Friday, March 15, 2013

About Our Last Day Trip


    Today is our last day here in the city of New Orleans. In the morning, we got to visit the Louisiana State Museum, which is located by the French Quarter. The first floor of the museum covered a brief introduction of hurricanes in New Orleans' history, and what happened before, during, and after Katrina hit the town. I was first upset and angry about the government inefficient work in the whole rescuing process. Then at the same time, I was moved by all the ordinary heroes who emerged in the whole process by having put tremendous effort in. That was the time I started to realize that no matter what kind of difficulties human beings face, there will always be a chance to recover as long as all people are willing to work together.  What impressed me most during the recovery process is the culture formed because of one of the most serious natural disaster in American history. People made music in memory of lost fellow citizens and used rainstorm protecting material as fabric for Mardi Gras Parade costumes. The second floor exhibit showed more historical background of Mardi Gras. Tracing back to the roots of the festival can help us better understand the mixed and unique culture of New Orleans.
We actually got exposed to the famous French Quarter after we finished our museum tour. Even though it is called the “French” Quarter, most of its architecture was built during the time of Spanish rule over New Orleans, and this is reflected in its design. Riding bikes with Michelle and Nicole around the French Quarter was the best experience ever! Today’s weather was gorgeous. Like the bike renting store owner says, “You can never find a day better than this for a bike tour!”
    We went to the French Market after about a 20 minutes’ ride.  In contrast to the typical medieval European style building around it, the market can give you a better idea how globalized this current society is. Not only are the visitors from all over the United States and other parts of the world, the business owners there are also from quite diversified backgrounds.  I bought sunglasses from a Chinese lady, and looked for a hat in many different Indian stores which are all owned by white people.  On the street next to the French Market, I chatted with an artistic store’s French owner. The city of New Orleans is very diverse!
For some people, doing business in the French market is not all about money; it is more about a dream. An example of a successful New Orleans owner is the artist Russell Gore. He grew up in poverty. He now creates successful, colorful jewelry. His business is called Made in the Ghetto. He also helps give back to his community through service projects.
    I really enjoyed the trip and enjoyed being around ALL the people on this trip.

PS: Thank Daniel Schekorra for helping me finish this blog before 2:00 am! You are such a nice friend~ 

Ruiling Li

Day of Relaxation ...or Day of Contemplation?

After 5 days of travel, learning, and difficult service work, today was designed as a day of relaxation and reflection. First on the schedule was visiting the Hurricane Katrina museum. After that, the afternoon was ours--we were going to break up into groups and tour the French Quarter. Fairly straightforward, right?
However, today was the capstone of my New Orleans experience in ways that I could never have expected.
I walked into the Katrina museum and, seeing a destroyed grand piano lit by eerie blue light, knew I was in for a riveting experience. I drifted through each captivating slide show and exhibit in the museum and was taken back to that summer of 2005. I followed the news like any good 6th grader back then, but reading each piece of information through a college student's eyes made me appreciate all the work I've done this week. Furthermore, I found that the upstairs portion of the museum (which was dedicated to the cultural history of the city), made me understand how my perception of the South has changed during my week in NOLA. Honestly, I had always pictured myself living along the east or west coasts because I held unfounded presuppositions about the southern way of life. But, I learned during my week here that the south isn't just about kind manners and good cooking. The second floor exhibits showed me that people everywhere can learn from how well New Orleans balances hard work, celebration, and cultivation of beautiful art.
I was allowed to experience that beautiful art during the rest of the afternoon as 3 friends and I wandered through the Quarter. My favorite part of our travels was visiting the Armstrong park. I absorbed the distant music of street artists while looking at the dark metal sculptures of famous musicians and knew that this wasn't going to be the last time I'd visit New Orleans.
I know it sounds cliche, but I'll seriously travel home tomorrow as a changed person. The Katrina museum reminded our group how easy it is to forget catastrophic events after just a few years. These events still need our support, but local service work is also unending. I'm making a promise to myself to get involved in more service work at home at my closest available opportunity, so the lessons I've learned here don't simply fade into oblivion.

--Tom Pesek

Race, Class, and Inequality

Part of the Katrina Exhibit in New Orleans

Sustainability and Hurricane Katrina

Today was our last day of volunteering and my group chose to spend it helping out at the Green Project.  The Green Project takes everything from recycled paint to used doors to tiles and sells them back to the community for significantly marked down prices.  They are most well known for recycling old paint.  If it weren't for their efforts in that a lot of paint would end up going down the drain, which is incredibly toxic.  I spent the first half of our morning there going through tiles and throwing away the broken ones that had no chance of selling.  I thought that this was incredibly interesting, as I came across a plethora of designs and shapes.  Each tile made me think about who had previously owned it and what kinds of trials they had gone through.  The second half of my morning working with the Green Project I helped out in the lumber yard.  Four other volunteers from our group and I worked on moving huge piles of lumber from one point to another, as well as rearranged some roofing tiles.  I immensesly enjoyed this and the fact that moving the lumber was physically strenuous.  To be honest, when I imagined this trip beforehand, that kind of labor is what I had been expecting.  Therefore, this was my favorite part of the whole trip (other than being a master cutter of insulation).  I am very thankful to have been able to help the community of New Orleans, even if what our group did was nothing more than housekeeping.  I truly believe that every little bit counts.

After working at the Green Project, one of our advisors, Patrick, took us on a short tour of a few key spots in the Katrina incident.  For me, this was an incredibly interesting and beneficial expedition.  I saw all the images and news that flashed across my family's television when the hurricane slammed into New Orleans.  However, having seen the part of the flood wall that failed, and having heard about the true reason behind why New Orleans was so badly affected, Katrina has been made so much more real and concrete.  It's horrifying for me to think that human negligence is the explanation for so many annihilated homes, so many lost lives, and so many displaced families.  It angers me that it was pure carelessness which caused such a large amount of pain and suffering.  However, I believe what happened that infamous day in New Orleans' history has served as a great wake-up call to those who made the flood wall.  A lot of new construction has been done in improving the wall, from using a different kind of wall that has better support, to installing a flood pad to avoid erosion of the protected side of the wall.  I'm very happy to see so many people coming together to try and create a better life for those who chose to come back to New Orleans. 

Overall, this trip has been an incredible experience for me.  Thinking back on what I had been envisioning this trip to be, it has turned out to be nothing like what I anticipated.  It has been so much better than anything I could have forseen.  I feel much more connected with the community of New Orleans, and want to continue helping everyone here when I can.  Should anyone ask me, I would tell them spending my spring break in NOLA, rather than raging on the beach in South Padre, was the best possible choice I could have made.  I am not leaving this trip the same as when we started our drive from Missouri.  Helping these people who were affected by what happened during Katrina is amazing, and I love knowing that my group's combined efforts have made a difference.  I would do it all over again in a hearbeat. 

-Julie Irene Barnum-

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Christine's Thoughts

It is always an interesting experience to see what a small group of people can accomplish. Before this trip I had volunteered for numerous organizations but had never done anything quite like this. Our small group of 14 came together to help rebuild a house that had still not be repaired since Hurricane Katrina hit. We helped to put insulation in, tear down the ceilings, lay tile, and many other tasks that would seem pointless to some but it meant the world to this family. Our group had some help from some of the volunteers from Wisconsin. These men have taken time off work and time away from their families in order to provide service to this community.
When we first came together we hardly knew each other, some of us knew one or two people, but besides that we were all strangers. I feel that after this week has ended we will be walking away with not only memories and having done service for the community of New Orleans, but we will be walking away with friendships that we had not expected. It is amazing how strangers can come together to do something so meaningful for a community that is not even their own. Along with volunteering for the community of New Orleans, we are helping out in ways that many people would not expect to make much of a difference. When talking with the homeowner, Cynthia, whose house has yet to be completed since the storm hit eight years ago I was able to really get an insight into how much her life had changed due to what had happened. She has had to live in various locations while her house is being worked on and has had to make so many life changes for her family. It is amazing to see that she still continues to push forward knowing that everything will come together soon. I was also blown away by the fact that her husband, is the man who provides the coffee for Camp Restore, has spent the past eight years providing service to this camp instead of only focusing on himself. He has spent the past eight year volunteering at the camp instead of spending time trying to rebuild his house. This selfless act shows character and that there is more to life than just having objects. It shows that there is more to life than trying to possess materials and objects, that life is meant to be more than these things.

Christine Hannis

Day 4 - The Green Project

Hello everyone!

Greetings from New Orleans. The weather is wonderful! Today was day number four for us in the city. We volunteered to work at The Green Project. 
The Green Project is a recycling organization that provides eco and cost-friendly options for basic housing items. Some examples of items they recycle include paint, doors, shelves, tiles, roofing, wood, etc. It has a warehouse setting, but consumers who are looking for home-improvement opportunities can come in and make purchases. In a city that is still rebuilding from Hurricane Katrina, The Green Project allows for a cheaper homebuilding option using used materials.
We were broken up in to four groups that worked in different areas. My group went up to the top floor and sorted through shelves and drawers through the warehouse and storing them in designated areas. The second group worked in the lumber yard, which was really physically strenuous on them! The next group worked on pricing items. The final group worked outside moving items in the driveway.
After our volunteering was finished, our advisor, Patrick, took us on a tour of the Lower Ninth Ward (which was one of the areas hit worse by Katrina). He took us to three separate sites and explained what caused such great devastation by Katrina. I wish I could give some information on what caused the wall to break, but I wouldn't be able to do the story any justice! 
There were two things that I found to be very interesting in driving around the more economically-challenged neighborhoods of New Orleans. 1) People who lived directly next to the flood walls have moved back to the same spot. Many of the houses were rebuilt by Brad Pitt's donations (Google it). Personally, I don't think I would ever feel comfortable moving back to that area. 2) The large amount of abandoned houses left in New Orleans. There are so many homes that were damaged by Katrina that remain in the state that they were post-storm. 
To finish off our night we enjoyed beignets at the famous Cafe du Monde. They are basically fantastic powdered doughnuts. 
The trip has been such a great time. All of our volunteering opportunities have been fun, and all of the other students and advisors who came are awesome!

---Jonathan Daniel Schekorra---

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Video Blog - Marshall Jones

Marshall Jones provides some insight into the service project that has been completed in the past two days:

Day 2: Extreme Home Makeover-Spring Break Edition

We spent today continuing our work on the home we were at yesterday. From finishing a beautiful tile masterpiece in the living room, to continuing with insallation and drywall, we found great rewards in the products of our labor. Unfortunately, we also learned that even with the progress we had made, the house would still not be finished for another year. Certain financial aspects will keep Cynthia and her family from moving back into their home within the year.

It was truly incredible to work with the same team of Wisconsonites and on the same home we had began work with. To see the progress from yesterday to today was an amazing experience. I never thought I would put installation into a house or help lay tile. I actually never thought I would have anything to do with the building of a house, but it was a wonderful thing to be a part of. To know that your manual labor went into making a home for someone so deserving is truly a rewarding experience.

To finish off the day, most of us tried our first Snowball (basically a better version of a snow cone). It was amazing! Thank you to Avery for persuading everyone into trying it. Apparently you can't go to New Orleans without trying a Snowball. Overall, today was a great day. We are continuing to enjoy being a part of the work being done in this wonderful city. The work we have done in the past two days has been very rewarding. Tomorrow we are off to work with "The Green Project." I can't wait!

-Makaila Schieber

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Making Others' Reality Our Reality


The original plan today was to help sort old Mardi Gras beads that could be reused next year.  A quick change of plans right after breakfast found us in the Ninth Ward, cleaning up a house, that almost eight years after Katrina, still has not been fixed.  We ripped down ceilings, ran wire, insulated walls, and tiled floors. 

We had a few hours to kill after we finished, so we drove more into the Ninth Ward.  Seeing the evidence Katrina still has was unbelievable.  It seems neighborhoods are just patched together.  One house still has boarded up windows and spray painted FEMA markings on the outside to identify it and the next door neighbor’s may have a brand new house.  For those who want to come home and rebuild, but can’t for one reason or another, I was told volunteers come and maintain their lawn, as the city requires it.  Neighborhoods still seem half empty despite rebuilding efforts.

Eight years ago, I remember being glued to the television as Katrina unfolded.  Left speechless at what was happening, I finally had to just turn it off and not allow myself to live in sadness for things I could not control.  After driving through the Ninth Ward today, the things I felt back in 2005 came back.  I felt anger at people for not helping. I felt guilt for not doing more.  I felt overwhelming heartbreak for individuals affected.  Coming back to our camp, I looked up old news coverage and pictures during the time that Katrina was hitting.  I struggled to remember what I did outside of donating money for the occasional fundraiser that was in front of me. 

As we helped rebuild one of the homes in the Ninth Ward today, I was able to speak to the homeowner.  She talked about her family, now scattered in and outside of New Orleans.  She spoke about her experience, finding her fridge floating in the master bedroom during the flooding.  She talked about her mother’s home being lifted off the foundation and swept two streets over.  She talked about neighborhoods and lives that had been changed forever because of the devastation that could have been prevented on so many levels.  She talked about the bus rides people took hoping to go to their homes, but finding nothing there. 

After touring the Whitney Plantation yesterday and then seeing parts of the Ninth Ward, I am developing a more complete understanding of the way racism has played into NOLA’s histories.  I am so grateful for the opportunity to confront these difficult issues and their consequences unfold. It is never too late to pick up and begin working alongside our neighbors.  Sometimes opportunities to help pass without getting a second thought from us.  When Katrina hit, I retreated into a protected, comfortable shell.  That shell has broken as I not only see the devastation that happened in August 2005, but the bigger picture of what led to it. 

-Michelle C.

Ruiling and Nicole prepare to lay tile.  Photo Credit: Sydney L.

Building Homes, Changing Lives!


                Today was another exceptionally eventful day. After enjoying our breakfast at Camp Restore, we headed out to the site we would be working at, with some jovial Wisconsinites who helped us tremendously, and provided the entire camp with brats and sauerkraut for dinner. The project we were doing was working on a home that was damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Walking in, I felt overwhelmed by the amount of work there was to do. From tearing down old drywall to installing electrical wires, we spent the day working hard to help rebuild what we could. Luckily, the fellows from Wisconsin were trained professionals in construction, and they were a huge help in teaching us more about how to put a house together. I really enjoyed their ‘learn by doing’ attitude, and they really let us work as a team to accomplish a lot. The homeowner, Cynthia showed up at the house and was told us how grateful she was to see how much people care about rebuilding New Orleans.

                After we left the site, we took a trip to one of the areas hit hardest by Hurricane Katrina, the Ninth Ward. It sparked many emotions in me to see how much damage was still apparent, even after eight years have passed. To see the vacant lots that were still in disarray, the debris that was still around, and abandoned or condemned houses that still remain. We stood next to the flood wall that broke when the storm hit, which was both humbling and heartbreaking. I simply cannot imagine seeing the water break through the barrier and feel hopeless against the force of the hurricane. I felt a sense of anger when I realized how much more could have been done to help prevent the destruction from being so devastating. Indeed, it is simple to look at only the negatives in this kind of situation.

                When I look around New Orleans, and the places we visited, I see the negatives, but I also see a bright future for the city. There were many groups of volunteers out today working on housing, doing yard work, and working in a garden. It’s amazing to see how many people are willing to come here and help rebuild. It seems there are a lot of younger, college-aged students out there working on various projects to help the city. It gives me hope for the future of New Orleans; at the camp we’re staying in, there are about 250 volunteers working on projects all through this week. That’s only one week, at one camp. There are still people out there who care, and who will see it all through until the job is done. I’m glad I can be a part of those people and say, “I was there, I helped rebuild New Orleans.”


-Nicole Noonan-

Video: 8 years later

8 Years Later & Still Rebuilding

Today we worked with some rebuilding of a house.  It was great that we had a group of guys from Wisconsin (which many of our participants thought had really cute funny accents, don't ya know) to show us the ins and outs of hanging drywall, working with insulation, and tiling some floors. 

The couple who own the house have not been back in it for over 8 years.  They provide the coffee for the camp & restoration team we are working with and they found out that their house hasn't been touched and have since sent volunteers to help with the rebuilding.  The woman who owns it was so sweet sharing stories of her children, showing off where things used to be, and shared how horribly flooded the place was. 

Below are two videos showing what we were doing:



Whitney Plantation- 3/11/13


-“I’m making the cannon balls, you bring the cannons.”

Our journey began in the St. John’s Parish at the Whitney Plantation owned by John Cummings.  Pulling into the drive, an eerie presence of the past brought a stillness to the conversation that hummed throughout the van.  We unloaded from the vehicles and met Mr. John Cummings, owner of Whitney, and Professor Ibrahim, Director of Communications and History at the plantation’s church to begin our tour.  We were brought up to speed on the history of New Orleans and the Whitney Plantation itself.  Cummings passionately spoke of his vision to create a memorial tribute to the slaves that resided in the state of Louisiana and is doing so through the viewpoint of the slave children.  He explained that it was vital to stress the significance of the slave’s story and life rather than focusing on the fine, detailed furniture and architecture of plantation life as so many other tours do.  This is in order for us as a society to comprehend the complete history of slavery from all viewpoints, without any blanketed material, as a necessary step towards neutralizing racism.  His main goal is to humanize what was stripped of that natural title so that we may begin to identify and correct the social and cultural influences that still resonate strongly throughout our worlds today.

I sit here typing this many hours after my visit, completely shaken to my core.  I feel enlightened, horrified, awe-struck, and miserably saddened by what I have experienced today. Chills raced across my flesh while walking through the Field of Angels, a tribute to slave children who passed before their third birthday. It made me stop and think of all the experiences that these innocents never had a chance to do, their lives cut short by the ignorance and cruelty of the times and their circumstance. Cummings cited many first-hand narratives from the children themselves that caused fractures to permanently form along the surface of my soul. I am changed. I see now more clearly than ever, the dots across the timeline of history that led to our current situation of racism and the effect that it has across an entire community and nation.

We have braved many hours of treacherous, rain-drenched roads to arrive here in New Orleans where we hope to provide aid to several organizations across the city.  Rebuilding takes more than brick and mortar; unfailing support in the fabric and culture of a people is the only way to truly rebuild a community. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to leave my handprint on the city and our message in the hearts of many. Our goal is to aid wherever needed and try and spread the concept of a full immersion volunteer trip. The plantation today gave me a new perspective and insight into how deeply rooted social histories are within a culture and how it influences the current world. In order to right the wrongs, acknowledgement and sensitivity are key to moving forward and creating a more unified and cohesive world. The Whitney Plantation is a way of showing people both and gives them the tools necessary to leave changed and more aware. Cummings told us as we parted, “I’m making the cannon balls, you bring the cannons” and I feel that statement says it all.  Once we obtain the knowledge and understanding, we can start blasting through the walls built by centuries of prejudice and become unified as humans, not distinguished by race or lumped into a class based on our roots. The ghosts of Whitney Plantation whisper in agreement through the rustling leaves of the ancient Oak and the barren stillness that envelopes the mournful Field of Angels.   

        -Sydney Lent

Monday, March 11, 2013

Day 1: History of NOLA

The New Orleans trip just completed a long and fun day in Louisiana learning about the history of different social issues in the surrounding community. We started off our day by traveling to The Whitney Plantation, which is about 30 miles outside of the city.

This is an old plantation that is currently being restored and turned into a museum in memory of slaves that were on the old plantation and to educate visitors on the effects slavery had on society. We met with Mr. John Cummings, who is leading the restoration efforts, along with a history professor who has helped research the plantation's past.

We got a tour of the grounds and got to see everything from the main house to the slave quarters. An especially moving part was The Field of Angels, which had a statue in memory of the child slaves, which really made you think more about the horrible cycle of slavery - that there was really no way out. It also had the names of children who had passed away on the plantation and some quotes taken from oral accounts giving insight into a slave's daily life. Visiting this plantation really gave all of us a really personal experience and we were able to learn a lot about the conditions that these people lived in.

Getting a look into social issues that plagued Louisiana in the past was a great way to start the week and discuss how these past issues still affect the region today. For the rest of the week, we will be working in urban and environmental restoration from Hurricane Katrina so having a greater knowledge of the social and political history of New Orleans was highly beneficial. And not to mention that Mr. Cummings took us out to have great Louisiana seafood on his dime! New Orleans is treating us well!

Walter Orr



Sunday, March 10, 2013

Damp, wet, but safe and sound!

So we made it to NOLA!! What was supposed to be a 10 1/2 hr trip was immediately expanded to closer to 12 because of stops, eating, and such. Cody and Avery had already accounted for that! But we had to add in some rain. I say rain lightly because it was more like swimming through Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi. That added on an extra 3
hours to get us here at 11:30. However, we made it!

Thanks to Michelle who was the other driver (or should I say diver) for the fun adventure!

Camp Restore is a great place and there are T-shirts hung up from other school's trips. We have settled in and are hitting the sac for an adventurous day tomorrow!

Don't forget to check #bearbreaks on twitter to get live information! I'm tired and going to bed!

-Patrick

On Our Way There!

Exciting news!

The New Orleans immersion trip is on its way right now, and we're all incredibly excited for what's in store. So far it's been raining the entire trip, but we are making the best of it. Thankfully, the weather in New Orleans will be much better this week. *fingers crossed*

We've only got a few hours left of our drive, but the excitement is brewing--except for those who are using the 10 hour drive as an extended naptime. But who could blame them? We've got a lot of work to do this week, and we're gonna need as much rest as possible!

Can't wait to keep y'all updated with our trip!

- Cody

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

A Brief Introduction

Greetings All!

This is Avery Casey, one of the fearless site leaders for the Immersion Spring Break to New Orleans!

The issues we will be focusing on during our trip are environmentalism and urban development. As we all know, these are issues with which New Orleans, Louisiana is constantly faced with.

So far, my fellow site leader (Cody Crossley) and I have scheduled two large projects we will be working with which we are enormously excited about. The first project we scheduled is called the Whitney Plantation. This plantation is being restored into an enormous memorial to slavery which also explores the issue of racial divide in modern society. Here we will be restoring buildings on the plantation, taking a personal tour of the property, and assisting with landscaping and maintenance. You can learn more about the project here: http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/05/25/travel/25trail.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

We have also scheduled work with the Green Project which focuses on recycling building materials and encouraging good environmental stewardship. The Green Project also provides the only paint recycling program in Louisiana. With this project, we will likely be serving recycling building materials, working in the warehouse, and providing any other help they might need. The Green Project's website can be found here http://www.thegreenproject.org/about-us/

Cody and I are also working to finalize plans with projects restoring houses harmed in hurricanes and revitalizing damaged neighborhoods.

This blog is open to all members of the trip so hopefully as plans develop, we will hear from all of the many people making this wonderful trip possible! I will be sure to keep everyone updated on trip developments. Wishing happiness and sunshine for you all!

Cheers

Avery Casey