tag:blogs.bucknell.edu,2007:/KatrinaRelief//3 2006-12-22T18:43:19Z Movable Type 3.33 tag:blogs.bucknell.edu,2006:/KatrinaRelief//3.83 2006-12-22T02:37:20Z 2006-12-22T18:43:19Z

Well, the skies opened up last night and graced us with about 5 inches of rain. Yea…muchos rain… And it didn’t stop. So no gutting today. After doing a small amount of inventorying early this morning, we’re just kinda hanging...

Matt Miller Well, the skies opened up last night and graced us with about 5 inches of rain. Yea…muchos rain… And it didn’t stop. So no gutting today. After doing a small amount of inventorying early this morning, we’re just kinda hanging around, trying to occupy ourselves. Lauren had a fantastic idea this morning to go play football outside, so the bold members of our group braved the torrential rains and played a rousing game of football for the ages. Other than that we’ve been playing Dutch Blitz, reading, talking, and anything else we can find to pass the time. The rain is coming down so hard that we often need to scream just to hear one another. Hopefully our roof stays on! Yesterday I was so busy I was too tired to write. Unbeknownst to us, it was our last day of gutting… But it was a good one nonetheless!! My group traveled back to the palace, yes, palace, we started the day before and did quite a number on it. We finished the main portion of the first floor and a couple of the rooms coming out of the hallway. Included in our treasures that we pulled out was a refrigerator, a treadmill, a dishwasher, a kitchen sink, furniture galore, and two enormous rugs filled with hardened mud. We were all quite impressed with out progress. We were hoping to go back today to finish, but apparently God has different plans. So it seems this trip is coming to a close. That means no more crow bars and sledgehammers, no more moldy walls, no more Fema water, no more roaches, no more 6 am mornings, no more gas masks, goggles, and hard hats. But more significantly, never again will this group of 25 rugged Bucknellians spend an entire day together serving people who we’ve grown such a heart for. Sure, we’ll see each other around campus and maybe even have a reunion, but it will not be anywhere close to what we’re experiencing now. Our group has grown such indescribable bonds, formed by our same passion for serving our needy neighbors. It is very depressing to think that we will never be together like this again. But it is exceedingly hopeful to think of the potential we will have back on campus. We can remain united together to educate our fellow classmates about the extreme need here. And we can promote and even lead more trips down here to see that our unfinished work continues. On top of that, we can locate needy people back in Lewisburg and join together to serve their needs. We may never all enter a moldy, cockroach infected house together, but when we return, we will reunite to do far more than fix houses. tag:blogs.bucknell.edu,2006:/KatrinaRelief//3.82 2006-12-22T01:35:37Z 2006-12-22T18:41:40Z

Today we woke up to pouring rain outside! Everyone was pretty tired from the night before. We went to the French Quarter to go to a concert by Chris Thomas King at St. Louis cathedral in Jackson Square. He played...

Mina Okochi Today we woke up to pouring rain outside! Everyone was pretty tired from the night before. We went to the French Quarter to go to a concert by Chris Thomas King at St. Louis cathedral in Jackson Square. He played some Christmas songs for about an hour. I went to eat at a Lebanese restaurant called Mona’s Café with a few of the other girls. The rest of the group went to eat at a Mexican restaurant and then came home after I had already fallen asleep because I was exhausted! We found out this morning that none of the groups would be able to do gutting today because of the rain. I was really upset and I think everyone else was as well. The other group had been gutting the same house for two days and they were looking forward to finishing it today. I was really disappointed because I really wanted to get one more day in to work hard. It was our last day here! So instead we spent the morning taking inventory of the kitchen. On the walls of Camp Hope groups that have come here to volunteer have painted murals on the walls of the hallways, so because we had a lot of free time today, some of us painted a Bucknell mural on the wall. We also got a chance to listen to a lecture from a firefighter who was one of the first responders during Katrina in St. Bernard’s Parish. It continued to rain all day long and it finally just stopped raining. I can’t believe our time here is already over; tomorrow we will be on the plane and heading back to Bucknell. tag:blogs.bucknell.edu,2006:/KatrinaRelief//3.81 2006-12-21T23:33:59Z 2006-12-22T18:40:02Z

Today was a disappointing day for the team. It started raining late last night and continued all day. Because of the weather we couldn't go out to the worksite. All of us had hopes of finishing this enormous house before...

Barb Dugan Today was a disappointing day for the team. It started raining late last night and continued all day. Because of the weather we couldn't go out to the worksite. All of us had hopes of finishing this enormous house before we had to return to Bucknell tomorrow. By far this is the largest house we have tried to gut. Even though we didn't get a chance to finish the house the strides we made yesterday are remarkable. One room in particular was used as a workout area. Not only were the furniture and belongings thrown about by the water, undernearth it all was a huge treadmill. What a great sense of satisfaction in completing that room. Then on to the next one. The most difficult part of this house was the long narrow hallway. It was only wide enough to fit a wheelbarrow. The wheelbarrow would be filled then backed out the hallway to be dumped outside. Another obstacle was trying to condense the huge pile of debris in the front yard. The guys constructed a ramp made of doors in order to pile the debris. My guess would be that we had gutted a 0% house, one that had never been cleaned since the flooding, to 75%. What an accomplishment for a team that most of us have never dealt with such a disaster. Since we couldn't get out to our worksite today all of us here at Camp Hope were asked to do chores. There are approximately 350 campers here from various groups. The largest being a group from Bowling Green University. We cleaned of the entire complex, took inventories of the foods and kitchen areas, and our group also got a chance to leave our mark behind in the form of a mural. All the walls inside Camp Hope have been decorated by the different organizations that have helped to rebuild St. Benard’s parish. Ours is the familiar Bison head with the dates we have been here and our name -- Bucknell University. Our quote is "How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." Anne Frank In the afternoon one of the first responders from the St.Bernard fire department shared his experiences with us. The room was quiet as he spoke of the hurricane landing and of the levies breaking. I personally am so grateful for the opportunity to participate in this program. Even though we are a small group of 25 people we have made a dent in this disaster. Many of us have expressed an eagerness to come back in the near future. tag:blogs.bucknell.edu,2006:/KatrinaRelief//3.79 2006-12-21T00:32:13Z 2006-12-21T13:35:26Z

Yesterday we went to another new house that had not been touched yet, called a “zero percent house.” It was a larger house than the other ones, but it was still one story. We worked hard to get all the...

Mina Okochi Yesterday we went to another new house that had not been touched yet, called a “zero percent house.” It was a larger house than the other ones, but it was still one story. We worked hard to get all the furniture and rubble and tons and tons of mud out of the house. The house had pretty high ceilings so we had to get up there and take off the drywall on the ceiling and the insulation up there as well. It was also a pretty hot day so everyone was getting really hot and tired. We started early, when it was still a little foggy, and that kind of reflected the house when we arrived. It was full of muddy, dirty belongings and debris covering the floor; it was pretty dark and gloomy inside. Yet the more we worked, the nicer the day got too! Each time we got rid of debris or knocked down a new wall, the house seemed brighter and happier. And by the time we had to leave, we had pretty much finished gutting the house (minus the attic, which I think is pretty impressive!), and the sun was streaming into the clean house. It’s just remarkable, each time I go into a house, I look around and just feel so overwhelmed by what’s in there, but as a group we manage to work together and get things done. It’s funny because even though I know we can gut the house, I always have that same feeling like it’s just too much to be able to accomplish. As I was going through the house, I found a few older Polaroid photos of a couple and their baby. I also found a plaque that said “Gramma’s house” and that led me to believe it was a grandmother’s house, but there were also kid’s clothes and toys everywhere and in the bedrooms, so I thought maybe some grandchildren lived with the grandmother. I always take a few minutes at the end to look at the different salvageable items and I always look through the photos. I really like to see some photos of happy memories that they had in the past, and I always think that at least they will have some photos to be able to keep. It can be very rewarding to find great things for these people that had so much loss from the hurricane, but it is also very upsetting and difficult to see items as simple as children’s stuffed animals or a child’s sneaker in piles of debris. You get all these different clues as to who lives in the house, but you have to sort of make up what you think their story is. You get a glimpse into these people’s lives through their belongings and you can see what kind of person or people they are. I also think it’s very fascinating that you catch these people’s lives at a moment in time. In the house there was laundry in the dryer still. We found toys all over the floor and notices about a fine posted to the refrigerator. These were all things that the family had been doing or were planning to do before they had to leave their home. It really is very emotional to see all of these possessions in a home that was ruined and won’t ever be the same again. tag:blogs.bucknell.edu,2006:/KatrinaRelief//3.65 2006-12-20T01:59:36Z 2006-12-20T14:05:10Z

Our group leader today was a young architect from New York named Mike. After taking a three week paid work leave to come work here at Camp Hope, Mike promptly quit his job and came back. He told us that...

Matt Miller Our group leader today was a young architect from New York named Mike. After taking a three week paid work leave to come work here at Camp Hope, Mike promptly quit his job and came back. He told us that he couldn't stand sitting at his comfy desk while so many people needed help down here. How true did that ring for my own life. In about six months I'm supposed to enter the "real world" and find a "real job." Many people would say that to sacrifice a comfy life would be a complete waste of a four year Bucknell education. But I say that to live in absolute comfort with no concern for our suffering fellow humans all over the world is a complete waste of humanity. I have a strong calling to places like this, where there is such unimaginable need. I can only hope that many of my fellow Bucknellians will also realize the immense need in the world and sacrifice at least part of their cozy life that a Bucknell education is so apt at giving and serve those who aren't quite as ridiculously fortunate as us. Ok, enough of my rant. Today was really good, although it went by so quickly. We finished gutting the house we worked on yesterday and started a new one today. In fact, it seems we started working on a mansion. It was absolutely enormous. And it quickly became incredibly clear that the people who lived there were somewhat wealthy. And it brought up the old question, "should we be helping wealthy people when so many poorer families need help?" Well, we came to realize that the answer is that Katrina did not discriminate based on wealth. Everyone lost everything. Everyone is deserving of some help. It is at least reassuring that Camp Hope offers help only to the disabled, elderly, and single parent families. It is also extremely reassuring to know that most of the gutting work has been completed. Yesterday there were only 40 houses left on Camp Hope's list. And they've already gone through over 2000!! Unfortunately, FEMA will only provide debris removal until the end of the year (as in less than 2 weeks away). So Camp Hope will only be gutting until then. They will then start exclusively rebuilding. Thank God there are less than 40 to go now! In conclusion, I encourage everyone reading this to drink a can of FEMA water at least once in your life. It's a true experience!! tag:blogs.bucknell.edu,2006:/KatrinaRelief//3.64 2006-12-20T00:58:13Z 2006-12-20T14:03:25Z

Today we came back and finished the house in the morning. Quickly we moved on to our new house. We were supposed to work at a home but half the front wall was caved in and it was unsafe to...

Chris Wilson Today we came back and finished the house in the morning. Quickly we moved on to our new house. We were supposed to work at a home but half the front wall was caved in and it was unsafe to work at, so we worked in a house down the street. The neighborhood was desolate, with gutted house after gutted house sitting there. Very few FEMA trailers were there, which means not many residents are moving back. The house we started work on was a two story house, and it was huge. The inside was a mess and we had to shovel out a mix of the owner's possessions and mud. This was the hardest work of the trip and by the end of the day we had only cleared half of the house. It’s frustrating that we can't do more, but we are all working as hard as we can. One interesting thing that I am noticing is that unlike most work, I am really enjoying this work. At the end of the day I don't really want to stop. It’s almost addicting, because you feel so satisfied at the end of the day. Many people have been down here volunteering for months and all are hooked on helping out people. Our team leader today quit his job in Manhattan so that he could work for a couple of months down here. tag:blogs.bucknell.edu,2006:/KatrinaRelief//3.66 2006-12-19T23:20:15Z 2006-12-20T15:04:27Z

Hello from Violet, LA! Today was a great day. We got to finish our house this morning! It is so rewarding to start with a house that was 0% and finish it completely. What I mean by 0% is that...

Barb Dugan Hello from Violet, LA! Today was a great day. We got to finish our house this morning! It is so rewarding to start with a house that was 0% and finish it completely. What I mean by 0% is that the house had nothing done to it since Katrina. Yesterday some of the girls on my team discovered pictures and mementos of the family that gave us some idea about them. Today Hillary was able to call them with the good news that their house was cleaned up. Unfortunately she got their voice mail. I can only imagine how relieved the family was knowing that their home was ready to be rebuilt. Later this morning we moved on to our 3rd house. This house is going to be a challenge. It is a huge house with two stories. Again it's a house that is 0%. Water marks are still evident on the walls. This home had 10' of water inside. Now it has 6" of mud inside. The mud is caked on the floors like bricks. Our team had to use a pitch fork to loosen it. We were all amazed at the end of the day at how much progress we had made. Already we have 2 of the biggest rooms cleared and tomorrow we'll start the other rooms. On the bright side it's warm and sunny here! tag:blogs.bucknell.edu,2006:/KatrinaRelief//3.71 2006-12-19T14:06:29Z 2006-12-20T16:50:41Z

Hello from Louisiana. The Bucknell volunteers had a good day today although we got off to a late start. Although our group was ready to go to work gutting more homes in St. Bernard Parish at 7:15, we had been...

Janice Butler Hello from Louisiana. The Bucknell volunteers had a good day today although we got off to a late start. Although our group was ready to go to work gutting more homes in St. Bernard Parish at 7:15, we had been left off the Camp Hope schedule by mistake. Because we arrived on Thursday, not the usual arrival of Saturday, we got left out of the weekend conversion of work assignments. With over 200 volunteers here, and the Americorps staff on their break, it was easy to understand how things could fall through the cracks. The volunteer operation has a good organizational system in place, but you can imagine how difficult a task this could be - to organize teams of 12-14 people to get to a variety of locations with the proper tools, paperwork, and training needed to gut lots of homes. Already Habitat for Humanity and Camp Hope volunteers have gutted over 3,000 homes since June. Gutting enables families to begin the process of rebuilding or to sell a shell of house that has been taken down to the studs to be built up again. So when two teams did get to work today on two different sites, our task was to clear out all belongings, and remove damaged dry wall, insulation, carpets, and even ceilings if necessary. One team finished work on a building that had been slated by the local government for demolition. St. Bernard Parish has taken the position that if property owners have not yet begun to gut their homes, they will be demolished so they don't pose a health hazard or unsightly blight for neighbors who are rebuilding and trying to make a come back. For the Bucknell folks who were perhaps able to save this home from a bulldozer and save some of the family possessions, there was a sense of accomplishment for their hard labor. The second team worked on a 0% house which meant no work had been done since it had been flooded. The water line indicated it had stood in about 4 and a half feet of water. We were able to salvage some of the small belongings but made a huge pile of debris that filled the front yard with things to be thrown away. Although some work still remains at this site, we got about 90% of the job done and that felt good. One of our group decided to work with another team of volunteers and reported her day was very satisfying. She helped hang dry wall in a house that had been gutted, treated for mold, and inspected for rebuilding. Several of the students have commented on how much you can learn about a family through their belongings - a little girl's photo with Santa, a woman's nursing badge, and her son's college diploma, a set of golf clubs, and a collection of videos each tell little parts of a story. While it might seem a bit voyeuristic, it also makes our work more personal as we try to imagine all that these individuals have lost and take some comfort in being able to save some small mementos from the life they used to have. Tomorrow we go back to this work that is hard physically and emotionally, but is also very rewarding. All of the people we meet in Louisiana, whether we are working directly for them or for others, have been very grateful for our efforts and repeatedly thank us for our help. Being thankful seems like the right attitude as the year comes to a close and the Bucknell volunteers are very much aware of the blessings we have in our own lives, and the things we often take for granted. Til tomorrow, Janice Butler Director of Service-Learning tag:blogs.bucknell.edu,2006:/KatrinaRelief//3.51 2006-12-19T03:42:22Z 2006-12-19T22:02:31Z

Another day down, another 2 houses gutted!! After a rocky start this morning (we were apparently forgotten about and weren't scheduled a house to work at, so instead we watched some of Talladegan Nights), we worked extremely hard for the...

Matt Miller Another day down, another 2 houses gutted!! After a rocky start this morning (we were apparently forgotten about and weren't scheduled a house to work at, so instead we watched some of Talladegan Nights), we worked extremely hard for the rest of the day and tore through a couple houses. The work was very similar to what we did on Friday. The house I was at probably wasn't touched for the past 16 months so we had our work cut out for us. The homeowners weren't there and the person from Camp Hope helped the other group, so we were on our own! But no matter, we knew our task and set to work. It’s such a unique feeling to go into someone’s devastated house for the first time. You get a complete snapshot of a day in the homeowner's life. When we walked in today, there were still dishes in the drying racks on the kitchen counter. They must have washed dishes shortly before fleeing the storm. You also get an extraordinary understanding of who the homeowners are. By digging through their demolished possessions, you learn about their hobbies, their careers, their personalities. It is as if we develop intimate relationships with each family member without ever meeting them. For example, we learned that a woman lived in the house and worked as a nurse. We also learned that the homeowners had a deep love for movies, as DVD’s and VHS's were scattered all about the house. I like to take a particular room and work primarily in that room during the clearing process and try to guess that person's role in the family and develop a characterization of that person. For example, today I cleared out someone's room who appeared to be a recent college graduate. There was a closet filled with books and I found a diploma from the University of Louisiana. There were also random other things in the room like car care supplies and children’s toys. Being a dormitory inhabitant, I know that a college student's room can become used as a storage room which I am guessing is the case here. Of course, we always wonder if the people will come back to live in their house after all the repairs are made. We talked with the neighbors across the street who told us that they don't know if the woman whose house we're working on will come back, but most of the people in the neighborhood already have returned. In fact, the house we were working on is one of the last two or three that needs to be gutted. It was extremely hopeful to talk and laugh with these two men, whose spirits were clearly extremely high despite such a tragedy. I am constantly amazed by how hopeful these people are even though they lost almost everything. We middle and upper class college kids are realizing that possessions are not what is truly important in life. The people down here are showing us that you can lose everything, everything, and still be happy. You can lose everything and still be the same person and not be any worse because of it. One person in our group, Sherri, told us today that she lost her purse for about 15 minutes, and wasn't at all upset about it!! She said that she could have gone without or replaced everything in it. What if American society taught us that our possessions, our material goods, aren't what define us? What if society didn't tell us that we're nothing without our possessions? If this were so, we would be living in a far different, and undeniably a far better country. Finally, I'm starting to understand how Christmas works down here. These people don't need weather cold enough to give you frostbite or freeze the wet hair on your head to get into the Christmas spirit. They simply need to be given a slight chill when they walk outside in their shorts and t-shirts. I experienced this on the way to doing my laundry today. And on the way back, I put on my sweatshirt fresh from the dryer and honestly felt like I’d just won the lottery. Then I went back to the room, put on my Christmas CD, draped a warm t-shirt over my legs, folded my laundry, and all was well in the world. tag:blogs.bucknell.edu,2006:/KatrinaRelief//3.63 2006-12-19T02:55:50Z 2006-12-20T14:04:02Z

The past two days we have been back to gutting houses. Yesterday we started on a zero percent house. This means that nothing has been done to the house and its still how it was right after the hurricane hit....

Chris Wilson The past two days we have been back to gutting houses. Yesterday we started on a zero percent house. This means that nothing has been done to the house and its still how it was right after the hurricane hit. This was the first house like this that I have done. We walked in before starting to work to inspect and the sight was unbelievable. The water picks up all of the items in the house and then drops them randomly when the water diminishes. Everything was thrown about. To us it was all stuff, but to the owner it’s all of her possessions. The work was hard and it took all day to almost finish the house. We even stayed a hour late. At lunch we had the chance to talk to a few residents in the neighborhood. Our talk was very interesting. They said that almost their entire neighborhood was moving back in, unlike most. Also, there was a woman, her son, and her grandson that lived in the house we were working on and they had not been seen since the storm. The most surprising thing was that they were surprised we weren't getting paid and thought we were crazy to be down there. tag:blogs.bucknell.edu,2006:/KatrinaRelief//3.50 2006-12-19T00:40:18Z 2006-12-19T22:01:57Z

It's amazing how much volunteering in the Recovery efforts can affect you. It has definitely made me realize how hard life has been for these people. You get a completely different view actually being down here, and interacting with the...

Mina Okochi It's amazing how much volunteering in the Recovery efforts can affect you. It has definitely made me realize how hard life has been for these people. You get a completely different view actually being down here, and interacting with the people than being at home, watching things on TV or reading things in the newspaper. All the locals are so grateful for the volunteers. When I was in the French Quarter on Friday night, the jazz band playing at the club came over to talk to us and then dedicated his next song to us and our efforts! And when we would talk to vendors in the French market, or shop owners, everyone really was impressed and thanked us for doing what we were doing. To me, giving up a week of vacation didn't seem like a big deal at all. In fact, I never looked at it as "giving up" anything. I was excited to be able to go on this trip, and thankful to have the opportunity to participate in it! So far, just working and gutting the houses has made me realize just how lucky I am. When the week is over, I get to go home to my house with all of my family. These people have had no place to live and have lost family and friends. I feel extremely fortunate to be here and be able to experience some of these people's lives. I feel so much satisfaction from helping those who have lost their homes and I have so much respect for everyone down here -- the locals as well as the other volunteers. tag:blogs.bucknell.edu,2006:/KatrinaRelief//3.47 2006-12-18T22:56:21Z 2006-12-19T13:28:23Z

Monday, December 18 and another house gutted. What a great feeling for all of us! As I mentioned before, the 25 of us split into two teams. So, really, two more houses have been gutted. I haven't had the opportunity...

Barb Dugan Monday, December 18 and another house gutted. What a great feeling for all of us! As I mentioned before, the 25 of us split into two teams. So, really, two more houses have been gutted. I haven't had the opportunity to meet any of the owners of the houses that we have gutted, but today we did talk to the neighbors next door. How appreciative these people are for any help we can give them. At first the neighbors thought that we got paid to do the work. When we told them that we actually paid to come on the trip they were really surprised! They told us about the evacuation and having to wait weeks till they could even get home. Once home they faced inches of mud on everything. And now mold and insects have invaded. All the families told us it will be a while till they can live in their houses. In the meantime they are living in FEMA trailers. In our parish there are hundreds. But you have to smile at the spirit these people have. Some of them have decorated their trailers with colored lights for the holiday! More later... there are lines for the computer so I'll do my entry in the morning. Barb tag:blogs.bucknell.edu,2006:/KatrinaRelief//3.46 2006-12-18T14:08:17Z 2006-12-19T13:25:24Z

Yesterday was so tiring that by the time we got back to Camp Hope at 10:30, I went to sleep. Yesterday, Sunday, we went into the French Quarter to go to an exhibit at the Cabildo on Hurricane Katrina. It...

Mina Okochi Yesterday was so tiring that by the time we got back to Camp Hope at 10:30, I went to sleep. Yesterday, Sunday, we went into the French Quarter to go to an exhibit at the Cabildo on Hurricane Katrina. It was all photography by a National Geographic photographer. It was very interesting because the photographs were so colorful and pretty, yet they were depicting something so horrible and ugly, the destruction from the hurricane. There was one photograph of a car buried in sand, and it really looked to me like a toy car buried in a sandbox. There was also a part by fifteen high school students documenting life after the hurricane in the New Orleans area. I thought their photographs were especially moving because they included quotes describing their experience or a moment that was hard for them. After the museum we went to lunch and a presentation by two engineers, from the company CDM, who graduated from Bucknell a number of years ago. The presentation uncovered myths about the hurricane, that the water was not really considered “toxic” for example. They also talked about the projects their firm was currently working on. They also discussed how important it is to try to help out, to make people aware of the condition that the city is in still, and to help out the economy by being tourists or getting a job in the area. I agree with all of this. Especially being down here now, after seeing the city in its original condition, I think it’s so important to let people know that the city is still in so much need. Katrina has left a lot of people’s minds by now. I remember people telling me that they didn’t realize New Orleans was in bad shape when I told them I was going on this trip. The city and the area will need help for a long time to get back on its feet. There are so many houses destroyed and people will need as much help as they can get. tag:blogs.bucknell.edu,2006:/KatrinaRelief//3.70 2006-12-18T11:58:12Z 2006-12-20T16:48:41Z

Hi folks. The Bucknell volunteers had a "non-work" day today which was great since the weather was so beautiful - blue skies and in the 70s. We began with a 9 am trip to the Louisiana State Museum where we...

Janice Butler Hi folks. The Bucknell volunteers had a "non-work" day today which was great since the weather was so beautiful - blue skies and in the 70s. We began with a 9 am trip to the Louisiana State Museum where we viewed an exhibit on Katrina called "After the Storm." The main display was by a photographer for National Geographic, but there were also photos by high school students taken after they had been displaced. There were some video clips as well and a piano that had been in the home of musician Fats Domino, who lived in the lower Ninth Ward and had to be rescued following the flooding. It was a very sobering exhibit that showed some of the human impact of this tragic storm. We were treated by some Bucknell graduates to delicious and plentiful lunch at Tujaques, the second oldest restaraunt in the city. Adam Faschan '87 and Dan Gerrity, '91, are civil engineers whose firm does consulting work. Their employees have been working on some public work projects that include helping St. Bernard Parish, Waveland, and Bay St. Louis with a number of recovery tasks including damage assessment, consolodating water infrastructure, waste water management, debris removal, and designs for new public housing. Dr. Faschan discussed a number of challenges faced by local residents and governments and both alums gave some perspective on what the media has and hasn't covered and some of the myths associated with the impact of the storm. The rest of the afternoon, volunteers explored more of the French Quarter, bought gifts and souvenirs, and took in the sights. A number of people saw the special IMAX film "Hurricane on the Bayou" about the importance of restoring and protecting wetlands to preserve an important ecosystem that can buffer the Gulf Coast from future storms. One special highlight was that this evening most of our group joined an annual public event by caroling in Jackson Square in front of the beautiful St. Louis Cathedral. It was a real phenomenon, and Mayor Ray Nagin and a number of Catholic dignitaries and local leaders spoke briefly. Standing by palm trees in the warm evening holding candles and singing songs with thousands of residents, some of whom would be having their first Christmas back home after being displaced, was something really special. Tomorrow, it's back to work bright and early with more home gutting ahead. The good news is that close to 200 new volunteers arrived at Camp Hope over the weekend. Most are young people on break from college or high school and it's great to have their enthusiasm for the difficult tasks of clearing away debris from the devastating impact of Katrina. I'll try to write more tomorrow. Janice Butler Director of Service-Learning tag:blogs.bucknell.edu,2006:/KatrinaRelief//3.44 2006-12-18T04:59:59Z 2006-12-18T13:56:00Z

Well, no more houses gutted, but plenty more memories. We had a day off of work today and spent the day exploring the French Quarter. There is a museum here that we went to that had a photo exhibit on...

Matt Miller Well, no more houses gutted, but plenty more memories. We had a day off of work today and spent the day exploring the French Quarter. There is a museum here that we went to that had a photo exhibit on Katrina. My favorite part was a section that had photos from a group of high schoolers. They were involved in a photography project that aimed to tell the story of the tragedy from youth. And they told some powerful stories with their photos. One caption read, "After we evacuated, I remember staying up with my sister on a school night in our cold bedroom in a house on the bayou. We would laugh so hard, even though the challenges we were going through were so difficult." I'm so impressed by the spirit and hope that the people here possess, despite the horrifying tragedy that they're dealing with. It really speaks volumes to the power and resilience of the human spirit. The rest of the day was chock full of good food, good music, a great presentation from a couple of Bucknell alums, an Imax movie on Katrina, and many laughs. At nighttime there was a Christmas caroling event in Jackson Square. A large number of people united for an hour of singing by candlelight. It is very strange for us for it to be Christmas time while it’s 70 degrees outside. Yesterday as we worked in Bay St. Louis in gorgeous weather with the sun beating down on us, it was a very strange sensation to be listening to Christmas music! It really helped me to realize that Christmas is a celebration of Jesus coming into the world and you can do that in any type of weather. I'm really starting to enjoy getting into the Christmas spirit in such a new setting. Well, tomorrow morning will come awfully quickly, since it'll begin at 6 am, such an ungodly time for a college student, not to mention being on break!! So it's time to hit the hay. Tomorrow I'll try to get some pictures up of our back-breaking work of gutting houses!!