Symposium reflects on katrina aftermath

Author: Annabelle Fowler, Nathan Zucker, Cecilia Goldschmidt

Revisiting the Huricane Katrina disaster that began two summers ago and continues to this day, Jennifer Williams '08 and Matthew Amoss '07.5 coordinated a spring symposium entitled "New Orleans, Revisted" from Apr. 3-6. The symposium included a screening of Spike Lee's documentary "When the Levees Broke," a children's photography exhibit and a wide variety of lectures and panels.

The events covered a wide array of topics dealing both with personal narratives, environmental issues and discussions of injustice in post-hurricane New Orleans. The events remind us that as a nation, we can turn even the greatest disaster into an opportunity for intellectual growth and personal reevaluation.


Amateur child photographers capture their changed New Orleans

Imagine you are 10 years old. You go to school, you play with your friends, you have dreams. Suddenly, a hurricane devastates your city and your home. You are evacuated and your life takes a 180-degree spin. Nothing will be the same again.

Two summers ago, this was the reality for thousands of children living in New Orleans. All was bleak, until a non-profit group put cameras in these children's hands.

Part of the "New Orleans, Revisited" symposium that took place from April 3-6 was the ongoing exhibit of "Katrina Exposed," a collection of photographs taken by young children who returned to New Orleans following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. For Jennifer Williams '08, organizer of the symposium, the exhibit was a great success.

"The momentum of the week didn't stay inside the lecture hall," she said. These kids, who had to evacuate the area they once called home, came back to a place completely different from what they remembered. A change so sudden and so shocking is enough to create serious repercussions on most people, especially children.

This is why the New Orleans Kid Camera Project, a non-profit organization, took the initiative to give children an opportunity to document their lives through photography.

After they were given cameras, technical instruction and advice, the kids had an opportunity to take pictures and provide a glimpse into their new lives. A selection of these snapshots were displayed in McCardell Bicentennial Hall and the New Library this past week, evoking introspection, highlighting the feebleness of human life against the strength and power of nature. Some pictures show New Orleans in reconstruction, while others show scenes from day-to-day life, people and small city details that often go unnoticed. After being photographed, all can be considered art.

The photography display increased awareness about the ongoing struggle in New Orleans.

People may think of New Orleans as far away, but after viewing quotidian scenes - scenes that are part of normal children's lives - one can relate more to the problem. The symposium was an opportunity for groups of people to get together and do something positive, hopefully to put in a grain of salt to find viable solutions to the reconstruction, both physical and social, of New Orleans.

Today, many of the victims of Hurricane Katrina live in FEMA trailers, hoping to rebuild their lives and their homes. But for the children involved in the New Orleans Kid Camera Project, life can have new meaning.

-Annabelle Fowler, Staff Writer



More wetlands, less disaster, says duo of Katrina Experts

All Americans remember the catastrophe of Hurricane Katrina. Massive flooding, a lawless Superdome and a phenomenal loss of life and property characterize the horror that the world witnessed that fateful August.

But Katrina experts Paul Kemp and Mark Davis say that what New Orleans experienced didn't have to turn out the way it did. In a lecture entitled "Environmental Disaster: the Louisiana Gulf Coast," the two men argued that it was largely human error, and not nature's malevolence, that caused New Orleans and the surrounding areas to suffer so terribly. In addition to focusing on the poor decisions that were made, Kemp and Davis demonstrated how college students could get involved in building a healthier and safer coastline.

Kemp, vice president of the National Audubon Society's Gulf Coast initiatives, familiarized the public with the basic geography of the Mississippi River. He showed how large and important a system the river basin is, both for commercial profit and ecological security. However, he added, "This system will be lost," referring to the dams and levees that have artificially separated the river from its delta. The result is that sediment is no longer deposited naturally near the coast, and thus the soggy wetlands are reduced in size. The lack of wetlands, of course, made New Orleans much more vulnerable to the storm surge of Katrina. Additionally, Kemp criticized the Army Corps of Engineers' hurricane protection plan, calling it "a system built on the cheap." He claimed that a better levee system, combined with more wetlands, would have helped save New Orleans.

Davis, director of Tulane University's Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy, echoed the themes put forth by Kemp, suggesting that both local and national governments did little to prevent destruction of the wetlands and develop an adequate levee system.

"The bullets in the chamber were the ones we put there," said Davis. "It's a failure of law, policy and governance." However, he suggested that hope for the coast still exists, if citizens work together to solve the remaining problems. He thanked the college students who had traveled to Louisiana to aid in the relief efforts, and he suggested that still more could be done. At the close of his speech, he challenged the audience to do more. "You have to educate yourself on the things you want to advocate for. There's room for you too."

-Nathan Zucker, Staff Writer



Shakespeare of the South

fights pain with words

"I am black history, you can learn more about me than just slavery," recites Shelton "Shakespeare" Alexander from his poem "Who Am I." While many students may associate the name Shakespeare with Victorian Britain and the Globe Theatre, this 21st century poet operating under the same name honed his skills in a very different dome-shaped building - the New Orleans Superdome.

As part of last week's symposium, Alexander came to recount his own experience of surviving Hurricane Katrina. A famed spoken word poet, Alexander's talent has been showcased on HBO's Def Poetry Jam. He took his talent to the Grille Juice Bar last Thursday.

"I Died Already" glimpsed the effects of the flood and the subsequent political failures. His last, "Still Blessed," showed his feelings of confusion after the tragedy with the line, "My questionÖwhat's next?" and ended the poem optimistically with, "I'm still alive so I'm still blessed."

It is this optimism that characterizes Alexander's personality and work, as he noted that the main message he wants his audience to receive from his poetry is "to remain positive."

"I want my words to have an effect on a diverse audience," says Alexander, whose poetry not only serves as an inspiration for others, but has helped him cope with his own troubles. He first discovered the power of writing in July 2001 after returning to New Orleans from being in the Marines just as Hurricane Allison was hitting the city. One of his friends from high school died in the hurricane, and Alexander turned to writing as an outlet. "It builds up in me and then I write the poem," said Alexander.

On Friday at 4:30 in the Robert A Jones Conference Room, Alexander delivered his closing address "Life after the Superdome."

"I never expected to be held hostage in my own city," Alexander said, concerning his time in the arena. After three days, Alexander and 18 others found their
chance to sneak out of the Superdome despite the guards that refused to let anybody leave. Describing his time in the Superdome as "hell," Alexander exclaimed, "I'd rather be outside than inside any day."

While discussing what he lost in the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, Alexander became choked up. "You just have your memories because everything's gone."

He is now living in a FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) trailer in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, and optimistically gives thanks for having a roof over his head. When asked about his feelings toward FEMA, however Alexander strongly asserted, "I don't want to be negative, but I don't have anything good to say about FEMAÖI still haven't gotten my personal deposit check!"

Despite his experience, Alexander still has a great sense of pride in his home and in the city where he grew up. He expressed his deep gratitude for all of the volunteers who have gone to New Orleans to help with the recovery. "I appreciate their supportÖthey are the reason I am here." While recognizing that there is still a huge amount that needs to be done in New Orleans, Alexander only expresses hope for the future.

- Cecilia Goldschmidt, Staff Writer