Thank You to Everyone Involved!

Finally, I just want to thank everyone who was instrumental in creating this trip. I apologize if this sounds like an Oscar’s acceptance speech. Although I certainly believe I do deserve an Oscar, it will never happen. I just am amazed that everyone has come together to help make this trip so amazing, and I appreciate all the time that was put into this by everyone.

Thank you to Walter and Aubrey for helping me and Kelly prepare for the trip, and thank you to Patrick Grayshaw for being such a great advisor to Bear Breaks.  

To all of the New Orleans participants – Thank you so much for coming on this journey with us. You are all such hard workers and I really enjoyed getting to know you and growing with you all!

Amanda Gabbard – We all really appreciate the many hours that you have put in to all of these trips. You are awesome, and none of these trips would have been so great without all of your help!

Jared Cates and Michelle Ciesielski – You are both awesome advisors. I really appreciate that you listened and gave awesome advice. Whether it was about the trip or life in general, you were very understanding and genuine, and I am glad I was able to open up with you and talk to you about everything. I have no doubt that you will both do great things working with students in the future. I really look up to both of you very much.

Kelly Mazzoni – Thank you for planning this trip with me! I really enjoyed working with you and getting to know you for the past year. Even though we “bicker like a married couple” all of the time, I really have enjoyed it all. Thank you for dealing with me for so long. Come visit me in Cincinnati!

Thank you to anyone else who has assisted us throughout the process. The past two years’ alternative breaks have been my favorite college experiences, and I wouldn’t trade them for the world. Thank you!

Daniel Schekorra

Evaluation of the New Orleans Trip

I really hope that everyone has enjoyed reading about our experience in New Orleans. It was such a great educational experience and we were all thrilled to be able to serve the New Orleans community that still has a long way to recover following Hurricane Katrina and years of racial oppression.

As you probably know, our topic was Urban Renewal and Oppression. We spent our week examining the issue of racism in New Orleans’ past, present, and future, and the socio-economic, cultural, and physical aftereffects of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans. Please read the previous posts if you have not done so to find out what we did during each day. Right now I would like to talk about what we all learned and what it all means. Our reflection discussions have given me insights into how these students have grown throughout the week.

I really believe that everyone who went on the trip learned a lot about our topics. The Whitney Plantation explored past oppression, but our group saw firsthand that racial oppression is definitely not a thing of the past. By having discussions with locals and through our service opportunities, everyone was better able to get an idea of New Orleans culture and the devastation caused by Katrina. Finally, we brought our topics together by discussing the racial issues that arose in Katrina’s aftermath. These issues include the predominantly black/African American neighborhoods being more harmed and slower to recover than predominantly white neighborhoods, and a decreasing proportion of African American population following the disaster compared to other ethnicities.

So what does this all mean for our participants? Natural disasters happen. Sometimes the devastation can be minimized. For example, with proper construction of levees, floodwalls, etc., New Orleans can be better protected from hurricanes. But was there a way for Joplin to protect itself from a tornado? I believe that everyone who went on the trip is a leader and will want to help out with any disasters that happen in the community. If they see a problem in the area, they will act on it. Oppression is also an issue in Springfield. I believe that the best way to overcome this in our area is to promote diversity in the area. The 2010 census discovered that 88.7% of the population in the area is white. By working with programs promoting diversity and acceptance of all people, the Springfield community is heading in the right direction towards reducing oppression. I really hope that everyone who participated will take what they learned on the trip and share it with others, and use their new knowledge to better the Springfield community.

On the first day of the trip, I asked the participants to describe what comes to mind when they think of New Orleans. Almost all responses regarded tangible things, food, or ideas such as “great music,” “creole,” and “great fishing.” When I asked them the same question on the final night of the trip, some of the responses that I received were “devastation,” “oppression,” “strong culture,” and much more. None of the responses that night had to do with the tangible things of the city. They focused on the city’s resilience. The strong people and truly unique culture have overcome everything the city has been through. It was really great to see everyone’s opinions on the issues and the city change and develop and evolve throughout the week. I am so proud of everyone and everything we have done.

Daniel Schekorra

Photos From Our Final Day in The Big Easy!

Here are some photos from our day in the wetlands!  We spent the day planting trees and enjoying our last day in New Orleans as a group!  We ended the day with snowballs to celebrate all the participants' hard work this week!

The St. Bernard Wetlands Foundation

Hello, everyone! This is Daniel Schekorra, again, and I am one of the two trip leaders. I apologize for posting this so late, but we had a busy, late day on Friday! I wanted to tell you some things about working with the St. Bernard Wetlands Foundation on Friday, and I thought better late than never!

First off, I want to mention why the Wetlands are important to New Orleans. Basically, the Wetlands act as a barrier to floodwaters. The Wetlands are located just outside the city, and saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico has been killing the trees in the area. The trees absorb energy from hurricanes, taming the surge. The Wetlands Foundation restores trees to the area that can handle the current Wetlands conditions and distributes them to people who live in the area.

I am very proud to say that our small group of 14 students planted over 530 potted trees. Additionally, we assisted in removing trees that had unfortunately not grown sufficiently. Of all of the days that we did service, this definitely required the most physical labor. I know that my back is definitely sore a day later!

Throughout the week, our group has made connections with various people who live in New Orleans and developed a fondness for the city’s culture. I am very proud of everyone’s hard work yesterday, and hopefully our work will contribute to the ultimate goal of lessening the devastation of the inevitable hurricanes that New Orleans will see in the future. This work was our group’s way of trying to protect those people that we care about and the incredible culture.

I am going to stop this post a little short. In our reflection last night, we discussed how much this trip meant to everyone and how we can take the skills and knowledge we have learned and apply it to the Springfield area. Please read the next post where I will discuss our reflection and wrap up the trip from my trip leader point of view!

Daniel Schekorra

Photos from the French Quarter

Sorry we've been a little behind on posting photos.  Check out these photos of our day yesterday!  We explored the Hurricane Katrina Museum and the French Quarter!

Here are some photos of our busy day on Wednesday!  We got a tour of the Lower Ninth Ward from Tulane geology professor, Steve Nelson.  The group stopped at a seafood restaurant for lunch and afterwards, we headed to the APEX Youth Center where we spent our afternoon talking and playing with kids!

Photos From the Senior Center and Creole Creamery!

Sorry we're a little behind posting pictures!  Here are some photos from Wednesday when we visited the senior center and had the opportunity to meet life-time residents of New Orleans and hear first-hand what it's like to live here.  Afterwards, we headed out for some Creole Creamery and then reflection back at Camp Restore!

Beignets in Jackson Square

Today we had a great day filled with adventure. We started the day off at the hurricane Katrina museum where we all got a better look and understanding at what really happened and how the people in New Orleans were affected. It was eye opening to see the footage that was playing throughout the museum. The very beginning of the museum had a room that played the sounds and videos of the storm. I have never seen that much damage and it made me feel like I was in the middle of the storm, which brought up more emotions than I thought it would. Everyone really soaked in the information and I think that we all learned something new that we didn't know before. After going through the museum we split up into groups and walked around the French Quarter until we found a place to eat. Many of us tried different types of seafood and New Orleans dishes and it was fun seeing how each other reacted to everything surrounding us. I have been to New Orleans before but didn't get to experience the culture and atmosphere the way we got to all day and I know that I have a better understanding of it. Eating Beignets in Jackson Square was a lot of fun and although we were doing tourist activities today it was all enjoyable. Many of us went to the french market where we bought souvenirs and checked out at all of the interesting trinkets being sold. Many of the people selling things were friendly and a lot of people stopped us to talk about Missouri State University, we even saw some other students, a professor, and alumni. We ate at a variety of restaurants today and were able to try some things that we wouldn't have experienced in Missouri. It was interesting to see the differences between the environment when walking around and some streets were very populated while others were residential areas that were calm and quiet.I didn't realize before then that so many people like in that area or that were so many homes there. I enjoyed getting to see different parts of the French Quarter and without today I wouldn't have as much about hurricane Katrina and the community of New Orleans. Another favorite part of the day was seeing all the architecture. It is so different and historical from the buildings that we see throughout Missouri and that really amazed me. Even though the streets were crowded and we walked a lot, today was enjoyable and beneficial. 

Claire Mansur

Looking Back to Look Forward

Greetings from NOLA! My name is Jared Cates and I am one of the advisors on the trip. Over the course of the past few days, I have had the pleasure of being a part of some amazing service learning opportunities within the city of New Orleans.  Reflecting back on the week, some of my favorite experiences have been interacting with the people of New Orleans and hearing about their everyday lives.  From those individuals, I have learned a great deal about the pride they have for their city and how well they have been able to respond to the Hurricane Katrina disaster.

Another experience I have thoroughly enjoyed is receiving a guided tour of the lower ninth ward from local geology professor Stephen Nelson.  The tour was very educational and encompassed a very rich discussion of the Hurricane Katrina disaster and the impact it had within the New Orleans community.  Altogether, the tour was an experience I thoroughly enjoyed and now have a better grip on how the event unfolded.

In taking what I learned from professor Stephen Nelson and the interactions I have had with the people of New Orleans, I am very excited about taking it back to my family and friends, Missouri State University, and the community of Springfield. Go Bears!  

               

Katrina Exhibit & Exploring the French Quarter

Today was a great day spent in downtown New Orleans, in the French Quarter. We started off the day going to a Katrina Exhibit. This was a very eye opening experience. I will be honest, before coming to the museum, I did not realize how much of a disaster Katrina really was and how much damage it had caused. Hurricane Katrina happened when I was younger and I think that when such a big disaster like that happens when you are little, you don't really know too much about it or understand what is going on. So walking into this exhibit was very surreal to me and I learned a lot. I really liked how you could listen to people that were actually there, tell their stories, express the emotions they felt, and the experiences they had to deal with. I could not even imagine going through what those people went through or what they felt. I wouldn't even know how to deal with a situation like Hurricane Katrina.
I really enjoyed the exhibit because it shows you how it really was when Katrina hit. There was a big blown up journal on the wall from a man during the tragedy and it was really interesting to read his daily writings and how he was feeling during this time. One of the things that really made an impact on me was towards the end. There was a video of some of the people and they talked about some of the things they went through. Some had moved away, some were evacuated to different places, some lost loved ones, etc. Just watching the video, I could feel their emotion and their pain from this horrible disaster. But that is not the part that impacted me. Even though Hurricane Katrina was such a devastating, negative natural disaster, the people of New Orleans made it a positive thing. They turned tarps and other materials into dress up clothes and made it fun. On each of the little stories and information boards inside the exhibit they ended with some sort of humor which just shows that every negative situation can be made into a positive one.
After going through the exhibit, I realized how much pride the people of New Orleans have for their city. It was amazing to see that families that had been gone for 5 plus years after Katrina, moved back because New Orleans is their home and they wouldn't want to live anywhere else. For me personally, if something like that were to happen in my home town and I had to move away, I'm not exactly sure I would want to or could move back. I have a lot of respect for the people here and how they have evolved from such a horrible thing. They are continuing to grow in their community and have a good time. Which leads me to the second floor of the exhibit. The whole second floor was all about the culture and history of New Orleans. Mari Gras is such a huge celebration and I love how the city still celebrates after Hurricane Katrina. It just proves my point to what I said earlier, how people are still going about their daily lives, keeping old traditions, and staying positive. Even though there is still a lot of construction that needs to be done in New Orleans, I don't think it will ever be the same. After a big disaster like Katrina, it kind of puts a dent to the city but that doesn't stop it's people from doing their thing.
The second part of our day was spent walking around and exploring the French Quarter, which was an amazing experience. From trying a shrimp poboy sandwich and hating it, to eating the delicious beignets, it was all a good time with the group. Just walking around the streets seeing the people, and feeling the energy, made it a great day. I loved all the jazz music and all the people playing different instruments on the streets. The little houses and apartments up and down the streets were so beautiful, I have never seen anything like them. I really liked their Spanish architecture and all the different colors. I personally love to people watch, so walking down the streets and seeing all the different people in this culture was such a good experience. So many different lifestyles and personalities. When we made our way to Bourbon street, I will be honest I was a little surprised. I had heard from friends and family that this particular street was a little on the dirty side and smelt horrible. I believe the "smell horrible" was an understatement. The smell was awful, but you got used to it. I still loved getting the experience walking up and down the street seeing all the fun shops and places.
Overall, I had a great time today walking around the French Quarter with the group. I think we all really enjoyed it and I think we each learned something that we didn't know about New Orleans. This trip has opened my eyes to so many different things and it has seriously been life changing. I'm so happy I got to have this experience and glad I got to make a difference in the community of New Orleans. This will definitely be a trip I will never forget!

P.S. If any of you reading this entry have not been to New Orleans and have not had a Shrimp poboy sandwich....make sure to ask the waitor/waitress if the shrimp is ground up or not and if it is, that is a BAD BAD thing. Trust me. Been there done that. :)


Katelyn Sanchez

Reflecting on Reflections

Hey from the drivers seat. My name is Michelle and I am one of the advisors of this trip. The topics of diversity, neighborhoods, and urban renewal have always been ones close to my heart.  Of course when the opportunity arose last year to attend the NOLA trip, I jumped on it.  The experience was unforgettable and changed me in a way difficult to capture.  This year I was fortunate enough to return and work on the same topic with (mostly) new students.  The change within me continues into this trip. 

So quick recap of what we did today:  Starting off the day, we attended a tour with Stephen Nelson, a geology professor from Tulane University.  He has held tours presenting the geological facts behind Katrina and the levee failures/breaches for almost eight years.  Check out his site here.  After grabbing some local seafood for lunch, we moved into the Central City neighborhood of New Orleans to volunteer at a youth after-school drop in center, APEX.  

Overall, the issue has been proven to be more complicated than we first realized.  A seemingly simple visit to a youth center sparked issues about the way and motivations behind our service, diversity in our own Springfield community, the language we use, ethical (or not so ethical) leaders and politicians, and human development.  It is near impossible to say all we can say about these issues we have explored.  Each perspective brings new questions and each question brings new perspectives. 

Our allotted time for reflection at the end of the day has provided opportunities for us to explore safely with each other.  Listening, empathizing, and sometimes even challenging each other, we always have made good use of our reflection time.  It seemed though today, with so many issues coming to the surface and our differences in perspectives, ultimately it is the underlying desire to better our community unite us.  Each person has experienced a change in some way.  Whether it was through observation of an argument between neighbors in Central City or standing on top of the rebuilt levees looking out at neighborhoods only 10% rebuilt, the only clear thing is how the complex and unsettling these issues of diversity and urban development are to us.

We still have two full days left.  With the past three providing so much room for dialogue and experience, I look forward to the exposure of new ideas that have not been uncovered. 

Our Day at the Senior Center and Creole Creamery!

Here our some photos of our group hanging out at the senior center and getting to hear first-hand stories of what it's like to live in New Orleans.  These individuals have a strong passion for the city they call home and were determined to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina.  We had a great time getting to know them and playing Bingo!