inside Rhodes

It’s a great feeling to be a senior at the start of fall semester! I don’t mean to rub it in (too much), mostly because I hear it really isn’t such a fine sensation once January starts closing in and vital decisions become unavoidable. Which by my calculations leaves me at least three months to lounge in the hammock of my imagination while the world worries itself on without me. Of course, I’m only be able to take the biggest breaths of Memphis-fresh air after I am officially settled into my new space off-campus…after the cable and internet installation, the alarm system and home phoneline installation, assembling a computer desk, obtaining a wireless router, buying a table and textbooks, calling the exterminator, the air conditioner repairman, etc etc, why don’t I remember doing any of these things last year? Ah yes, Rhodes has you covered if you’re on campus. Yet, having a private bathroom and kitchen makes all of my start-up fees and hassles worthwhile. I truly recommend living off-campus provided that you can ABSOLUTELY:

• parallel park on Rhodes campus
• go to class, or else you’re just wasting money and being silly
• prepare food that doesn’t get the nuker-smuker
• not get evicted mid-semester for delinquency of payments and/or general rowdiness
• show your face at Rhodes social snaffoos
• never, ever punch your neighbor

That last one’s really important. But enough about me, let’s talk about my people. Greater New Orleans had to evacuate last weekend in anticipation of Hurricane Gustav, which had levelled down to a Category 3 storm. I’m from Baton Rouge (for all of you not-geography buffs, that’s the capital of Louisiana), which is about 1.5hrs northwest of New Orleans. I laughed in the face of Gustav, as did everyone in BR excepting my mother who enjoys a good worry. Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005 did not do significant damage to the city, and they were much more impressive storms. Unfortunately, Gustav hit BR with incredibly strong winds, downing trees that crushed houses, felling power lines, and trapping each family in darkness next to a spoiled refrigerator. An 8pm-6am curfew is still in effect to discourage looting and robbery, but the real problem is how long it will take to get electricity back to the city…and how to get groceries in the meantime. Entergy is projecting that they will have power back to most of BR in 2-3 more weeks (this being day 5 without it). No one can go to work, no one has money, no one has food, no one knows if their power grid will be restored tomorrow or in 3 weeks. Cell phones are dying and communication is through radio and word of mouth. The National Guard just had a shootout with some armed looters, and every time I watch the news they only mention that New Orleans didn’t flood, so everything is fine in Louisiana. It is a strange time not to be home with my family, and even though the city is going to take at least a month to get back on its feet again, at least the recovery lessons our government learned during Katrina are being put to use. FEMA is still trying to keep up, and I have my own personal refugee from BR until things get better down there. Please keep BR in your thoughts, and all of the families of Gustav’s victims.