Karin Sagona ’08 standing on the observatory platform of Brad Pitt’s Make it right campaign in the Lower Ninth Ward. Pitt constructed pink tents to represent houses that he hopes to help rebuild through his fundraising campaign.
New Orlea
Alex Handin '10 gained a few new skills last December in Louisiana, where he spent two weeks helping rebuild communities that are still dealing with the destruction hurricanes Rita and Katrina caused in 2005.
“I got pretty proficient at taping drywall,” he said.
Volunteering his time and energy to reconstruct homes and buildings in the communities of New Orleans and Dulac, however, wasn’t Handin's only goal. He accompanied participants of Union’s community service mini-term on the trip to document life as survivors of the two hurricanes know it.
The resulting photographic documentary, “Southern Louisiana: Hurricane Recovery,” will be on display in the Wikoff Student Gallery in the Nott Memorial through Dec. 19.
Property adjacent to a worksite in New Orleans, LA.
“My main goal was to go down there and bring back the stories of the people living in Louisiana,” Handin said. “With all the media frenzy, it’s been hard for people up here to gain an accurate picture of what life is really like there.”
The Wikoff exhibit consists of photographs of New Orleans and Dulac residents living their daily lives. It also includes images of Union students who participated in the community service mini-term working on reconstruction projects.