Day 23: friday, january 27
We all gathered again today for our last official class meeting from 10:00-3:00. We learned that the Verrips brothers would arrive back in Moraga by about 6:00 p.m., having driven all night without stopping. For our next-to-last web entry (we'll do one more after our February 8th final presentations), we decided to post answers to some questions that are running through our heads, as well as one favorite photo from each student.
WHAT IS THE MOST STRIKING IMAGE THAT IS STICKING IN YOUR HEAD FROM NOLA?
When you look around and it's a ghost town. It looks like a city, but no one is there. (Chris)
Heading over the bridge into the Lower Ninth Ward toward the Hippie Camp and seeing a swath of neighborhood just wiped clear off the map. (Shane)
Driving over the canal that leads into the Lower Ninth Ward. The first time we drove past the Lower Ninth, we were all brought into a state of total silence. (Feke)
I can't forget the streets of the Ninth Ward at dusk: dark because there's no electricity, empty because there no one living there, quiet like a ghost town and suspended in time. (Brianna)
Driving through the Lower Ninth Ward for the first time and realizing how horrific the conditions still were. (Fernando)
Walking into Rosie's house on the first day and seeing the room destroyed but the altar and crosses over the door still in place. (Vanessa S.)
Walking into Rosie's three houses (the first homes we encountered) for the first time. It was a visual image I'll never forget. Meeting Lisa and Rosie for the first time and seeing a home that five months ago had been underwater. (Mallory)
When we found Don's puppy. (Hugo)
Smokey's body (the puppy) lying behind Don's toilet after five whole months. (Elijah)
North Claiborne Street and the spray paint on each house. (Kayla)
Mississippi. The nothingness, the barrenness, the destruction. (Justin)
The flattened houses in Mississippi along the Gulf. Only one of three things that brought me to tears. (Stephanie)
The water lines on the houses. (David)
Elijah looking at the levee break in Violet with all of the houses in the background swept away by the surge of the storm. (Alli)
The 17th Street levee break. (Salvador)
The picture outside of Wardell's house where we are pressure washing our tools while the sun is setting. It was a great picture that illuminated the end of our day. (Jed)
Seeing the last boat getting carried across our makeshift landbridge in the marsh. (Emily)
When we were at Lisa's house singing songs. We were having a good time with the people whose lives we changed and who changed ours. (Arthor)
Our group circle of affirmations on the last day; I could feel the love. (Vanessa F.)
The look in the eyes of the people we helped. To all of us, the tasks that we had done weren't anything, but to these people, it was everything. That I won't forget. (Rachel)
The blue roofs are ingrained in my head as hope and disaster all in one. They also represent the only real color in the city. Grey is all over with hints of blue roofs. (Elvia)
Rosie's smile. When I think of NOLA, the first person that enters my mind is Rosie and her smile. (Casey)
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE DAY IN NOLA?
Sunday the 22nd. Our last day of gutting houses. The very last house we gutted was Connie and Jerry LeRouge's. Their stories touched me and their faith inspired me. I will never forget them. (Casey)
The last day that we did houses. It was one of our most productive days. (Chris)
Every day that we gutted. Just seeing before and after really made me feel like we were making a difference. (Rachel)
Gutting Sarah's house, as she was the one that really represented to me a person that wanted to keep it all regardless of the disaster. She represented many for me in NOLA. (Elvia)
My birthday. I couldn't have had a better night with better people. (Shane)
Our day off (Shane's birthday). It's the only time I got to see the French Quarter in the daytime. It was so amazing to see New Orleans without devastation but up and running. The buildings are so beautiful and are what I think of when imagining New Orleans. (Stephanie)
When we finished Rosie's, Don's, and Leroy's houses, interviewed Rosie, and went to the French Quarter for Kayla's birthday. (Elijah)
The day of gutting at Rosie's and Don's houses. (David)
I can't pick a favorite day; there are things about each day that could make it a favorite, but my favorite moment was hearing Rosie end her interview and say that the love she's been shown since the storm is what she imagines heaven will be like. (Brianna)
When we went to the Trigo residence and sang songs because it was a great way to sum up the trip. (Fernando)
When we had gumbo at Lisa's. (Alli)
The night at Lisa's spent eating the best gumbo, cooked by Rosie, singing with Joan and Louise and guitars, and meeting Janice for the first time. (Mallory)
When we had gumbo at Rosie's. I felt like I was part of a huge family. (Hugo)
Gumbo with Rosie was the best experience for me. As we sang songs, enjoyed food and great company, I thought to myself: "This is what life is all about. This is family. This is community. This is what heaven is going to feel like." (Vanessa F.)
The last Tuesday because we got to share food and community with each other and Rosie's family. (Kayla)
I liked any day that I got to use an axe or chainsaw. (Jed)
When I found the rosary (at Connie's house), it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. (Salvador)
When we drove to Mississippi to help find the boats from St. Stanislaus High School. (Feke)
Getting totally gross and dirty in Mississippi. It was beyond amazing to see the difference between the states on all fronts. (Vanessa S.)
Mississippi. Seemingly impossible, it showed our strength as a group (physical, our relationships, and our trust). (Emily)
The last day when we sat in a circle and just told how we felt about each other. (Arthor)
Every day. (Justin)
WHAT WILL YOU MISS THE MOST ABOUT NOLA?
"Everyone. All the time." [Our group's motto] (Elijah)
Being with our group. It was hard, but it was fun. (Chris)
Our group of people, because they are 26 of the greatest people I've ever met. (Justin)
Our group. It makes me not want to graduate in May because I've met all these amazing people. We'll never be as close as we are right now. (Stephanie)
Our group. Waking up every day and sleeping knowing everyone was together. "Everyone all the time" totally sums it up. (Emily)
This wonderful group. (Salvador)
Waking up with 26 other roommates and the loving atmosphere of southern hospitality. (Mallory)
I will miss this group of people more than anything else. I don't know what to do without my 26 roommates. (Brianna)
The family we have created. (Vanessa F.)
I will miss us being together. (Arthor)
The camaraderie that developed by sleeping on the bus. (Shane)
I will miss the people, our newly formed family, and the atmosphere we created around us. (Rachel)
Probably Jorge and Marcia because they won't be right here at SMC; they're both leaving the country. (Vanessa S.)
I actually miss the bus. It was our time to get close, talk, and essentially be ourselves. It definitely left no room for shying away and that's what I miss. (Elvia)
I miss the conversations and games our group shared those days. (Fernando)
The families and individuals whose houses we gutted. I will miss their smiles and hugs. (Casey)
I will miss waking up and looking out the bus window through the condensation at downtown New Orleans. (Kayla)
I will miss the southern hospitality and the fried chicken in Louisiana. (Feke)
Living in New Orleans, driving through the streets everyday, seeing hope in the people's eyes. (David)
I will miss that feeling you get when you bring an old Bible or family album out of a gutted house and give it to the family. (Jed)
I will miss everything: gutting houses, being surrounded by the most amazing, hard-working, and inspirational people I have ever met, sleeping on the bus, feeling love flow through the community we worked and made for ourselves. (Alli)
WHAT WILL YOU MISS THE LEAST ABOUT NOLA?
Not being able to fall asleep because every person around me was snoring. (Casey)
The snoring. (Mallory)
The snoring. That's all. (Rachel)
Being rained on in the morning in the bus. Plus the snoring . . . not good. (Vanessa S.)
The rain and the humidity in the south. (Feke)
The rainstorms. They wouldn't be so bad if we had somewhere to go other than a leaky tent. (Stephanie)
Dirt, mold, funk. (Justin)
The over-filled portapot. (Shane)
The dirt under my toenails. (Brianna)
The Bermuda grass. (Fernando)
Bending over while gardening. (David)
Fridge tea. (Alli)
Fridge tea and mosquitos. (Salvador)
Mosquitos -- ALL day. (Emily)
Bug bites. (Elijah)
The battle of the dishes. It seemed that no matter how hard we tried, there always seemed to be dishes not washed. (Elvia)
Scraping up floor tiles in each of the houses we gutted. (Kayla)
Doing 8-10 hours of work every day and then working on projects for several hours. (Jed)
I will not miss us being together every minute of every day. (Arthor)
The food. (Chris)
Ten things I won't miss about NOLA: 10. The hot and humid bus. 9. One of the gardeners who was somewhat unpleasant. 8. MREs. 7. Supermarkets without Mexican food aisles. 6. Mosquitos, gnats, roaches, and rats. 5. Used portapots that reek. 4. Canned anything. 3. "Doncha." 2. Running out of work clothes. 1. Fridge tea! (Vanessa F.)
HOW DO YOU FEEL (SO FAR) ABOUT RETURNING HOME?
I can't describe what I've seen. Words cannot describe it. (Justin)
People just don't get it. (Shane)
It is hard to describe and tell others our experience in New Orleans. We've made the transition from destruction to almost perfect. (Hugo)
My strongest impression was knowing that no matter how many times I try to explain our trip to someone, they will never be able to comprehend how much we really gained from this experience. (Fernando)
I feel very awkward around everyone I've encountered since I've been home (except my NOLA classmates). They ask for explanations and I am speechless – what can we say? I also haven't been very hungry since we returned. I thought I would crave all sorts of food from home, but I'm just not hungry for anything. (Brianna)
I hate it when people come up to me and ask, "How was it?" They expect me to answer in less than ten words. I can't answer that question in two hours. I find myself just blowing these people off. (Jed)
The first time I started to tell a friend about NOLA, I started to cry. It's sinking in. I think the tears are really going to start flowing. (Casey)
Frustrated from trying to explain all of the emotion of the trip as well as the truth of the city's state. (Emily)
Misplaced. (Elijah)
Things will be different at SMC because of my experiences in New Orleans. I am certainly feeling excited to be home, but a piece of my heart will always be in New Orleans. (Mallory)
I don't want to explain myself to everyone. I don't want to tell the story over and over. I'd rather just give them the website and let them experience it themselves. (Stephanie)
I don't want to share my/our story. I tell people: "Read the website. The rest of the memories are for me and I'll never be able to explain them. We earned them fair and square." (Vanessa F.)
I'm mixed, sad and happy all at once. I feel accomplished and yet not done. We did so much, but there is still so much more to do. I want to see my family, but I've left a new family behind. Mixed. (Elvia)
I'm realizing that we all needed each other, both at camp and out in the city. Everyone needed everyone. (Vanessa S.)
I am sad. I wanted to stay longer. (Rachel)
I hate being back. I think I might move to New Orleans. (Alli)
I'm glad to be back because I missed my family and friends. It's different, though. Everything just looks different. (Arthor)
I wonder how the rest of the work will get done in NOLA, but I also wonder what's going on the world and in the lives of my family and friends. (Chris)
I feel full of information that I need to voice to people here. (David)
I am overwhelmed by the warm reception we are receiving from the SMC community. (Kayla)
It feels good to be back home and to see all of the people that supported us in New Orleans. (Feke)
| Fernando: I chose this picture of Team Hardcore as my favorite photograph because I feel it represents the camaraderie that formed between our amazing class. |
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| Shane: If this isn't a fashion statement…I don't know what is! |
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| Casey: Casey with her favorite couple Jerry and Connie LeRouge. Jerry told Casey that the one place he always wanted to visit and never did was Casey's home state of Oregon. |
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| Ally: This image shows Elijah looking at the levee break at Violet with all the houses in the background swept away by the surge of the storm. |
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| Courtney: This picture of Dave's reflection symbolizes the strength of the group and how our actions are being reflected in NOLA. |
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| Rachel: Mallory, Brianna and Vanessa walk back to the bus after we worked on a garden and cleared the pathway they are walking on. |
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| Elvia: This picture represents the destruction of Mississippi and the ability for people to continue on. They have placed their addresses outside their homes regardless of missing walls and possessions. |
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| Jed: This picture of a lone bell pepper in a community garden symbolizes the resilience and re-growth of New Orleans and its people. |
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| Steph: This picture represents one word: Journey. This trip was a huge journey for all of us, physically and emotionally. We made it through and the sun is shining. |
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| Vanessa F: We were amazed when we saw this shelf dangling untouched in a residential neighborhood. The houses here are frozen in time five months after the flood and the storm. |
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| Sal: The sun over the debris is a sign of hope. |
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| Emily: Some members of the group relax during our Popeye's picnic at Parkway Partners. |
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| Nessa S: Emily and Nessa S. get totally disgusting and gross on our last day of house gutting. At the beginning of the trip, we avoided dirt; at the end, we were proud to be dirty. |
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| Bree: Dom in Kitchen This picture of Dom in his own destroyed home is a reminder of how drastically the storm affected so many lives. It was hard enough for us to go through these homes, we can't even imagine how difficult it must have been for the families to come back to their homes. |
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| Mallory: Rosie in the sunset After a long day of salvaging items from her flooded home, Rosie joined us for a trip to the levee in Violet, where homes were completely gone with only few remnants. |
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| Arthor: gardening (Mal in front) At the end of the day as we munch on Red Cross food, everyone reflects on the long day of gardening and our time spent in New Orleans. |
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| Elijah: Rosie's 23 steps These are the steps that Rosie climbed with her roommate Janice. Once they reached the top, they waited seven days to be airlifted out. |
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| Kayla: The sun sets after along day in the Ninth Ward. The beautiful sunset represents the hope being brought to NOLA. |
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| Hugo: This picture of Team Amazing at the end of a long day is typical; they are always smiling. |
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| Feke: We couldn't have done all that we did without our good friend Leo. We miss him. |
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| Dave: The famous bucket brigade at Will's house on Metropolitan got broken up when we realized that the house wasn't salvageable. |
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| Chris: Chris hadn't been a photographer, but he was one of our finest artists in the field. |
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| Jorge: Jorge loves this picture of himself in the sunset at the 17th St. levee break. |
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| Justin: JAMBE after LeRouge Our biggest gutting day is well-represented by the dirty workers and the huge pile behind them. |
| <<< Day Twenty-Two | Reflections >>> |
