Santa Clara University

New Orleans Alumni Immersion

This blog chronicles the experiences of the attendees of the first Alumni for Others (AFO) immersion experience: New Orleans, LA *Dec. 28 2006 to Jan. 3, 2007.

• Reflections of Julia O'Keefe, SCU '67

  Thursday, Jan. 18, 2007 at 4:01 PM

  As I reflect on the SCU Alumni New Orleans Immersion and read the reflections of others, I am struck by how much pleasure and power we all gained from being part of a tightly-knit, goal-oriented, and highly-motivated group.   Now, back in our "real life," we still feel tied to our Immersion team.  We recall how from the very first day we were able to wield crowbars, axes, and hammers in very tight quarters.  No one was injured, and much was accomplished, despite our inexperience and the cramped workplace.  We rotated jobs, intuitively complementing and enabling the work of others.  When an especially difficult task was at hand, we knew who to ask to help.  In turn, we took direction and told others our view of the best way to complete a task.  We supported each other through the emotionally wrenching meetings with family members and neighbors of those whose homes we were gutting.  As a group, we even found ways to cope (often hilariously) with the orders of an "outsider" whose judgment and advice we did not completely respect.  We experienced all the support and strength now denied to members of the scattered communities on whose houses we worked.

   

  As we heard the stories of family members, neighbors, and unofficial recyclers, we learned of the tragedy of broken communities.  New Orleans evacuees often were separated from family members.  Those without networks outside the devastated area were sometimes sent to unfamiliar places and did not know the whereabouts of neighbors, extended family, and friends.  They were treated by government and other agencies as individuals rather than as vital members of communities who could support each other with shared goals, laughter, and hope.  The profound silence of the former neighborhoods where we worked testifies to the frustration and hopelessness of areas where schools, churches, shopping centers--every point that might rally and unite residents in discussion and hope--are gone. 

   

  As I prepared to return to Santa Clara, I read in the Times-Picayune of the plans of Ed Blakely, newly-appointed executive director for recovery management in New Orleans.  One of the demonstration projects he hopes to put into effect this spring involves the exchange of city owned high ground for the property of groups of neighbors who would like to rebuild their New Orleans communities in less flood-prone locations.  I draw great hope from this proposal.  Not only does it offer former occupants the chance to reside on safer land, but it offers the opportunity for neighbors to rebuild a community in which they make decisions as part of a group.  It offers a chance for the displaced people of New Orleans to return to the pleasure of working together—as we did—and to the unique strength that comes when people form a cohesive, goal-oriented, and highly-motivated team. 

   

   

  Posted by Julia O'Keefe '67 | Permalink | Comments (0)

• New Orleans - A View a Week Removed (Kathy Mitchell '87, M.A. '90)

  Thursday, Jan. 11, 2007 at 9:01 AM

  New Orleans – A View a Week Removed

   

  It has been a week since our return to our own homes.  I find that I miss the camaraderie and focus of our shared task of doing whatever it took to complete the houses we were assigned.  I will admit my own shower, my own bed, and my familiar surroundings are a comfort--certainly one I appreciate more having witnessed the devastation and destruction the people of NOLA have lived through and continue to endure.

   

  The reflections shared by others on this blog have been poignant and touching.  I have enjoyed seeing New Orleans through your eyes, getting to experience even more of the city and the people in the process.

   

  In adding a reflection myself, I have to mention the coffee house across the street from St. Vincent's Guest House.  Some of us spent more time there than others (we know who we are!).  Each time I walked in the door I felt as if I had walked into my own home.  To say some of us made ourselves 'at home' would be putting it lightly.  By the time Saturday rolled around we were begging the owner and all the staff to open on Monday, New Year's Day.  We sincerely wondered what we would do without them and their hospitality.  In the end, I was glad they enjoyed a day off, and we managed to find plenty of nourishment, but it wasn't the same without starting, and ending, our day at Mojo's. 

   

  Ultimately, even though the owner makes the best pumpkin spice latte I have ever tasted and the chocolate cake was to die for, what made Mojo Coffee House a unique pleasure was its atmosphere and the community of people we met there.  Spending time there not only allowed our SCU Alumni to gather, but it gave us an avenue to meet the local people who shared the heart of NOLA with us: its hospitality, kindness, and character.

  Posted by Kathy Mitchell '87, M.A. '90 | Permalink | Comments (0)

• The New Orleans Spirit (Stephen Smoker '09)

  Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2007 at 11:01 AM

  As most runners know, running is a very lonely sport.  The only two involved in the activity are you and the ground beneath (so really since the ground is an inanimate object you are completely alone).  Now you may be thinking, “Well that’s great and all, but what does running have to do with New Orleans or an Immersion trip?”   The truth is that running has very little to do with the great city of New Orleans; however, my last run did give me hope that New Orleans is on the rise. 

   

  It all started on Loyola Street, which is conveniently located just one block away from everyone’s favorite hostel, The Depot.  I had just started running loops on the neutral ground on Loyola when a man, who was waiting for the bus, yelled out, “Hey runner!”  However, instead of answering I followed what my mom has taught me about strangers, and kept running.  When I was coming up on the bus stop after the second loop the man again yelled, “Hey runner, how many are you doing?”  This time I heard him loud and clear and decided to throw caution to the wind and reply, “Six more!”  The man at the bus stop was really excited to hear this and yelled back, “There you go! Keep it up!”  This was really an uplifting moment for me not just as a runner but as a New Orleans tourist as well. 

   

  As I started to pick up my pace after being cheered on I could not help but think how negative I would be in that man’s situation.  If the city I grew up in, with so many memories, was ruined by a hurricane, I would be mad at the world.  What would enrage me even more would be the lack of help and support from my government.  However, the man at the bus stop had a huge smile on his face and looked as though he did not have a care in the world.  I was stunned to see how positive each and every person I met was.  And every time I passed that man he was there to remind me to, “Keep on running! Only three more!”  His positive attitude gave me hope and belief that New Orleans is coming back.  The city is making a revival and the positive attitudes of its people will be the driving force of the rebuilding and healing process.

  Posted by Stephen Smoker '09 | Permalink | Comments (1)

• Rebuilding New Orleans with Hands, Healing and Hope (Laura Kerecman '93)

  Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2007 at 1:01 PM

  The water line and the “X” on every vacant home, for miles and miles.

   

            A New Year’s celebration in the French Quarter, complete with a pot of gumbo set to drop at midnight

   

  The Superdome serving as emergency shelter for hungry, frightened, angry, evacuees

   

            The Superdome during a Saints game, alive with energy and hope for a football team and a city that will be rebuilt

   

  Clothes, shoes, photographs, recipes, memories of an entire lifetime, destroyed by the storm

   

            Tourists enjoying beignets and coffee at Café du Monde and ultimately helping New Orleans to rebuild

   

  Block after block of empty lots, boarded-up houses, scattered FEMA trailers that might soon be taken away

   

            All of the people who stop to say “Thank You for being here, and helping us rebuild”

   

  Piles of dry wall, tile, linoleum, insulation –garbage that once held together a home –waiting to be removed from along the curb

   

            Catholic Charities, Habitat for Humanity, ACORN, Common Ground, Santa Clara University Alumni

   

  Rebuilding New Orleans with Hands, Healing and Hope. 

  Posted by Laura Kerecman '93 | Permalink | Comments (0)

• So ... Why Isn't It Done Yet??? (Zig Wiedemann '70)

  Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2007 at 1:01 PM

  Heck it's been 18 months.  When Katrina hit I wanted to help.  I'd been to 'Naw-lenz twice and loved the city, wanted to help on the ground, but didn't have a way to link in.  After about a year I heard the Alumni Assn. wanted to sponsor an immersion trip and told Mary to "Sign Me Up"!

   

  Before leaving I wondered what was left to do.  Lots of money, lots of folks, even incompetent bureaucracies should have made an impact by now.  I figured we'd help but ...

   

  Well we found out.  And it is not about blame, it is not about incompetence, it’s not about failure.  It's about one hundred and fifty THOUSAND homes that still need to be gutted, leveled, and/or re-built.  150,000+ families with no place to go home to . . .  yet.  And the few FEMA trailers that are there scheduled by law to leave next month.

   

  It's about hope, and re-building, and "neighbors" from thousands of miles away letting folks know by their actions that we haven't forgot, and we're committed to helping rebuild homes and lives. 

   

  Sure the French Quarter, Commander's Palace, the Casinos are back and running.  One Streetcar line is running, and the Saints are in the Playoffs.  But 2/3rds of the public schools (plus?) are closed.  Half the population is gone, perhaps for good?  And ONE HUNDRED and FIFTY THOUSAND plus homes are "officially" public nuisances and can be flattened by the city probably with no recourse.   And we heard only 83+ people have "qualified" for the federal "Coming Home" funds.   And by the way, it's not just New Orleans.... it’s the Gulf Coast ...

   

  So ... Why Isn't It Done Yet???

   

  Check out http://www.nola.com/katrina/graphics/wide.ssf?/katrina/graphics/flashrebuild.swf for a nice graphic on the situation. The permit issues really tell a story.

   

  Posted by Zig Wiedemann '70 | Permalink | Comments (0)

• The levees in my life (Michael Colyer MBA '07)

  Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2007 at 12:01 PM

  I have to admit, by the end of our 6 day immersion trip to New Orleans, I was ready to come home.  I was ready to sleep in my own bed and, more so, to put down the hammers, crow bars, and brooms.  It wasn't until I got home, however, that I realized how important New Orleans has become to me, and how deeply I have been touched by the people I've met there. 

   

  While I did enjoy sleeping more comfortably, I also found myself disturbed and even somewhat haunted by the keen awareness that the home to which I had so looked forward to returning was unavailable, still, after 16 months, to ½ the residents of New Orleans.  What's going on in the city is so complicated, yet so simple: all of us need a home to which to return.  I don't think this requires that each and every house be rebuilt in the exact location, but it helps me understand the enormously difficult road ahead for the New Orleanians scattered across the country.  And I think of Caroline, whose home we gutted.  When will she be able to rest comfortably in her own bed?  When will she be able to put her feet up and her worries aside? 

   

  Since returning to the Bay Area I've done a lot of thinking about the levees in my life.  What are the mechanisms I don't see but which I trust will keep me and my loved ones safe?  What might cause them to fail?  What would I do if they did?  Living in earthquake country makes it clear that every region has vulnerabilities; traveling to New Orleans makes it clear that levees don't always hold and that in the end we remain vulnerable and dependent on the goodness and compassion of others. 

   

  The aspect of this experience which most surprised me was the community which developed among the 34 participants.  We began as almost total strangers.  By the end we were connected in a profound and fundamental way.  I have no idea how that happened, but I'm grateful it did. 

   

  Posted by Michael Colyer | Permalink | Comments (0)

• On Any Given Street (Andrea (Anderson) Berryhill '76)

  Monday, Jan. 8, 2007 at 4:01 PM

  On any given street, homes are un-inhabitable, huge piles of debris are piled up in front on the streets, the blocks are dark, the people are gone.  FEMA trailers are spotted here and there for those lucky enough to get one.  Rumor has it that the government will be soon taking back the FEMA trailers; so that they can be 'ready' in case of an emergency.  I am pretty sure that what I saw in New Orleans is still a state of emergency. Go figure. 

   

  Like all of my co-workers (my daughter Liz included--Gonzaga 07), I am shocked not only by the extent of damage, but the massive amount of work that remains to be done to bring these wonderful people home.  For those readers who have not been to the south (this was my first time), I have never experienced such kindness and 'hospitality' as I did these past few days.  Their gratitude was overwhelming.  I was especially impressed by their lack of bitterness.  Imagine if you will, your home and most of your city of 500 thousand people completely under water.  You lose everything;  some lost their lives.  Now imagine 16 months later, homes still untouched, rotting food in the cupboards, clothes in the closets, towels hanging in the bathrooms.  People waiting for someone to come help them.  I have a feeling that most of us would be bitter.

   

  When I saw Mary Smoker's announcement for SCU's first alumni immersion trip to New Orleans, I called my daughter Liz and asked her what she was doing for New Years.  Without hesitation, she was in.  I am so proud of her for her commitment to others.  Many in our group came with relatives, spouses, or friends.  Some made the trip alone.  It took only a few hours before we became one 'family'.  I am grateful to have been part of this wonderful, selfless group of people.  I hope and pray that our paths cross again.

   

  Our group of 34 volunteers gutted and tore down 4 homes down to their wooden studs.  This seems like a drop in the bucket when you consider how much more is still to be done.  But to these four families, it is everything. 

   

  Posted by Andrea Anderson Berryhill '76 | Permalink | Comments (0)

• The fruits of a Jesuit education (Leslie Orta '79, J.D. '82)

  Monday, Jan. 8, 2007 at 1:01 PM

  When Katrina hit “NorLeens” and then the levee failed, flooding the city, I was glued to the images on CNN. I simply could not believe I was watching Americans so mistreated, disenfranchised, and disregarded, and in their own city. Pictures of starving, desperate, and dying residents were etched in my heart and mind, the same places my Jesuit education from SCU resided; a monetary donation would not suffice; I needed to make a personal contribution and assist the people whose homes bore spray-painted information, to put faces with names and circumstances, to instill some hope for the future of their families and neighborhoods. I needed a community service immersion trip. That chance finally arrived when Mary Modeste Smoker from the Alumni Association led our group of 34 enthusiastic alums and friends on a life-changing trip to assist Catholic Charities restore hope by gutting the interiors of the homes of the city’s neediest citizens.

   

  Although the flooding subsided, the residents are certainly still under water.  Many were relocated to distant cities with strange climates, worlds away from family, friends, schools, jobs, their homes and communities. From afar, they wrestled with insurance carriers, contractors, the government, and staying sane. We observed over-crowded FEMA trailers that took 13 months to arrive in town; shoddy workmanship on repaired homes; exhausted homeowners, anxious to return to their homes and for their lives to gain balance, free from paperwork, endless frustration, and bitterness at the man-made flood that took so much from them. It was shocking to learn so few neighborhoods have electricity and that tap water only resumed in November, 14 months after the storm and flood. The continuing crisis of inept leadership at every level is evident everywhere in NorLeens and working to the tremendous detriment of the local people.

   

  Although the volume of physical work which remains to be done in this city is overwhelming, we know we made a difference in the lives of four precious families; maybe these folks can rebuild and stay in the surroundings they yearn for and know best. Our reward was nurturing the emotional healing of these families and enjoying the collective drive of 34 high-spirited volunteers with a common bond and purpose. It was no surprise we had so much in common with each other and became fast friends as well as co-workers. It was truly a life-changing experience I hope to repeat many times in the future. Thank you Mary, Nancy, and Michael for leading us on such a rewarding and worthwhile mission.

   

  Posted by Leslie Orta '79, J.D. '82 | Permalink | Comments (0)

• Helping New Orleans (Susan Stocker '80)

  Monday, Jan. 8, 2007 at 1:01 PM

  I’ll probably never look at house cleaning or taking the trash out in quite the same way.

   

  When I first heard about and signed up for the SCU Immersion Trip to New Orleans I envisioned my previous involvement with YWAM (Youth With A Mission) in helping to build homes south of the border in Mexico – a gratifying weekend putting together a mostly pre-fab home involving a whole lot of nail pounding.   As the time grew closer for our alumni trip, we were told that our assignment would most likely be doing demolition work, not rebuilding.  A little less glamorous, but one thing I like to do when it comes to volunteer work is to step outside my comfort zone.  And tearing down homes and hauling out rubbish is definitely outside my comfort zone!

   

  It’s hard to really grasp the extent of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina and the resulting aftermath of the broken levees in the New Orleans area.  We’ve all seen pictures on the news of a neighborhood or a trailer park affected by a tornado or hurricane, but it’s another thing to wrap your mind around an entire city being devastated by a disaster.  In some ways it’s easier to focus on the smaller picture of just helping one family at a time and that’s what we did.

   

  When we arrived at Caroline’s home on Day One in what seemed to be a middle class neighborhood, my first thoughts were of how structurally sound the house looked from the outside and also of how much the house resembled the home that has been my family home since I was a little girl.  Upon entering we found a home that at first glance look quite lovely and recently painted, but at closer inspection revealed mold growth on virtually every wall and ceiling.  “We’ve got to pull off all of this wallboard, plaster and lathe boards down to the framing,”  we’re being instructed, “all of it has to go.”  “Are you kidding me?”  I’m thinking.  “An entire 2 story large home – where in the world do you begin?”

   

  Well, the answer to that is you begin wherever you choose and you do whatever you’re capable of and luckily everyone pitches in and somehow it all gets done and it all gets carried out to the curb and dumped in the driveways and piled up almost as high as the first story and you think the task is insurmountable and you know you could never do it to your own home what with the memories and the emotional attachment and you look over and you seen Caroline as involved as the rest of the group and your eye goggles get completely fogged with perspiration and you continue to pound and tear and chip at walls and shovel and sweep and haul and dump and it all becomes sort of a surreal, underwater experience and you’re glad you’re not working alone and you wonder if your small little part is really a very big contribution and it’s dirty and you’re hot and you trust that nothing you are breathing is going to do any permanent damage to your lungs or eyes and you hope that nothing like this ever befalls you or anyone you love and you hope that if it does, they’ll be people to help you, too.

   

  On the way back to “the Orphanage”, our guest house during our stay in New Orleans, we pass a sign posted on a utility pole

                     I am coming home

                     I will rebuild

                     I am New Orleans

  and I realized that I can’t say that I put New Orleans back together again, but I can say that I helped.

   

  So now I add to my previous memories of New Orleans – the 1984 World’s Fair, beignets at Café du Monde and recreating them at home with the take home mix, visiting the lovely home at Plantation Alley, the 2001 Saints-Jets game at the Superdome, touring the swamp and posing for pictures holding alligators with my dear friend, Dex, fantastic meals at Petunia’s (still open and fabulous) and Gabrielle’s (all closed up after Katrina, boo hoo) and grooving to the jazz at Preservation Alley and Snug Harbor, drive through daiquiris and partying in the street and all the fabulous people of New Orleans with their rich, cultural heritage – and I say a little prayer that one day I’ll return and New Orleans will be further down the road to recovery and I’ll return again and again and maybe one day, Katrina will be a distant memory and just the thought of those warm, powdered sugary beignets makes my mouth water and I truly hope that it all comes about sooner rather than later.

   

  Thank you, Santa Clara University, especially Mary Smoker for her outstanding leadership and Nancy Nino for her organization of all of our written and photographic memories, for the opportunity to be of service to such an outstanding cause.  It was a privilege to be a member of the first alumni immersion trip and I return home knowing that I gained much more than I gave.

   

   

  Posted by Susan Stocker '80 | Permalink | Comments (0)

• Looking back on NoLA (Kevin Lum Lung '93)

  Saturday, Jan. 6, 2007 at 3:01 PM

  I wish I was back in New Orleans right now, with a crowbar in one hand and a hammer in the other, working on a house with my fellow volunteers.  I miss the camaraderie and the stories we shared with each other at the end of every day; I miss the laughter—how someone always managed to lift our spirits and soothe our aching muscles with a well-timed and hilarious comment.  But most of all, I miss the feeling of giving hope—that feeling that with every wall coming down, trash can being emptied, and nail being removed, a family is that much closer to returning to a normal life. 

   

  As I sit here writing this blog entry, memories of our immersion trip keep flashing through my mind.  I see the woman in her FEMA trailer two houses down yelling “Thank you! Thank you!”  We weren’t even working on her home and she was so appreciative.  She offered us oranges and Cokes at lunchtime.  I see the fallen refrigerator, lying on its face and untouched since August of 2005.  We worked around it for two straight days until finally we couldn’t avoid it any longer (oh thank you duct tape for helping keep that refrigerator door closed when we pushed it out to the curb!).  At the first house, I can still hear the conversation—“Is the water off? How do you turn the water off? I think the water is off. . .nope, it’s still leaking, the water isn’t off.”  I kept thinking back to the primary rule: First, Do No More Harm. Thanks Adam for finally finding the shutoff valve and for making sure we didn’t have our own mini-Lake Pontchartrain on our hands. Lastly, I see a group of volunteers, alumni and friends, working together as a team.  Split into two groups and finishing four houses in four days!  I see everyone going through the personal items to see if there is anything that can be saved.  Then I see two people knocking down the decayed and brittle walls; not too far away, teammates shovel the debris off the floor and into the trash can.  When it’s full, they take it outside to the curb and dump it on the growing pile.  People are in the kitchen, the bathroom, or the back bedroom—everywhere I look, teammates are working.  With very little verbal communication, we move rather seamlessly throughout the house almost as if we have some innate and instinctive knowledge of where to go and what to do next.  It was a sight to see.

   

  This immersion trip had everything you could possibly want (with the exception of a hot tub to soak our sore bodies in every night but that would have been a little too decadent): a sense of purpose, fulfilling and rewarding work, laughter, Southern hospitality, delicious food (sure there was the jambalaya, gumbo, Po boys, beignets from Café du Monde, and croissants from Mojo’s, but who can forget the frozen sandwich, five kinds of chips, and string cheese at lunch?), and of course, the New Years celebration in the French Quarter (how 20+ of us managed to find each other among the thousands of people there to watch the Gumbo ball drop that night I will never know). 

   

  A big thank you to Mary Smoker for arranging this amazing trip.  You made this all possible.  Thank you to Jocelyn Sideco and the SCU Alumni in New Orleans for hosting us; thank you to Catholic Charities for your commitment to helping the elderly and low-income get back on their feet and into their houses.  And last but not least, thank you to all of my fellow volunteers—for your dedication, patience, energy, hard work and enthusiasm.  It was an unforgettable experience.

   

   

  Posted by Kevin Lum Lung '93 | Permalink | Comments (0)

• This Amazing Experience... (Justine Lang '94)

  Saturday, Jan. 6, 2007 at 3:01 PM

  I’m not really sure how to reflect upon this amazing experience.  I gained more from the Immersion trip to New Orleans than I ever could have imagined.  Sure, you sign up thinking that you are going to give back to the community, but actually, the community truly gave back to me.  I learned so much about life, love, and what it truly takes to survive in this world.  And, I saw more tragedy than I ever would expect to see in a city in America.  While so much of New Orleans was destroyed in the aftermath of Katrina, the people still survive.  They live in trailers, or with relatives, or in temporary housing.  They cheer on the volunteers (like us) who come for a short period of time to help.  They offer drinks, and words of gratitude.  They are dignified and proud, and I feel unequipped to even begin to understand all that they have been through.

   

  The memory of the second house my team gutted will forever be with me.  As we opened the door, we were not expecting to see what we saw.  It was everything.  Fifty five years of this woman’s life all covered in mold and dampness.  The smell wasn’t nearly as bad as the emotion that overcame you as you shoveled the destroyed belongings to the curb.  I never thought we could work so fast, but we were determined.  The faster it was removed, the faster it would all seem normal again.  What is normal about someone’s belongings being left to rot for over a year?  What is normal about people not being able to afford to clean up their homes, let alone begin to think about rebuilding?  The devastation in New Orleans is so much more than can ever be described through pictures and video.  I only wish more people could see it for themselves.  Maybe then more people would be willing to help.  I am just simply left with the feeling that I need to do more.  Thank you Mary, Nancy, Michael, and the SCU Alumni Association for organizing this incredible trip and giving me the opportunity to learn all that I have.  I am now even more proud than ever to call myself a Santa Clara grad.  This experience would never have been the same without all of the amazing people I worked with.  I now have so much love and admiration for them, as well as for all of the people of New Orleans.  Rebuild and Renew!

  Posted by Justine Lang '94 | Permalink | Comments (0)

• Third and final entry of the Ill Repute Series (Ed Wiedemann '04)

  Saturday, Jan. 6, 2007 at 8:01 AM

  Greetings from the occupant of Room #7 in the House of Ill Repute in what should be my final entry.

   

  I apologize for turning this in over an hour late. It’s our group dynamics. (Sorry couldn’t resist :p)

   

  Today’s sponsor is Kentwood Springs Water, the water of choice on our trip. Trivia from Noreen: Can you name a celebrity from Kentwood, Louisiana? (Answer in a couple of paragraphs.)

   

  The week that we spent in N’awlins just flew by. To quote Kenny Chesney: “I’ve been living in fast forward. Now I need to rewind real slow.” So here go my thoughts and reflections on the trip.

   

  We faced quite a challenge, and I think that we did great. We were able to get through four houses, between the two groups – it would have been a bit crowded to have 34 people inside one house, of course.  The group I was with worked primarily in Uptown, which was where Carolyn’s house is (near the ‘Nolia in the 3^rd Ward, home to Juvenile, Soulja Slim, & Turk) and then in Gentilly (in the 8^th Ward), which is where Mr. West used to live. We never did get a chance to meet Mr. West, but thanks to our group, he will be able to start the rebuilding soon enough and commence his healing process. Obviously, there still is so much to be done and I only wish I had more time that I could donate right now to continue to help.

   

  Some other knowledge that I have gained: linoleum is evil. I cannot stress that enough. The amount of work that it took to remove every piece of linoleum from the houses was unreal. If you are building a house, please don’t install it! Think of the people who may have to gut your house in the future! I definitely will not be installing it in any future place that I live.

   

  Trivia Answer: Britney and Jamie Lynn Spears

   

  Back to business, we have been fortunate and blessed to have been in a position to help Catholic Charities to give the citizens of N’awlins hope. Hopefully, other schools, organizations and businesses will also take the time to pitch in and find out that you get much more than you give when you go out to help others. I plan on returning sooner rather than later to this city that has always had a special place in my heart and now is linked to an unforgettable experience.

   

  I cannot be prouder of Santa Clara University for the work that we did. I only attended Santa Clara for a year, but I cannot stress enough how proud I am to be associated with this university and with the wonderful people that made this event possible. The trip would not have happened if it wasn’t for the amazing work done by the Santa Clara University staff and alumni, the rest of the volunteers and everyone who participated in the organization of this trip. It was an incredible experience to meet each and all of you and I hope that our paths will cross again really soon.

   

  Hopefully and thanks to our combined efforts, one day, N’awlins will be back and the whole city will be able to say once more: Laissez les bon temps rouler.

  Posted by Ed Wiedemann '04 | Permalink | Comments (0)

• Letter to the Kids (Joan Buchanan)

  Saturday, Jan. 6, 2007 at 7:01 AM

  For a wonderful chronicle of the NoLA trip from the perspective of one of our attendees (Joan Buchanan), click the below link to read the letter she wrote to her children upon her return:

  http://www.scu.edu/alumni/involved/upload/nolajoan.pdf

  Posted by Joan Buchanan | Permalink | Comments (0)

• Reflections (Jim Briggs)

  Friday, Jan. 5, 2007 at 7:01 PM

  The trip turned out to be more taxing emotionally than physically. I enjoyed the physical labor and as hard as we worked I never really got sore muscles. But it was the overwhelming devastation that was the hardest on me. It is difficult to believe the extent of the damage, the number of families and small businesses affected, and the slow pace of the recovery. I was astounded by the number of vacant homes that have yet to be touched. The lack of leadership at all levels is clearly evident and it is surprising to me that more of the people are not angry and bitter.

  Their sense of gratitude for the work we were doing was very touching, but you have to wonder how many like us it will take and over what period of time before a real dent is made in the number of homes awaiting gutting and then restoration.

  At the same time, what we did for the families of the four homes we worked on has made a big difference in their lives. We brought hope and a faith in a future. Caroline Smythe, the owner of the house Kathy and I worked on, was so grateful and it was a joy to work along side her during the four days we were at her home on Peniston Street. From a spiritual perspective I really believe we were God's presence in her life during that time. The love we shared and the concern we showed her, I hope were reflections of the love Christ wants us to show to others, especially those suffering such terrible losses. In turn, she was God's presence to us in the way she returned our love and in her gratitude for our presence.

  This direct contact with victims of Katrina gave us an appreciation for the disaster that is impossible to get through reading about it or watching stories on TV. The person to person bonding that took place just inspires one to want to do even more. And so the question lingers - what more can we do, there and here, to help people get the assistance they need to rebuild their homes and their lives? I have no doubt that those in our group will not only continue to ask that question, but will also come up with creative ideas for how to do it.

  Thank you again to Alumni for Others for providing this opportunity. I made memories that will stay with me forever.

   

  Posted by Jim Briggs | Permalink | Comments (0)

• Le fin (Stephen Smoker '09)

  Thursday, Jan. 4, 2007 at 10:01 PM

  Like all good things, even the first SCU Alumni Immersion trip must come to an end, but not until a full day of shopping, eating, and living the NoLA dream.

   

  Our late start began w/ some PJ's coffee and instant oatmeal (the breakfast of champions). Once we had food in our bellies, we were ready for our last full day. I wandered over to the WWII museum to brush up on my Operation Overlord Knowledge.  The other benefit of my repeat visit was that I didn't have to join Sami and Erin on their 47 block shopping excursion down Magazine St.  After five hours I met them halfway down Magazine for Sophie's Gelato, where we were once again reminded of the people's gratitude for our work this week by none other than Sophie herself.  With the girls only halfway done with their version of the "perfect day" in New Orleans, we headed down to the French Quarter for round two.  However, we were drawn to the Riverwalk where Hurricane at the Bayou-an ecological look at NoLA's wetlands-was playing in the IMAX theaters.

   

  As supper time rolled around, Mothers became the restaurant of choice where we were joined by Santa Clara's very own Alisa Bright '06, who is currently working with JVC.  I was surprised at the range of topics discussed over Shrimp, Chicken, and Ferdi style Poboys. From the political impact of Katrina, to Sami's African Mission, to our New Year's Resolutions, our three hour dinner flew by. Finally we wandered back to the Depot through the gusty winds, thunderous roars from the sky and past the triangle of death.  The great day came to a close with games of cribbage, 13 and gin rummy played by the fire. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect way to leave this beautiful city!

   

   

  Posted by Stephen Smoker '09 | Permalink | Comments (0)

• Sugar Bowl 2007 - "The Return" (Sami Crasilneck '06)

  Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2007 at 11:01 PM

  (A few of the group stayed on a few days longer in New Orleans...here is Sami's "Sugar Bowl" experience!)

   

  It was great to see the city so vibrant with the return of the Sugar Bowl to New Orleans and the Superdome. Staying at the Depot, Erin, Stephen and I couldn't help but join in with all the purple and yellow festivities. From shaved poodles to painted faces, we saw pretty much every kind of fan! Two hours before kickoff, we made our way over to the Dome where the Fan Jam was in full action, along with bungee football where Erin and Stephen showed off their tremendous talent!

   

  After trying to find three free tickets and failing greatly, we decided to swim against the stream of Tigers and Fighting Irish and head toward the French Quarter.

   

  Our long trek left us hungry and tired so we decided to get a spark of energy through Cafe Du Monde's world famous Beignets! This served as our appetizer which held us over until our first bar stop at the Jazz Emporium on Bourbon St. After libations and the conclusion of the first half, we were ready to move on. Desire became our next

  destination where we satisfied our craving for Po Boys and Football...who could as for anything more and the night was still young!

   

  Posted by Sami Crasilneck '06 | Permalink | Comments (0)

• The true story of what happened to Sami's bag (Ed Wiedemann '04)

  Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2007 at 3:01 PM

  Hi! I’m Sami’s bag. You may have seen me strolling in the airport before. I am a grey 24” Victorianox bag with a red cross. Or you may have heard about me from Sami. I was supposed to have met up with Sami in New Orleans on December 28^th, but I got a bit sidetracked. Let me tell you about it.

   

  I was with Sami until she checked me in at the luggage counter. You know, that place where they put you through this machine that scans your insides. I hadn’t even thought about the possibility of having something broken or wrong with me, but got a little nervous during the procedure – what if there was? Thank goodness, the doctors at the airport did not find anything wrong, and I was able to start my rolling to the plane without any trouble. It appeared very easy. There were all these signs on the little labels that told us where to go. It looked like my plane was to the left. I boarded and had an uneventful trip, although it was a bit crowded in our compartment.

   

  After they took us off the plane, I was put on that moveable slide and landed in another one that took me around and around in a circle. So thankful they don’t go any faster. I would really have been really dizzy afterwards. But guess what, nobody claimed me. After what it felt like a million turns, some nice man took me off the roundabout. I started looking for Sami, but I couldn’t find her. Next thing I knew, I was almost on the freeway. It was freezing cold.  Isn’t this a bit cold for New Orleans? I thought. And what is that white stuff on the ground? Then I saw the sign that read “Welcome to Minneapolis.”  Uh? Wait. How did I get here?  I realized that there was a mall over on the other side of the freeway, which it was just what I needed, since I was totally not dressed for this sort of weather.

   

  The Mall of America was great. I even found some family in Bloomingdale’s and at Macy’s. I asked them about some of my friends and family that I haven’t seen since the times we were together in the hospital nursery or acquaintances I had made during my trips, but unfortunately nobody had any news. That was too bad, because I miss them all. You develop these bonds when you are so close together in compartments or storage. Unfortunately, our paths have diverged and rarely cross these days. What a pity. While at the Barnes & Noble, I found out that apparently I am in Minneapolis because of my own mistake. In a travel book, I saw that I had probably gone to the wrong gate, following the signs for MSP instead of MSY. The ticket was a bit blurry and I must have thought that the ‘y’ was a ‘p’.

   

  After rolling around the Mall of America for a couple of days, I decided that I probably should get going to New Orleans, if I had any hope of making the Sugar Bowl and, of course, of ever seeing Sami again. I got a ride from the mall back to the airport from one of those transit busses that run between the two places. I fell off roughly around the baggage claim and hid among other bags that were around the carousel. I wonder why these carousels don’t have the horses that go up and down, as I have seen on TV. Finally, someone from American scanned me and put me on my way to New Orleans.

   

  Was Sami ever happy to see me!! She gave me a big, big hug, and made me feel really welcome. On top of that, I ended up with field passes for the Sugar Bowl, courtesy of my newly made friends. One of the other bags knew some bags that could get me on to the field for the game, so I definitely got hooked up. Now, if you don’t mind. I really do need get going. Kickoff is about to start. I wasn’t sure who to cheer for but since Sami now bought an LSU shirt, I guess it will be GO TIGERS!

  Posted by Ed Wiedemann '04 | Permalink | Comments (0)

• Reflection on the Last Night (Dan Korbel '63)

  Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2007 at 6:45 PM

  Last evening of our immersion trip-a time to reflect on all that's happened in the last six days. It will be nice returning to the comforts of home but this feeling of comfort is tempered by the knowledge that so many of the people of New Orleans will be back in the trailers for a long, long time.

  It was great to contribute but there is always a feeling of hopelessness because there is so much more needed to be done.  It seems we helped to take a few drops out of the bucket of pain these people are suffering in but it is such a large bucket.

  It was a productive and taxing week spent with enjoyable and dedicated Broncos. When I think back on this week my most poignant memories were meeting with the families of the homes we were gutting and having their stories and hearing their appreciation.  Also what lingers most of all is the comment heard over and over from homeowners, waiters, bartenders, etc.: "Thanks for helping us rebuild our city."

  Posted by Dan Korbel '63 | Permalink | Comments (0)

• A Message from the Van (Nancy Nino '96)

  Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2007 at 6:01 PM

  I'm sitting in the van outside the house one of our groups is working on this fourth "work day" in NoLA.  Mary and I went to the Verizon store today and purchased an "air card" which allows you to get Internet access on your laptop anywhere you can get a cellular phone signal. 

   

  If you've checked out our videos on YouTube (www.youtube.com/scuafo) you may have seen that we had an issue with the audio/video synchronization.  Thankfully, Pete Sclafani '99 sent me information via text message yesterday about a program which we could use to "encode" the videos to make them better for viewing on YouTube.  Not only do the videos look better (the audio you hear actually matches the lip movement of the people in them!) but the file sizes are much smaller, so they take a lot less time to upload.  It was quite strange to be downloading an encoding program in the passenger seat of our van as Mary's navigating the freeways of New Orleans. 

   

  Right now I'm converting all the video clips and posting them on our YouTube site.  Later today, I will be converting and posting videos from Zig Weidemann '70 and Kathy Mitchell '87 who have been faithful recorders throughout the trip as well. It's so wonderful to be able to capture all this things in video and photo form.  We hope you enjoy them.

   

  PHOTOS: www.kodakgallery.com/scualumni

   

  VIDEOS: www.youtube.com/scuafo

  Posted by Nancy Nino '96 | Permalink | Comments (0)

• Life without computers (Nancy Nino '96)

  Monday, Jan. 1, 2007 at 9:01 PM

  If you have been following the blog closely, you may have wondered where the heck the recent entries are.  Such is technology...at times "touch and go."   The last few days we have been struggling with our not-so-reliant wireless connection at St. Charles and the fact that our videos take more than a sub-par Internet connection to upload.

  On the night we arrived the Finnish man on the all-night shift got a little irritated with me that I "needed" the Internet connection...I tried to explain to him that we were "blogging" about our trip and he said, "You have nothing to write tonight...you just arrived...you do it in the morning." All of this was in a thick Finnish accent and included many emphatic hand gestures.  As he and I engaged in a somewhat-courteous disagreement, he told me, "You remind me of my oldest daughter." The next morning he informed me, "You're on my gray list."

  It's funny because in a place like this that was so removed from "technology" for so long after Katrina, there's a part of you that understands the stories from my Finnish friend who talks about his blissful month on an island off Greece without phones or computers or any sort of human contact.  But at the same time, you also know that these "newfangled" computers are the vehicle that allow you and others to share this unreal experience with the rest of the world, and maybe--just maybe--something you say will touch them in a way, and the chain reaction just keeps on flowing.

  As the ever-popular ribbon-style car magnet that I bought last night reads, "God bless New Orleans."

  P.S.  Oh yeah, and the point of this whole technological tangent was to let you know that tomorrow, we're buying a wireless phone card so we can post the many blogs, photos, and videos that we've been collecting for the last few days, but unable to post due to limited connectivity.

   

  Posted by Nancy Nino '96 | Permalink | Comments (1)