the architecture and parks. Another blog could be devoted to everything we learned about the city. There is so much culture embedded in New Orleans there is no way anyone couldn't love it - of course people who have lived here their whole lives would want to come back!
This is why we all feel so good about being able to spend our Spring Break serving those who need us in this beautiful place. We encourage everyone to check out our pictures and listen to stories about our week spent here - and of course we encourage anyone who can to come down to New Orleans themselves :)
What we learned here will be with us for our lives and we will bring it back to our hometown. In fact, a lot of us are considering continuing with Habitat back home - there are people in every city that could use our help.


I can't believe this is our last night!
-Kristine

Construction Photos

Some photos of us working hard on the house!

More Monday

Looking at the Lower Ninth Ward today was an extremely eye-opening experience. Having Brent narrate his unique story really puts things in perspective and made everything much more real. We feel really lucky to have someone like him to talk to us about what he went through. Additionally, we really loved seeing everyone's attitudes about the devastation; everyone was surprisingly positive and understanding. Meeting your own peers who are all just as passionate about a single cause is a really great experience. It will be amazing to truly see everyone unite when we start the manual work tomorrow (Tuesday).
- Katie and Nik

Monday- Lower Ninth

Seeing the Ninth Ward so changed my view of Katrina's damage. I still cannot imagine this ghost town as a thriving neighborhood, where families raised their children, celebrated holidays, etc. It was so hard to believe Katrina hit 5 years ago. So few houses have been built, and so many homes remain abandoned...how much longer will it take to really get the reconstruction and revival started? 10 years? More? It's so overwhelming to imagine the task that lays before New Orleans...so much still needs to be done. But, who has the money to donate, the time to sacrifice to make the difference? I feel New Orleans needs so much more than we can give it, so much more than we need to give it...What should be the first task? What can America feasibly do to bring back the community and revive the city?
- Anna

Sunday and Monday

Sunday: I think the movie Hurricane on the Bayou was so influential because I had no idea that the wetlands were slowly being ruined by the building of the canals that bring in the salt water that actually ruins the soil that the plants and marshes need. The building of the levees was keeping out the water containing the important soil for the wetlands. It was sad to see that some of the alligators were even losing their babies.

Monday: I think it's really advantageous to have Brent here on this trip because we have a more personal story for someone we know ourselves. We got to see where his house was and his grandpa's house. The Lower 9th Ward was so empty and quiet that it was easy to figure out why many of the former residents are so hesitant to move back to such a barren "community". It was also great to see Brad Pitt's EcoHouses and see his Make It Right Foundation in action. I have so much more respect for him now by seeing how he's putting his heart and soul into this work for New Orleans residents.
- Laura

Sunday Activities

Sunday we drove to the Aquarium of the Americas and watched an IMax movie called Hurricane on the Bayou. It discussed the wetlands, and how they are disappearing, which contributes to the devastation caused by hurricanes, especially Katrina. The wetlands provide a natural barrier for hurricanes, they said that for every 3 miles of wetlands, a hurricane's height decreased by a few feet. That can make an incredible impact, and prevent a lot of damage to the surrounding area. However, because of man-made canals and levees, the wetlands have slowly been disappearing over the last 50 years. The canals dug to provide a path for oil barges bring in salt water from the ocean, killing the trees. This is a man-made problem, that requires a man-made solution. The dilemna begins when we consider just how dependent we are on oil.
- Emily