inside Rhodes

It really is absurd to talk to people who are convinced that the rebuilding of the Gulf Coast from Hurricane Katrina is complete. This isn’t the place to rant on and on about the moral, ethical, social, and political injustices involved with the disaster, but I do hope to give readers an insight into the problems that still exist. I also hope to let prospective students see all of the opportunities that are available for service work here at Rhodes.

I spent my spring break volunteering in New Orleans helping to rebuild the still devastated city. Some people have come back and rebuilt, but many have not. The picture beside this paragraph really highlights this fact: rebuilt on the left, rubble (left from 2005). In many cases, those who haven’t rebuilt…can’t. Many were denied insurance because of red-lining and many have little to no funds to rebuild.

It’s hard to imagine what water can do (keep in mind, the hurricane wasn’t what caused most of this damage, it was the flooding from the breaking of the levees). Beside this paragaph are some pictures that show the power of the water damage. On the left, steps lead up to nothing. No, this house was not torn down. When the levee burst, the gush of water flattened and washed away this house and all houses surrounding it. On the right, the structure of this building has basically collapsed due to the water pressure…it was likely submerged for up to three weeks.

The Rhodes Rebuilds group was so big this Spring that we split into three separate groups to do work. My group went to the Amistad Research Center from 8-12 and worked in the Lower Ninth Ward from 1-4 (the Lower Ninth was the most affected by the flooding.) At the Research Center, we helped Archive collections dealing with African-American culture. Although we weren’t rebuilding in practice, tasks such as these are crucial in the rebuilding of the city as a whole. For more information on who they are and what they do…click here. At left, is a picture of me taking a break from archiving in NOLA (New Orleans, Louisiana.) In the Lower Ninth, we worked with an organization called NENA (Neighborhood Empowerment Network Association) who connected us with projects to be completed in the Lower Ninth. At right, is a picture of our group, plus another volunteer group working to clean up debris from someone’s back porch.

All in all, this trip was another uplifting part of my time at Rhodes. Upcoming freshman (and even current students) there are tons of ways to get involved with your community (local, national, and global) here at Rhodes. Programs such as Kinney, Rhodes Rebuilds, Tex-Mex, and CODA allow everyone on campus to get involved in some way or another.

Keeping with today’s NOLA theme, my link is one that is on CNN’s website. It is an eye-opening report about Hurricane Katrina that really helps to explain what happened and the effects.

I would love to hear some feedback about your volunteer work or your experiences with Hurricane Katrina, don’t be afraid to leave comments! Also, prospective students, feel free to leave questions in the comments boxes. I make the best effort to always respond.

Signing off,

Tyler