The Green Campus Initiative’s (GCI) trip to New Orleans proved to be an eye-opening experience for the 38 Fairfield students involved. Three years after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, there are still parts of the city today that are in need of repair. Students were able to restore those areas most devastated by the storm as well as experience the unique culture of New Orleans.
During the trip, students visited the Lower Ninth Ward, an area of the city close to the Levees. The proximity to the Levees resulted in the complete destruction of this neighborhood. What struck the group most was the fact that over three years later, these homes looked exactly as they had immediately after the storm hit. Many of these homes still had people’s personal belongings around. There also were many staircases that led to nothing because the house that they led to had been destroyed. Seeing this destruction is something that the group said they will never forget.
‘We started to wonder where the family was, if they were all together, if they were ever coming home,’ said Terese Girvan ’09.
The group visited many different areas of the city and found each part to be impressive.
‘The architecture of the houses is so beautiful,’ said Jeanine Conway ’09, ‘and it was exciting to see some of the homes that were rebuilt and how they are bringing life back to the city.’
The people of New Orleans are very proud of where they are from and wanted to share their pride with Fairfield.
Mary Catherine Taylor ’11 said that the trip ‘helped emphasize that small actions can go a long way, as we had complete strangers approaching us on the streets thanking us for what we were doing.”
Some residents even dropped off baked goods at the work sites to show their gratitude to the volunteers.
The people of New Orleans wanted to give the students an authentic experience of the city. One local artist opened up his gallery after hours so that they could experience true New Orleans art, and the wait staff at a restaurant gave them a history of the Creole food before their meal, turning the dinner into a learning experience.
‘It’s hard not to instantly fall in love with the city,’ said Girvan.
Not only was the week an opportunity to experience a one of a kind city, but there also was a great amount of work accomplished by the dedicated group. At the beginning of the week, they were separated into four different groups that were each in charge of a different project. At the work sites, students were responsible for restoring homes by completing tasks such as grouting bathroom tile, restoring porches and floors, laying hardwood floors and tiles, and scrapping and painting a house. The group worked with the organization Rebuilding Together New Orleans, which recently started a Go Green Movement. This meant that the products they used to restore a home were often recycled from other homes. They also used environmentally friendly paints and used bamboo wood for the hardwood floors.
The trip to New Orleans is one that will not be forgotten by both the Fairfield studentsinvolved and by the countless people whose lives were made better as a result of GCI’s hard work. Galen Vinter ’09 expressed his fulfillment with the trip by saying, ‘The students gave it their all and proved to New Orleans, Fairfield, and themselves that their hard work really can make a difference.’
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