All that we have learned so far has been really eye opening. I feel like before we started our classes I was one of the Americans who had no idea about the situation in New Orleans and the Wetlands. I think what we are doing is so important because we will be able to spread the message that the people of Southern Louisiana still need help, which many Americans are unaware of. The most shocking thing for me this far has been watching the documentaries. When you see the footage it is hard to believe that this catastrophe happened in our own country, the destruction and the helplessness of the people to me resembled the kinds of pictures we see from third world countries. Everything I have learned so far has made a big impact on me but I am ready to go down there experience it first hand!

I arrived back at school today for the first of two days of pre-trip workshops. This morning’s session was especially neat as we were introduced to many basic tools and their applications. I was familiar with all of the tools we demoed, but I also learned for the first time how to cut sheet-rock.  In terms of projections, or even just thoughts regarding our upcoming trip, I usually try to avoid formulating expectations before visiting a new place. I of course have imagined to some extent what our two weeks will be like, but I’ve learned that it’s never quite what you think it will be, and therefore am doing my best to avoid imagining too much. I hope to be challenged while in Louisiana, but for the time being can think of no one thing in particular that I expect to be especially hard. I’m very excited to get down there though, and know the two weeks will fly by so I plan to make the most of it.

So far the information I had prior to this course topped with what we have learned and discussed as a group has continuously frustrated. I feel that several of the problems that combined into the catastrophe of Katrina were, individually, simple problems that seem easily remedied with common-sense solutions. Obviously each problem has its own set of complications and political interference that prevents any kind of simple solution. It just makes me very angry that the world can look at the problems New Orleans faces and very little is being done. I hope to go on this trip with an open mind and gain a personal insight to the reality of the situation that the people of New Orleans face everyday. I am very anxious to get down there and bring my experiences back to my family and friends.

I’m feeling very excited and anxious about our upcoming trip to Louisiana.  After all of the reading, diversity training, seminars, and documentaries, I think we are all feeling prepared for the journey.  The preparation for the trip has been extensive, but I think it will prove to be extremely pertinent and useful to the work will be do in Louisiana.  I feel unbelievably more comfortable about being immersed into the culture and being surrounded by the residents that were so impacted by the disasterous effects of Katrina.  With everything that we have learned, I think that our group will be able to assimilate, learn and contribute very efficiently with the little time we will be down there.  Today we went the the Schenectady Landtrust and learned how to use certain tools, especially those pertinent for construction of houses, which obviously will be beneficial for us in Louisiana.  The visit to the Landtrust got me very excited for finally getting down to New Orleans, Houma, and Dulac, and getting contribute to the relief effort. 

The lives of Native Americans are often ignored in America. When talking about racial issues, people tend to focus on White VS. Black and forget other minority groups. In the case of New Orleans’ reconstruction, many complain the neglect toward African Americans, but not toward Native Americans. Most books, articles and movies deal with racial problems in the viewpoints of African Americans. Yet there ARE Native Americans who have lived in poor life conditions and are still affected by the aftermath of Katrina. I think it’s important to care more about people with other ethnicity in addition to African American people.

I’ve learned so much already through our readings and movies but I know that the most important things we are going to learn are going to come from the people we meet and the experiences we have. For me it’s very hard to view some of the footage and I think it’s going to be worse than what I ever expected. I’m excited to get there but I am also very nervous as to what we will find and how I will feel when we have to leave. 

Our group leaves for New Orleans in a few days, finally.  As a class, we have done so much reading, viewing, and listening about our destination that it might be impossible for the reality to live up to our expectations.  As a result, the most prevalent emotion on my mind is excitement.  I want to get down there already.

To be honest, it has been very hard to watch some of the documentaries on Katrina’s destruction, look at some of the pictures illustrating people’s suffering, and read about the inherent corruption and racism in the history of New Orleans. Each new piece of information disturbs me and I find myself very frustrated after learning about these problems. I feel that I am prepared to enter New Orleans because I have a better understanding of the culture and people, especially the troubles they endured, but in reality, I have no idea what the people of New Orleans and the wetlands have gone through. Therefore, it’s important to have no expectations of this trip. What that means, I am not positively sure but I believe it means to go down there and take it for how I perceive it and not what I am suppose to perceive it as based on the various sources I have accumulated knowledge from. Overall, I am looking forward to this trip; I have no idea what’s to come and that’s the exciting part about it. 

My impression of the trip to New Orleans is that I will have to take the experience for what it is and keep an open mind.  I think that the biggest challenge I will face in New Orleans is to learn from every experience without making judgments about the people I meet.  Also, I feel it will be difficult to grapple with the enormity of the recovery work that still needs to be done in Louisiana.  During the trip, I may feel that my contribution to the recovery efforts is not significant enough because the issues that Louisiana faces are so far beyond my control.

This week, in addition to celebrating Thanksgiving, we are getting ready to head south on December 3rd.  Excitement!  Filling out those notarized forms, deciding what kind of boots to pack, getting our tetanus shots updated, reading those books about New Orleans and the wetlands…lots to do!  I’m pretty excited about this, the 3rd group of students I’ve accompanied to Louisiana.  

It will be great to have Molly MacElroy with me again — we’re a great team.  This year Paul Matarazzo is also coming with us — Paul is in charge of capital projects for Union and is an expert on all things construction.  And, he is a great cook, we hear. 

What am I thinking about? Mostly wondering what it will be like back in Dulac and Houma.  Darryl Guy at the Dulac site tells me that the flooding from Ike was worse than from Rita, and Rita was terrible.  The pictures I’ve found on the web are dramatic. It will be hard emotionally to see so much once again ‘washed away.’

I’m excited that this year we’ll be actually doing a project to help repair the wetlands.  Mel Landry at BTNEP has arranged for us to do clearing of invasive species down at Grand Isle with the Nature Conservancy.  We’ll be down there on Sunday, Dec 14th.  The drive down will take us by many of the sites described in Mike Tidwell’s Bayou Farewell, and we’ll be right there on the Gulf to see the oil rigs dotting the horizon like ants.  We’ll learn so much!

Got to go…I’m still grading papers from last term and need to make some last minute calls to LA.  I’ll be assigning everyone in the class to post here at least once before we head south.  Watch for their posts, coming soon.